Don't Waste Your Time with Heights Woodworking
Friends — Don’t waste your time having Heights Woodworking come out to spec out any woodworking jobs — they will not deliver estimates or follow up with you. Almost a month after the owner came to my house, they still haven’t delivered an estimate on my job. The owner claims it’s taking so long because…
Friends — Don’t waste your time having Heights Woodworking come out to spec out any woodworking jobs — they will not deliver estimates or follow up with you. Almost a month after the owner came to my house, they still haven’t delivered an estimate on my job. The owner claims it’s taking so long because the job is not “cut and dry.” Basically, I need two doors made (plain doors, not pocket doors), and some pricing on a few other minor decorative items. I think it’s pretty straightforward, and even if it’s not, pricing should be a big part of what he does — it’s not brain surgery and it shouldn’t take a month. I had read that the company is slow on the Forum before, but thought maybe that was a fluke. It’s not. HEights Woodworking will give you a headache, and they won’t ever come through! – Rachel
I’m still in the process of a complete renovation which as lasted far too long. In the process I had Heights Woodworking install red oak steps, popular rises thoughtout my brick house, they also stipped my rods and bansisters. They did excellent work. They arrived everyday (except Sunday) at 7:45 and left at 4:45. They made sure to cover all my belongings and doors in plastic and vacumned upon completion. I have already recommended them to my neighbors who view the finished stairs and they also hired from for a upcoming job. Great people to work with.
Hi — I am the OP. The services/goods I wanted were two doors made to fit existing original interior doorways. When he was here taking measurements, the owner of HW, Amor, suggested that his shop could also copy some wood detailing that has been lost — for example the things that crown the banisters at each landing — but he came over to measure the doors, and that was really what we wanted. The owner, who incidentally was a very nice man, said he would email me an estimate within a few days. That was four weeks ago. I have called the shop twice a week since his visit asking for my estimate. As for those who say we shouldn’t review and share our evaluations with each other — I don’t know what to say — that is the premise of most message boards, if not the free market system! My conclusion: Heights Woodworking, while owned by a nice man, does not follow through on providing estimates in a timely manner, and they do not have the infratstucture or staff to man a lot of jobs well. I mean please — if they can’t provide an estimate on two 5 panel doors that will fit into existing doorways…. I don’t have much confidence that they could manage much.
I’m a woodworker (not HW) in brownstone Brooklyn. I’m not here to praise them, or to bury them…I’m posting to rant a bit. I always show up for an appointment on time, and I spend hours preparing an estimate. I call in my bid within a couple of days…then wait for a response, and wait. A week goes by…then 2 or 3 more weeks pass. No phone call. Not even an email. On a typical job estimate, I may spend 5 hours or more meeting the client,looking at the job, drawing & estimating, and then calling it in.
My business is successful, and I’m booked for a couple of months in advance, so I’m not too concerned about getting every job that I bid. My rant concerns people that won’t spend a few minutes (less time than it takes for me to find parking to see their job) to call and say no. So there’s 2 sides to this coin. The next time you call someone about work that you want done, PLEASE…at least have the courtesy to get back to them one way or the other…in a timely manner.
OP: Thank you for posting your experience. You have every right to do so, as do the posters who are praising them (assuming they are telling the truth). drunkenstooper apparently thinks we are all too naive to actually take each post with a grain of salt, and he apparently believes that only his personal experience is important and anyone who has a bad experience with a contractor and tells someone else about it is whining.
If Heights Woodworking is as great as some posters say they are, I’m sure they have nothing to worry about. If, in fact, they are often lacking in following up with potential clients, maybe a post such as this one will make them think twice about continuing such behavior.
I also had a wonderful experience with Height Woodworking. My need was simple and they delivered quickly and efficently. Maybe their price was a little high but I had no complaints, problems or regrets and that’s worth a lot!
Wow. I was not expecting to see such negative posting on Heights Woodworking. My experience with them was nothing but an absolute pleasure. I had them replace the stairs in our brownstone. They were quick with a quote. They were quick to start the job. They were professional, incredibly neat and fast. And the job was absolutely first rate. They were a bit more expensive than other quotes but I feel justified in having spent it – because I know I never have to worry about those stairs or the railings ever again.
(and no, I don’t work for them!)
We had the same experience with HW as the OP did. I’m sure some contractors etc. get unfairly criticized on this site. You can kind of tell when a poster hits the nail on the head though when there is a critical masss of posters who’ve had the same experience.
Heights Woodworking is amazing. They do incredible reproduction doors of which I have several. They have built weighted windows that look like they are original to the house. They have done an unbelievable job of restoring a bay of stained glass windows in my home. They created far and away the most efficient and clean worksite that I have ever seen. They are about to start the restoration of our parquet floor and I am sure that it will be incredible.
I had a window quote within a week and new windows within a month that were installed in three days. My neighbors are still waiting for their Marvins that were ordered 6 months ago.
Can’t we have a separate blog for whining Slopers?
Anon 1:07 here, again.
BTW, there are many other, and perhaps mroe productive, outlets to express dissatisfaction with a contractor or vendor — Dept. of Consumer Affairs, Better Business Bureau, Angie’s List, to name a few.