AIS Repairs & Renovations

We had struggled to find a reputable local contractor for such a «small» job of renovating our master bathroom shower due to a faulty shower pan with shower pan, and floor/​wall tile replacement. Based on the Unilocal reviews we reached out to AIS Repairs and Renovations. Alex was a true professional with his free estimate and design ideas. All costs and schedule were laid out prior to work commencing. Although it took a couple of days longer than anticipated due to field conditions, the crew was clean and professional from demolition to final grouting. They even had their own cleaning person clean the bathroom and master bathroom from top to bottom from all construction dust. We were very happy with the end result of the master shower.

We did a full bathroom renovation with Alex and his crew: stripped everything, new sink, toilet and new luxury shower box, got rid of the bathtub, built a wall and made a small office out of it. We also had the guys do various jobs around the house like painting and moving shelves around.
They earned every one of the five stars we are giving them here. We are thrilled with the work and I think you won’t find many contractors who are so professional, knowledgeable, personable and so so reasonably priced (my mum’s boyfriend is a contractor and a 100% stand-​up guy who just wants to do a good job and Alex reminds me of him). There are people out there who are honest and full of goodwill, really. He always did the work and really well before even mentioning money. It is not his main interest. He wants to to do a good job first He seems to want you to be happy with everything. There were no nasty surprises or cost overruns that were unexpected on his part. Don’t be suspicious of his cheerful can-​do demeanor and youth – he is genuine. His crew are professional and competent. The tiles we chose were difficult to do and Jose did an amzing peice of work putting them in.
AIS had great reviews on Unilocal and of the four contractors we looked at Alex’s estimate was by far the lowest. He seemed the most willing to listen and go along with what we wanted without imposing anything. He was always responsive to our many demands and worries, answering calls or texts even on a Sunday, cheerfully (yes). A pleasure to business with and work out problems with (there will be many some on a daily basis the bigger the job), clam and reassuring. We couldn’t do everything the way we planned but the end result with his help is good enough.
Some caveats that are meant to help you if you hire him. We had to pay extra for an extra icense the building required after we had started the work. The crew could occasionally be a man short and the job took two months all told rather than two weeks. If you do not specify the exact materials you want and there is some urgency or you say you don’t care Alex will always go for the most basic fixtures. He is not out to make money off of you so that is not the concern, as I said he is honest as the day is long, but his taste might not be yours, he gets the stuff from a showroom on his rounds. A big renovation is time-​consuming. You need to be on the ball and insist that the crew need to be fully-​manned and choose carefully your own fixtures and materials if you are a picky person or used to being organized. All this being said, Alex did not make excuses about his other jobs – he was responsive to any complaint. Everything got sorted out amicably and reasonably.
The job did take a while, some of it was our fault some his – that is the way home renovations work – there was nothing out of the ordinary here. You have to be on the ball or corners get cut or the wrong things get purhcased. If they say it will take a week plan on a month especially if you are demanding (my wife is more than me but I regret not having been more demanding now for some things I wanted). We’re in a loft, and we had nowhere else to stay on a regular basis so we had to live in a real mess for much of the time. But now it is over it was worth it. We had the help of a friend who was an architect and you really need that for a big job. It is worth the extra money or you could have real problems working out how to get most of what you want given the structures you have to deal with.
Anyway you will get a great job and within your budget if you hire AIS

Alex was a professional from the start. The itemized estimate was easy to follow. Alex was up front with all cost and clearly stated all the work that would be done during the renovation. Alex consulted with us during the renovation to ensure we would be happy with the end result. Through out the renovation Alex and his crew were pleasant and professional. The bathroom renovation came out great.
There was a small leak from the shower door and Alex came out the next day to fix it immediately. I’m very happy with the way the bathroom came out. Alex and his guys were great. I would definitely recommend them.

We had our entire bathroom gutted and everything installed brand new. Alex had a good estimate for the job and stuck to it. The fixtures were installed and included in the price, and he worked well with us as we adjusted some pieces during the job.
The subway tiles look amazing and the marble pieces are luxurious. He was careful to clean up the site after working.
The sink wasn’t draining well about 3 days after the job was finished, so I called Alex. He came over the next morning and snaked the pipes for us. I’m not even sure that was related to his work, but he quickly fixed the issue for us.
Most of all, my wife loves the new bathroom.

