Best and worst contractors of 2007 | Columbus

Published on January 1, 2008

In addition to our nationwide list of the Best and Worst, we selected a few exemplary — and not-so-exemplary — service contractors from the Columbus area.

THE BEST

Arick & Sons Insulation & Roofing | Columbus

"They installed insulation in my home. The day before the installation, a worker from another company stepped through the garage ceiling. Arick & Sons took the time to prepare the area for drywall after the installation was blown in and to relocate anti-bat screening over my attic fan, all at no additional cost. If I ran an insulation company, I'd want to run it the way they run theirs." - Bob Evans, Columbus

Cheyenne Exteriors | Winchester, Ohio

Angie's List member Bonnie Ackerman of Columbus says the owner of Cheyenne Exteriors is a rare find:

"Cheyenne Exteriors installed new roofing, fascia and a rear gutter. They're an extremely motivated and ethical company. Clayton [Lawson, president and owner] believes that if he does everything reasonable to meet the customer's needs, he'll have a happy customer - he's right! Clayton has the old-time values that people yearn for but are so hard to find. When you blend integrity and an excellent price and add a dose of good service, you get a wonderful result!"

Jeremy Ford didn't even have to worry about his yard or landscaping when Cheyenne Exteriors installed new shingles on his roof.

"I have landscaping that surrounds pretty much the whole perimeter of my house, and the first thing I noticed was the crew tarping off the flowers," Ford says. "It was very nice knowing only small rocks from shingles would fall on the tarps during the tear-off."

THE WORST

Ricart Automotive | Columbus

Joetta Gregory to her car to Ricart Automotive when the service engine light came on.

"They fixed something that had been recalled and replaced a fuse. When I picked up the car, the heat wasn't working. I talked to one of the service personnel, who said the day they were working on the car, the power was out, so the repairs were done by hand. They'd closed off the heat duct when working on the car, but they said it wouldn't have caused any problems.

"The heat was working fine when I took it in, and now it's not. They said the repairs will be $972. They aren't returning my calls, and my car is still at the dealership."

Buckeye Painting Pros | Reynoldsburg, Ohio

Pamala Morales of Columbus found out after the job was done that Buckeye Painting Pros cuts corners on her roof.

"They were to replace the front rubber roof and drainage and rebuild the underlining structure," she says. "On the back porch, they were to install flashing and drippage. I was told they did not do either. They did as far as the structure and new roof, but there was no flashing anywhere. The front roof is a horrible mess. Water was pouring out of the roof right on my head."

"I immediately called four licensed roofers, who came and gave estimates," Morales says. "All deemed my roof a horrible mess."

We required that The Best local companies be highly rated on the List and nominated by our members. The Worst had to be poorly rated and in the Penalty Box.