Upgrade Handyman Service

Upgrade Handyman Service is a one-man handyman operation run by Max Shiver out of Spencer, in Worcester County. The Better Business Bureau records it as a sole proprietorship started on 1 October 2022, with Shiver named as owner and "Very Good Handyman Service" listed as an alternate name; it is not BBB accredited but carries an A+ grade. Massachusetts' contractor registry confirms an active Home Improvement Contractor registration, number 207347, held in Shiver's own name — the same number the BBB has on file. A large block of the older customer reviews still call the business Upgrade Floor & Paint, which is the name much of the flooring and painting work was done under. The work customers describe is the small-to-mid job a bigger contractor tends to pass on. One homeowner hired him to save a 20-year-old shed that was past replacing but not in the budget, and said he made the structure functional and safe again and cleaned up afterwards. Others describe a front-door entrance rebuild, two seized doorknobs swapped out the same visit, a front porch step replaced, and kitchen cabinets that were pulling off the wall photographed, diagnosed and fixed the next day. Under the flooring name, a property manager had LVP laid across a multi-family building and a homeowner had a basement laundry room done end to end. Speed comes up repeatedly — replies within minutes, arrival when promised. Google shows 4.9 stars from 38 ratings. There is one clear counterweight, and it is the most recent substantial account on file. In July 2026 a customer wrote that a deck-stair rebuild started strong and then unravelled: no concrete pad was poured at the foot of the stairs, a railing for the front cement stairs that was agreed in writing was never fitted, they were asked to pay for a replacement drill bit, and the work was left unfinished with calls going unanswered. Ask directly how a written scope is handled, what happens when a job needs a return visit, and who pays for consumables. Worth knowing too: one 2024 customer's account begins with Shiver knocking on the door to ask whether they needed their dryer vents cleaned, so some of this work is solicited door to door. Two 2024 reviewers describe the business as veteran-owned; that is their wording, not a claim the business makes anywhere in this record. For a homeowner with a punch list — doors, floors, painting, small carpentry — the track record is genuinely good and the registration is current. Get the scope and the completion terms in writing first.