At first I was apprehensive to call any plumber, I’ve never had to and was worried about being ripped off. After reading such great reviews I gave Alex a call! I had a few problems i needed fixing. FIrst was my kitchen sink. he did a greatjob nothing to complain about.
HOWEVER, we then spoke about replacing my laminate countertop, which he seemed more than confident to tackle. Alex then came up with another solution of re finishing it and assured me it would look better than new. I trusted him to complete the job with the supervision of my mother while i went to work. When i came home, my kitchen was a disaster!!! he got black paint and flecks of countertop stuff all over my kitchen, appliances, floor, wall, sink EVERYWHERE. They dont come off. I asked him to touch it up because it was completely unacceptable. He then said he needed to go to Home Depot and pick up some thinner to remove this black countertop coating all over the floors. He was gone for a long time…
he finally returned with a bullshit story of how he got his phone stolen in the store and wasnt able to complete the job…
He left with cost of materials and i was left with a huge mess (black countertop coating and flecks EVERYWHERE) and terrible job, that i had to TRY to clean up myself. MY kitchen looks worse than before.
ALex took on more than he could handle and had no other way of getting out of a sticky situation but lying and running away.
Thanks for NOTHING!

In the days before my much needed vacation, it was raining … in my apartment. Not just a leak, more like Niagara Falls. I called Justin and he was there in 15 minutes. although he couldn’t fix the leak that night because of the nature of the issue, he was definitely the man with the plan. He was able to get the situation under control so I could enjoy my time away from the city worry free!!! Thanks!!!

Alex was great to work with. I called in the morning to schedule a time that evening to snake my toilet. He was prompt to confirm the appointment an hour before and even when he was running a bit behind schedule. He was super professional the whole time, and was knowledgeable in plumbing and the working mechanisms in my specific toilet. He also offered useful suggestions if any problems were to occur in the future.

We had a leak under our kitchen sink that was getting progressively worse over the past week. I called AIS to see if they had anyone available the same day to come take a look. Alex said he would be able to come by in the evening, take a look, assess the issue and give us an estimate before doing the work. As explained, he assessed the work and gave us an estimate and got to work. Alex replaced all of the ancient pipes under the sink and also told us we would need to replace the faucet because that was leaking as well (this we already knew, so we were in agreement). Even though it was late in the evening, he went over to Home Depot, text a picture of a faucet in out price range and what we mentioned we wanted, and was back at the apartment within 40 minutes to install.
Our apartment is older and we knew changing pipes or doing anything really, is a difficult job. Alex, however, did the job quickly, went out himself to to pick out a great faucet and was professional and knowledgeable. Our kitchen needs quite a bit of work and we will not be shy in calling Alex again to do some of it. The prices were reasonable and we do not have an issue paying money for a job well done. All in all, we would recommend Alex and AIS to anyone and will be calling him again in the future for any repairs.

These guys came within 30 minutes when I had a clogged toilet at 10:15 on a Friday night. He was in and out in 10 minutes. Great service and would definitely call them again (but I hope I won’t need to).

There seems to be a general consensus on this page which I can also attest to: Alex at AIS Repairs is awesome.
I was out of the country and one of my tenants called about a big, messy leak. It was a Sunday morning and my other repairmen were unavailable so I sought help from the good people at Unilocal.I was impressed with Alex’s reviews and contacted him. He was at my property within 2 hours. He quickly diagnosed the problem (a corroded steam pipe in the ceiling) and offered a solution at a reasonable rate. He went to work right away and kept steady communication with me — reassuring me and updating me throughout the process. The job was finished within hours and my tenants (and I) were able to rest easy Sunday evening.
I really appreciate Alex’s friendly attitude, professionalism, expediency and honesty. I will consider using him for all my future repairs/​renovations.
Thanks Unilocalers.

Alex at AIS Repairs & Renovations saved us. Forget all of the other plumbers listed on Unilocal for the Astoria area and just go with this place.
The Background:
Less than 5 days before moving out of our apartment, we had an epic plumbing disaster that necessitated emergency plumbing services. Our landlord was out of the country and left his niece in charge of the building who had no idea what to do. The plumber she had called wouldn’t come for at least several hours. My reaction was «we’ll be UNDER WATER in several hours!»
It was also 6:30 in the morning.
After several plumbers told us they couldn’t come in time or HUNG UP on us, Alex answered and said he could be there in 30 minutes. That was better than several hours, so I said okay. He arrived promptly and went right to work. After he cleared the pipes, he helped with cleaning up the water that had flooded our bathroom and kitchen. We figured everything was over.
But no, because we have assholes in our soon to be old building. At some point during the day while we were off at work and school, someone decided to flush a yellow ball that was a little smaller than a tennis ball down the toilet. And, it clogged the very same pipe that had been cleared. How do I know this? Because when my fiancée got home from work around 7:00ish, she opened the door and there was standing water in the kitchen. She called the aforementioned niece who, again, had no idea what to do, and I texted her the number for Alex since I had been the one to call earlier that day. He said he’d be over in 5 minutes, and showed up as promised. He went into the pipes again and discovered the source of the blockage (the F’n ball).
We’ve opted to leave the apartment several days early as a result, and yesterday was all in all, a horrific day. The building we’re moving to has a competent management company and a live-​in super, but if we ever have an emergency plumbing issue, Alex will be the person we call.

