Member name Anne Swann
Company Russ & Tim's Home Repairs & Improvements
Category Carpentry
Was work done? Yes
Hire again? Yes
Approximate cost $500

Description of work "Russ [Widner] and Tim [Bordner, both owners] did a design session with me and did a custom-made, built-in bookcase for a large collection of cookbooks. They were able to fabricate a bookcase that satisfied my detailed esoteric needs, while also including the versatility to make the shelving changeable and user friendly."

Member Comments "I received a home visit right away, and they mailed the estimate to me in a few days. I then arranged for a final measure, and to my surprise, they fabricated the bookcase off site, so the disruption to my household was minimal. The installation took only a few hours. I was completely impressed."

Bordner says the project was more expensive than $500, as Swann first posted. It was $1,890, to be precise. The reason: "This wasn't something an everyday carpenter does," Bordner says. "It had adjustable shelves, a certain type of trim and crown molding." Anne Swann's husband, Chuck, owns about 300 cookbooks, all of which he reads cover to cover. But his appetite for recipes keeps growing, so the Swanns' seven-shelf bookcase is crammed already. "As a matter of fact, I asked if I could use a portion of the shelf for display," Anne says. "The answer was 'no.'"