Ace Handyman Services Metro Boston Melrose

Two names come up again and again in the reviews for Ace Handyman Services Metro Boston Melrose: Eric, who books and plans the work, and Juan, the craftsman who tends to show up and do it. Across 142 Google ratings averaging 4.9, that pairing is the through-line — a Malden-based franchise handyman shop homeowners call for the running list of jobs a house accumulates. The company describes itself as locally owned and independently operated, backed by the Ace Hardware brand, with craftsmen who are employees rather than subcontractors. Eric Smoller is the franchise owner, and its BBB page puts it at about four years in business, an A+ grade, and no complaints on file. What people hire them for is range. Recent Google reviews describe a storm-door replacement, a custom-ordered interior door, window AC units installed, drywall patched — including tracking down an odd ticking sound from a bathroom vent — and the particle board under a leaking kitchen sink rebuilt with proper support. One homeowner had a large wall mirror, wall art, and a TV mounted on a return visit, and that repeat-customer pattern shows up a lot. The thing reviewers keep circling back to is tidiness and communication. Several mention crews that clean up as they go, digital quotes, and a text when the technician is on the way. One customer who was wary of hiring a big-name franchise — worried the job would get farmed out — said talking to Eric eased it, and the work stayed in-house. Two things are worth confirming before you book. Its Massachusetts Home Improvement Contractor registration, #204172, appears on its BBB and Angi pages, but that's self-reported — worth checking against the state registry yourself for your own project. And while the BBB grade is A+, the business is not BBB accredited, which is a paid status rather than a comment on the work. For the backlog of mid-size home jobs — doors, drywall, carpentry, painting, mounting, small installs — this is a shop with a deep, consistent, and recent run of positive reviews and named craftsmen people ask for. Bigger licensed-trade work like major remodels, electrical, or plumbing isn't what these reviews describe, so scope the project honestly when you call and confirm that HIC registration first.