About the Owner

My name is Bill LeBlanc.   Early in my adult life, I learned to enjoy building and creating through jobs in landscaping, gardening, tree removal, forest cleaning, painting, foundations, siding, and roofing.  Thoughout my 20s, these jobs built my skills and paid my way through college, where I graduated with degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from SUNY Stony Brook. I graduated from the same institution with a master of engineering degree in Electrical Engineering where I specialized in VLSI design.  After college, I balanced a regular flow of weekend projects building and fixing with my Monday to Friday corporate job and family time. After 30 years in corporate life, I was presented with an opportunity to set on a new direction.  I was struggling with my interest in another corporate job. I enjoyed building, fixing, and shaping the world around me. I needed to start a company which would allow me to pursue these passions. “LeBlanc Services” is the answer that allows me to pursue with passion the things I enjoy.  Thank you for your interest and support!

What does an engagement with LeBlanc Services look like?

I run all aspects of the business. I take pride in offering a friendly experience with no pressure, no hassle, and no surprises.

Step1: Call or text me at 216-282-6007 to organize a discussion of your project. When we meet, I will work to understand what you would like to get done. If a design is needed, I can provide design support. If the design is exterior, I will do the design. If the design is a kitchen, I have people who can do that or maybe you have your own person. I’ll never ask you to sign or commit to anything on a sales visit. You need time to think through your options and get quotes from multiple contractors. IMHO you don’t want to hire anyone who tries to pressure you to sign for a project today.

Step2: I will give you a quote. My quote is usually lower to middle. If my quote isn’t lower to middle, you can let me know so I can review my work. I have a low cost model, so it’s easier for me to be more competitive than most. I don’t have to pay for a sales person or a designer or a project manager or an office manager. I have low procurement costs and low waste removal cost. It’s my goal to give you excellent execution at a competitive price. Most projects are fixed priced. My price rarely changes. When it does, you have asked me to do something that is clearly beyond the initial scope of the original project. I’ve built in room for all the little stuff that might come up.

Step3: If you want to work with me and my price is good, you will accept my quote online. Some people want a hard copy which is also okay. We will likely have already agreed on a rough schedule. If not, we will clarify expectation. I’m pretty good with keeping to schedule. We work hard to stay on schedule and will bring in extra help and will often work Saturdays to stay on schedule. I won’t ask you for a large down payment way before the work is expected to start. If I need to pull a permit for your work, I’ll ask for 1K deposit. Otherwise, I’ll ask for 50% 2 weeks prior to the expected start and the balance on completion. For projects lasting more than 5-7 days, there might be additional breakdown of payments.

Step3: We will execute with quality and cleanup well when we are done. I’m on the job executing the project with my team. I won’t ask for final payment until the job is fully complete. I won’t leave loose ends. Timeframe: decks are usually 4-8 business days, bath/laundry rooms 4-8 business days if there is tiling, natural stone patios 5-10 business days. We plan our projects so we can start a project and stay focused until the job is done. We are not typically bouncing around between jobs.

My advice to home owners looking to hire a contractor

Get at least 3 quotes. I know that’s obvious, but you want to understand the market for your project and the quote range can be large. It’s not too unlikely, for example, to have a deck project with 5 quotes between 15 and 45K for the same thing. In this example be suspicious of the 15K quote. They might not have quoted you correctly, or they might not have the experience to execute the project as promised. You want to be cost conscious, but you definitely don’t want problems. I’ve seen quotes lower than the cost of materials. The job won’t go well. Be suspicious of the 45K quote just the same. Material costs vary significantly, but otherwise the only reason for a really high price is really high profits. Understand the materials included in the quote so you can compare. Choose a contractor you trust.

If you are spending what feels like a lot of money, make sure your contractor is registered with a city or county even if they aren’t pulling a permit. Most cities have a list available online. The fact that they are registered tells you they are organized enough to satisfy the city’s requirements for registration. Every city requires general liability insurance which covers you in the event of damage. Most cities require an insurance bond. My understanding is that the bond can be leveraged if the contractor doesn’t complete a job as promised. Some cities require proof of workers compensation. Bottom line is the registration process shows a level of organization that the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants guy won’t have, and if they are registered, it’s more likely you will have a positive home improvement experience.

There are many companies that operate construction projects as sales operations. They don’t have any people who execute the work. They hire independent contractors to do the work. When they sold you a project, they might not have known who they would get to do the work or when they would be available. They just try to figure it out once you sign a contract. I think a lot of time these jobs don’t go well, and you end up with issues of quality or stories of a bath remodel taking 6 months. Read the reviews.

Most of our reviews are in Google Maps. Go into Google Maps and search for LeBlanc Services and scroll down to reviews. I also have some in Nextdoor. I’ll try to diversify my online presence this year. I haven’t done anything with Yelp, BBB, or Facebook. It’s hard to find time for everything.

Good Luck! Bill LeBlanc