Before & After: Kirkpatrick Maintenance & Services's Work

It all started with a simple walkthrough to take some measurements. One earbud in, one out—classic move. But that lone earbud sparked a question: “What are you listening to?”

What followed was not the usual “nice weather we’re having” exchange. Nope—we somehow stumbled into a deep, oddly unfiltered conversation about politics, kids, public schools, and the state of the world. You know, just your standard, casual wallpaper chit-chat.

A chat that would’ve felt more natural between old friends splitting a six-pack, not between two strangers from completely different planets—culturally, economically, geographically.

Despite our differences (and boy, they were there), we found ourselves agreeing. No really, a rare find but a person that shared all my contrasting views, it was strangely comforting—and a little scary—how aligned we were.

It was a sharp reminder that connecting with customers can be as valuable as the work itself, sometimes even more.

Now, back to the part I actually invoice for.

This job had it all—moss, gutters, power washing, and a bruised ego. The homeowner was great, the house had character, but in the end, I missed the mark. Not for lack of trying, but because, well… I chickened out.

The mission was simple: remove the moss, clear the gutters, and clean up the exterior for insurance. Unfortunately, anyone who’s battled roof moss knows it doesn’t just rinse off—it has to be scraped away, one stubborn barricade at a time.

I started strong, knocking out the spider webs, shining up the windows, and tackling the first-floor roof. But something felt off. Maybe it was the questionable decision to power wash first, or the fact that I had thrown my back out three days earlier and was moving like a man in desperate need of a hip replacement.

Still, progress was solid—until I needed to get on the second-floor roof. Then the drizzle started.

Fine, I thought, I’ll just power wash the deck and fence while I wait (not necessary, but hey, it looked great for photos).

The next day, I returned to finish the job. I set up the ladder. Nope, not safe. Moved it. Still sketchy. Tried from the second-floor deck.

I got a call from a new homeowner in San Francisco—excited, ambitious, and fully infected with the HGTV bug. Her first DIY adventure started when she noticed some "bubbles" in her wall.

A little poke turned into a small tear and then what looking like wall paper removal. Satisfying? Absolutely. Repairable? Yes, just tap me in coach, and before she knew it, she had a front-row seat to how walls were built 100-year-old with lath and plaster and sackette board. 

When I arrived, I found the culprit: a radiator on the other side of the wall, likely contributing some moisture.

Rather than patching what was already on its last leg, I suggested a fresh start—new drywall. No harm in keeping the lath, though.

It makes future hanging easier, and let’s be honest, old wood has character.

We tore it down, put up a fresh sheet, taped, mudded, and let it set. A couple of days later, a fresh coat of paint made it look like the whole thing never happened. 

What started as a fun side project quickly turned into a crash course in supply and demand—emphasis on the "demand" part coming after I tripped over the prototype in my garage for a few months.

Inspired by a YouTube short, I built a rolling storage bin unit in a temporary warehouse space, figuring, "Why not?" I listed it on Facebook Marketplace at the same price as the video. Big mistake.

Either my first attempt had too much character ( extra wood, too many flare pieces), or no one was in the mood for a giant storage system in the dead of winter.

After several price cuts and some judgmental side-eyes from my wife, a last-ditch listing finally caught a buyer’s attention—not for the original unit, but for a custom order almost twice the size. The only catch? My schedule was already booked out three weeks. Challenge accepted. I built two new units—a 4x4 and a 4x3, both on wheels—and temporarily declared my garage a no-go zone. I volunteered to do all the laundry that week, so I wouldn't be judged. 

Lesson learned: assembling on-site isn’t always the time-saver I thought it would be. I could have done without a few forgotten finishing touches and some on-the-fly adjustments in front of the client but she was happy. Before I had finished, I had 2 more orders. 

Maybe it's the cleaner, more refined build. Maybe it’s the spring-cleaning season kicking in. Either way, I’ll take the win—and the extra garage space.

Called out to one of my favorite neighborhoods Westlake. One of the houses butted up against the Olympic club golf course to install a door.

On arrival the old door was already out and we were replacing it with a door donated by the client's mother. Other than a little dry rot on the outside of the door frame, this was one of the few bay area door frames that wasn't leaning, sinking, or warped.

The door fit in perfectly and with minor adjustments slide right in and shut perfectly on the first test run. Before I left, I ran to home depot grabbed a new threshold and offered to take the old door.

This is a special house in Burlingame. The house has 3 levels and a river that runs through the front yard.