Had a bad drain clog in the tub and my only day free was Sunday. Alex answered his phone right away, asked me about the problem and was here fixing it within 45 minutes. He usually takes Sunday off but was gracious enough to come take care of this quick fix problem in less than 15 minutes. The price was fair and I gave him a bit extra for the Sunday trip. Really appreciated his help. Thanks!

These guys are the absolute best!
John renovated my closet. He did a superb job. John listened carefully to what I wanted and fully explained the renovation process.
The result is above and beyond what I had envisioned.
John’s truly a master craftsman in the old-​fashioned sense of the word. He takes pride in doing things carefully and conscientiously. He’s knowledgeable, innovative, and industrious.
I’m so happy with John’s closet renovation, I’m hiring him to build new shelves & a built-​in cabinet. (And anything else I can think of!)
Also, while he was at my apartment, John noticed my toilet was running and took it upon himself to fix it! :-)

Alex is awesome and reasonable with prices! He’s a super handyman. Him and his crew are friendly, professional and precise. I highly recommend Alex!

Alex is the ultimate handyman… I needed urgent help installing a pressure balanced valve for my faucet and Alex was at my doorstep in less than an hour.
He installed the valve and faucet in less than 15 minutes and got the job done!
I highly recommend Alex for his professionalism, punctuality and adroitness.

I needed a temporary door constructed between two rooms in my apartment and Alex did an outstanding job. He was quick to set up an appointment for an estimate, kept in close contact with me throughout the process and was extremely friendly, courteous and professional doing the actual work.
I will use Alex again for all my home repair needs and I highly recommend him to anyone else looking for someone to do the same.

I’d first like to thank my fellow Unilocalers for just getting this one right.
I clogged my sink about a week ago and had NO IDEA how to go about finding a plumber but of course when in doubt, Unilocal it out.
After a bit of research I came across perfect reviews for Alex and the work he does. After reading the other reviews I decided to call and he said he was just finishing up and a job and could be at my house within a half hour! Considering I had to be at work in a few hours I was extremely greatful.
On the phone he was pleasant, courteous and extremely accomodating. The place I called a week before gave me attitude, seemed like they didn’t want the business and told me I would have to pay double time because it was the weekend. Alex was the complete opposit of that douche. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and reasonably priced.
Once he got to my house he took care of my clog, explained everything and gave me some friendly advice as to how to avoid having this happen in the future.
While talking to him as he unclogged my sink that had not one but two hug clogs we got to talking and he does it ALL. Sheet rock, plastering, iron work, electrical, etc. You name it, he can do it. The list goes on. Should I have any isues with anything around the house I know who I’m calling without hesitation. I’m already considering having him come back to fix a light that’s out in one of my rooms.
If you want an all purpose handyman who in the short time i’ve gotten to know him is trustworth, honest, and is looking out for your best interest, Alex is your man! Though I’ve never done plumbing I have done carpentry and electrical and I have to say it’s rare to find someone with such Integrity who goes out of his way to do the best possible job.
If that wasn’t enough to sell you his prices will be cheaper than any other handyman/​carpenter/​plumber/​electrician you’ll find and he’s willing to come to you at ANYTIME during the day/​night. Alex was Superb and I was just overall blown away by the services. I saved his number in my phone and if I need anything around the house he’s my first call!

Alex was able to arrive the day I contacted him for an estimate on putting in a new door between rooms, and returned the very next day to install it. Door fits and functions beautifully. Affordable price, affable guy.

I have to say, Alex was amazing! We called him for a leaky faucet around 7pm on a Sunday night (Mother’s Day). He arrived in minutes, diagnosed the problem, came up with the least expensive, most effective solution, gave a fair estimate and got to work. Unfortunately, due to our old pipes, the problem was not so simple — but he handled it calmly and even went out of his way to get the proper (up to date) part necessary. He solved our problem and even gave us advice about other questions/​issues we had. Then, on his way out, he helped our neighbors with a small issue. Yes, he is cash only, but that was money well spent for awesome, honest service. Call Alex!

Alex was great! Very friendly and offered a fair price to fix the light fixture in my bathroom. He was able to come on two hours’ notice on a Sunday night. Note that he accepts cash only.