A Master’s Hands Q&A
Q&A
A: Yes, we are insured by Colorado Casualty Insurance, with up to $2,000,000 in liability insurance. If required, you can obtain a Certificate of Insurance by calling Jo Cothran of the Orcutt Insurance Group, at 303-233-2828.
A: Yes, we are a licensed business located in Littleton, CO. We are registered with the Federal government, and also with the State of Colorado. Many of the skills/services we provide do not require a specific license in CO, but we do have a residential contractor’s license (Class-C General Contractor), and we’re an EPA Certified Renovator. We are also ACHP Certified as a professional handyman company. We maintain a number of other field related certifications and strive to build our skills through continuing education. For example, our founder is also a NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer. We also have business partners who hold state licenses in specific trade areas, including licensed master electricians and licensed master plumbers.
A: Yes, we are an Accredited Member of the Better Business Bureau (BBB), with an unblemished record, and “A+” rating. We’re also members in good standing of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, the West Chamber, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), and the Association of Certified Handyman Professionals (ACHP).
A: We seek to serve each of our clients “As Unto the Lord” (Colossians 3:23-24)…by striving to do all things with a servant heart. We are men of integrity who are honest, reliable, respectful and kind. We don’t smoke, use foul language, play loud music, or wear inappropriate clothing on the job site. We earn our clients’ respect and trust. This is why many of our clients call when they’re planning to be on vacation… they give us their “punch list” of work items to be done, and give us their keys and garage codes so we have access to the property and can complete the list before they return. We realize it takes a long time to build/earn a solid reputation and are proud of ours.
A: We believe our differentiator is not price – rather, it’s value, quality and reliability. We know we’re not the least expensive workers in this market, nor are we the most expensive, or anywhere close. The largest providers of handyman services in the metro area are franchise operations that all charge significantly more than we do. We don’t believe we’ve ever lost business to any of these companies, because we have more to offer our clients – specifically a trust-based relationship. In our experience, we’re also more affordable than franchise operators, since we don’t pay franchise and operating fees, and also don’t pay the high-priced advertising costs they incur. Compared with the many small independent handyman contractors out there, we have a larger team with more experience, allowing us to handle multiple jobs concurrently, so we can respond to our clients’ calls more promptly. All of our workers are insured, have their own tools, and are authorized and documented to work in the US. A Master's Hands, LLC strives to deliver the best service to our clients. When you do business with us, we procure the products and materials required for your job, then we perform the work to build/install everything, per your requirements. If there are products (e.g. garage door openers, sprinkler system controllers, wireless LAN routers, etc.) that we install, we will perform all required setup, and then ensure you’re educated on the product’s proper usage. If there are ever any workmanship issues, we will come back and address them at no cost to you, as warranty work. We offer a 1-year workmanship warranty. However, we do not price match – we feel that our rates are fair and we do everything we can to ensure we deliver a fair value to our clients.
A: Please call our office for our current rates. 720‑468‑3225
A: Yes, we’re glad to provide written proposals, including Terms and Conditions and signature pages, on a fixed-bid basis, for larger jobs such as kitchen and bath remodels, basement finishes, etc. Our technicians may also, at their discretion, provide fixed bids on smaller jobs and write them up on a Statement-of-Work form while they’re on-site for clients who prefer a fixed bid rather than to receive an invoice for the technician’s time and any materials purchased by A Master's Hands. Please note that any time our technician needs to source and purchase materials and supplies is billable. AMH is a “preferred provider” at Home Depot and Lowe’s, and on time-and-materials based projects we pass our contractors’ discount on to you.
A: Many companies do charge a trip or travel charge for each job, and with the cost of fuel, and time involved to reach each client, that’s the norm. Rather than billing a trip charge separately we’ve learned that our clients prefer to have everything included. So, our current rates cover all travel to client sites within the greater Denver metro area. Our initial rate to arrive and do up to an hour of work is set based on this, and each additional hour (or portion of an hour) is billed at a lower rate. Each day a team member is called back to the job site the “first hour” rate applies. For on-site estimates or work outside the Denver Metro area, (such as the mountain communities, Erie, Castle Rock, Larkspur, etc.), a special trip charge may apply. Our office can provide details.
A: We seek to educate our clients on many topics, including the distinctions between estimates, quotes, bids, etc. A bid (a fixed price agreement) includes a detailed statement of work, with a fixed price attached… a price for which the contractor agrees to perform the stated scope of work. The benefit to a client is that they can know up-front what the job will cost, with a high degree of confidence that the job will not exceed that amount, except when change orders apply. Unless unforeseen issues arise (e.g. mold or rot discovered inside a wall when it’s opened up for other work), the total cost is known up-front. If the contractor completes the work more quickly than expected, the fixed price still applies. If the contractor works more slowly and it takes longer than expected, the fixed price still applies. Sometimes work that’s based on a bid tends to put the contractor and client in an adversarial relationship when the client wants to add to or modify the scope of work. Technically such modifications to the SOW would be recognized as changes in scope or change orders, with associated changes or additions to the bid price. This sometimes makes for a complicated process.
In contrast, estimates are simply that – they are an educated and calculated estimate of the total cost for a statement of work, based on how long we believe the job will take to complete and the cost of materials required. After a job is estimated, if the work takes less time than anticipated, our invoice will reflect that – and we would bill our client less than the estimated cost. If it takes longer than expected, the invoice will reflect that as well. On an estimated job, if the client asks for changes in scope while we’re working, we simply say “yes sir/ma’am,” and explain the expected impact on the cost of the total job, then keep working to get the job done as efficiently as possible. No haggling over the change in scope and impact on a previously agreed fixed price. Both methods have their advantages, and we operate both ways.
A: We accept Checks, Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, Credit Cards and secure electronic funds transfers (EFTs) to us from a client’s bank via Intuit’s network.
A: Several things. First, we’re a one-call solution, which is very important to many of our clients because they can make a single call and have us respond with technician(s) who can address most or all of the work that client needs. Second, we have been recognized repeatedly for excellence in our work and in customer service. Examples, which are posted on our home page, include Business of the Year, and the 2013 Golden Ethics in Business award.
*AMH utilizes licensed plumbers and licensed electricians who are business partners to assist in various projects, where appropriate / required. NOTE: Our rates are for general handyman work involving basic plumbing or electrical tasks, not those tasks which require a state-issued plumbing or electrical license. Rates are higher when a licensed electrician or plumber is required. Please call our office for our current rates. 720‑468‑3225. Please note: We do not answer calls from blocked caller IDs but will return messages.