Despite the obvious nightmares to come, this house has changed my soul focus to buy a home on Balboa Ave in Burlingame. Hopefully, when he's ready to sell one day ill be ready to take on the perpetual project house.

The owner has a 3-year-old and asked for me to toddler proof the front and backyard. Install a fence around the garden in front, repair a broken fence toppled over by a fallen branch and add cables between the mental fence in front.  I started by removing the fallen tree and chopped the large branches into firewood. I went to work on the fence in the front yard adding a gate and post into the 1st concrete stair. Followed by the back fence.

Unfortunately, whoever built the deck, built it hanging over the old steps up to the second level of the backyard. All week it was raining and I either had to decide to take the steps and crouch under the deck or walk-up on the side, slipping and trailing mud. After a few hours I suggested we I could extend the steps out 3 feet and eliminate the frequent head shots. After discussing we agreed but we needed to do it quickly and for low cost.

New floors were being installed, and the storm highlighted a leaky roof. The budget for repairs were getting out of control quickly. I worked through a couple days of rain, but we got pushed off a week before I poured concrete for the stairs and the fence posts. I reinforced the fence with angled 4x4s. I challenge the next El Nino to challenge my overkill protection and we finished up with the cables.

I hope to get called soon back to my dream home and told the homeowner when he's ready and I have built an empire to call me first before it hits the market.

I got a call from a mother, who said her daughter had (broken up with her boyfriend) and took some liberties painting her apartment.

She had taken some bold colors, and she wanted to get a reset.

We went in and stripped the place. I got to use my favorite color paint Crushed Ice from Sherman Williams. Crushed Ice is one of the most versatile paints I have ever used. Its so reflective that you can paint the whole house with it and depending on the furniture, trim color or the light each room will look different and soften at least twice a day.

We switched out all the outlets, switches and got a few new light fixtures. When we were do the place looked brand new and much bigger.

Both the mother and the daughter made the work more than worth it and made my week. I look forward to working with them both in the future.

I got a referral from a beautiful couple buying their first home with a baby moving in soon. 

They wanted to spruce up their kitchen before they moved in but the rest of the house had been occupied by contractors for over 3 months, and they were moving-in in 2 weeks. 

This was their last project and asked if it could be done in 4 days finishing the day before move in.

Like every contractor ever, I said "yea, we can do it" it was a long 4 days and I was taking off the kitchen and throwing my tools in the truck to make room for the moving truck to park.

We had a lot of choices for the stain, and I know it was a bit darker than expected but I like it. I can't wait to see the kitchen with everything in it.

Congratulations to the couple on both their first home and more importantly on their first child.

I got a call from a Nurse that was moving into her new apartment. Problem is the walls were painted the same color of her work. 

She wanted to come home to something different. It was a straightforward painting job. Living room, dinning room, 2 bedrooms. 

To keep cost low, I thought I could get it done myself but as I have learned, I can but it is too much work. I went through the whole place and fixed every crack, nail whole and imperfections. Probably a little more than expected for a rental.

I worked all day for 4 straight days. Including a 3am start time because the project bled into another job.

All in all it turned out great and she was very happy. After I immediately started looking for full time or part time help and ended up with a new talented right hand man.

Ah, the charm of San Francisco’s historic gems! Stepping into this 1908 marvel was like taking a delightful time machine ride, with the ghosts of the 1906 earthquake swirling about. You could almost smell the smoke from those fires, mingling with the scent of nostalgia. The house stood there, empty yet solid, beckoning us with its incredible view and rich history.

But despite my initial hesitation—should we really touch this treasure?—I decided to dive right in without dialing the San Francisco Historical Society. As with many aging beauties, this house’s charm was marred by years of whimsical additions that turned its once-simple layout into a maze of awkwardness. 

Picture this: a basement flooded from a leak under the deck, so much so that the first day on the job, I unintentionally auditioned for a role in a slapstick comedy by stepping right through the roof. And the backyard! Once a secret garden, it had morphed into a massive sponge, soaking up years of neglect.

We embarked on a gut renovation, which, thankfully, was straightforward given the state of disarray. New floors, a shiny new kitchen, and a bathroom that would make anyone swoon.

The closets? Were left them open and airy, adding a clever wall of cubbies in the bedroom and integrating storage into the slope of the roof in the primary suite. 

We closed most of them Just as we were gearing up, a break-in prompted a last-minute door replacement—because, of course, nothing says “welcome home” like a door that’s been forcibly removed. Inside was a whirlwind of standard renovations, but the real magic awaited us outside.