Harris Carpentry

I initially found this website because my Buddhist wife wanted a "prayer stool" made. I'll call it this for lack of a better name. It was a low-to-the-floor, cushioned, bow-and-pray support platform. In her worship, she must stand and bow many times, so this platform facilitates that type of worship ritual. At first, no one on the website offered to take on my custom project. Then finally, Derrick contacted me and offered to do so. He seemed sincerely interested in helping me out, as if he had seen me standing in the rain waiting for a bus pickup. As is my wont, I reviewed Derrick's user reviews. They were almost all positive except for two reviews that were quite negative. Since these were more recent reviews than the rest, I gave them greater weight, so I thanked Derrick for his volunteering to do my project, but I turned down his offer, and I told him why. I felt he had a right to know why I declined his offer. Apparently, I was not the first customer to do so for this reason. Not willing to have me leave with a negative impression of him, he engaged me in a conversation thread where he explained to me the circumstances of those two incidents that led to the bad reviews. Could he be lying to me? Possibly. However, I was impressed by his honesty, his passion, and the pride he seemed to take in his work. By rejecting him outright, I had wounded his pride, and this had hurt him. He told me that he loved doing these projects as kind of a hobby but those two negative reviews, out of hundreds of good ones, had put a dent in his accepted offers. I work in the nuclear power plant industry, and I know well the adage that says, "One 'aw-shit' wipes out (cancels) 1,000 'attaboys' ". So, I decided to give Derrick a chance. I gave him the specifications for my project, and over the next month or so, he and I went back and forth with questions and answers. He was very communicative, sending me pictures of my project in progress and asking me questions when he needed to make an artistic or creative decision, such as what color for the cushion, what material, were the dimensions still acceptable if a minor change had to be made, etc. I always knew what he was doing and when and why he was doing it. He kept me informed and made sure he always got any needed input from me before he deviated at all from what I had asked for. Within a reasonable time frame that we had both agreed upon, I received my project in a timely manner, undamaged, and it was exactly what I had asked for. My wife was very pleased. I enjoyed every minute of my interactions with Derrick, and I am very pleased that I accepted his kind offer to take on my project when no one else would. My project wasn't his usual type of project, but he understood that I had a need to fill, felt sympathy for me, and he graciously volunteered to fill that need for me. Thank you, Derrick! It was a pleasure working with you! :)

Would have given zero stars if it was an option. I hired Harris Carpentry to build a new conference table for my office in January of 2023. I was given a timeline of 3 months for completion. I finally received my table on June 6th after getting very gruff with him. The table had been packaged improperly and was completely destroyed in shipping, so I had to refuse delivery. I had already paid in full, and the insurance company reimbursed him for the damage to the table. Fast forward to November and I still have no table, have heard every excuse you can possibly fathom, and had to get pretty nasty to get my money back. I did finally receive a full refund at the end of November. Now, a year later, I will be finding somebody else to build me a new table.

Product arrived broken due to him wanting to get it to me faster instead of sending it with his normal provider to get it there safe. Told me it could be done by July 1st but didn’t get done with it until the beginning part of august. Every two weeks there was a problem, wrong wood was ordered, vacation, injury, no A/C, it kept going. When the product got here broken, he said he would give me a full refund and only have me half. Refuses to give me anymore. Not only was my product broken, but he would constantly update me on how his other pieces got broken in shipping. “Upgraded” the wood I want to something different without telling me and the product itself would’ve been great except it was broken. Considering how my project and at least three others were broken or wrong in the time I worked with him, I’d commission someone else for your project.

Cutting board turned out beautifully. Great work and great communication. So happy with the whole experience.

Working with Derrick on this project was great. He kept me informed at every step of the process and send me progress pictures often. Shipping was quick. I wouldn't hesitate to work with them again in the future.

My dream of a beautiful 25 x 35 " custom butcher block is now in my hot little hands! Derrick Harris was a true professional craftsman from the initial discussion of my project throughout the process. As a retired 30+ years Sr. Museum Designer I have worked along side of some of the best fabrication people in the business and I have to say Mr. Harris is right up with these folks! He matched the cherry wood to my antiques as well as counseling me on building techniques as well as keeping me up to date on where he was on my project. The Cherry butcher block he made for my newly renovated kitchen is so beautiful I haven't used it. That said, my contractor was so impressed by Derricks work including the cost he is looking into "Custom made" for his future projects. Did I mention Derrick created my dream piece like an expert in the museum packing field truly unbelievable work from start to finish. Derrick Harris is a true Craftsman and I am singing his praise from the mountain. Looking for that special person to make your dream come to life... Look no further!

Beautiful cutting board. Great communication and easy to work with. Reasonable price.

TK

Todd Krentz

For Reclaimed Barn Wood Rectangle Stools With Free Shipping

5.0

Dec 21, 2022

The bar stools are lovely. Derrick worked hard, from wood choices to stain choices, to make us happy with the final product. We will do business with him again.

I absolutely love the repurposed piano key wall art that Derrick made for me! He was excellent to work with as well and communicated with me at every step of the process. I highly recommend Derrick as a maker and could not be happier with my experience and finished product!

HF

Henry Feight

For Custom Cutting Board That Measures 36" X 36" Or The Start Of A New Table

5.0

Oct 21, 2022

Derrick made me a custom board based off my request, he educated my on the proper woods to use as a Brisket Cutting Board. He sent me updated every other day or so and was very professional. I am very satisfied and will be using Derrick for other projects in the future. Thank You for you work....

JC

John C Shinners

For Custom Made Pinewood Tv Stand "Zion"

5.0

Jul 18, 2022

Blown away!!! This is exactly what I wanted. It is solid as a rock and will certainly outlive me. Carpentry and Finish are exquisite! To think I was about to pay 5x as much at RH that wasn't even really what I wanted. Best money I have spent this year. I can't recommend Harris Carpentry strongly enough!!!!

Derrick has been wonderful to work with. He has consulted with me every step of the way and has sent frequent updates and pictures. He even sent samples of stained red oak so I could select just the right stain. I recommend him hghly for any custom made items!!! I certainlly will use him again!!!

Absolute best.

AP

Adrian Perlmutter

For Chef's Pastry Board

4.7

Jan 22, 2022

Derrick expertly crafted a custom sized pasta board for my father for Christmas. My father hasn’t stopped making pasta! The custom size fits perfectly on his counter, and looks absolutely beautiful. He was teary-eyed when we gave it to him. For the price the product was more than I could have hoped for. I’m actually amazed at how reasonable the price was especially considering the amount of work that went into it. I would give 6 stars for value. Derrick was friendly, available and communicative during the whole process. Leave plenty of time for the product to be crafted and delivered! Production took a little longer than expected but I was given a discount as compensation. Totally worth it!

My experience with Derrick Harris was outstanding! From the initial meetup, throughout the design, production and delivery of my shoe rack bench, Derrick ensured I was an integral component of the project. He not only asked me pointed questions along the way, he actively listened to my replies and ideas such that the finished shoe rack bench became a joint effort. FaceTime, texts and email were our forums for communication throughout this project. Prior to each call, Derrick sent me photographs of wood slabs/types of steel/stains/finishes/the overall state of the bench. This made our calls productive as there was a basis from which our discussions then flourished. In addition, when a design/production issue/snag/question occurred, our communication lines were always open for the matter to be timely addressed. For example, while Derrick painstakingly applied the matte finish to the pecan slab, he reached out to explain he needed additional time to address absorption or sealant issues he had run up against. Another example focused on the soldering of the joints of the criss-crossed steel rack on my bench. I reached out to Derrick, scheduled a call, discussed my dissatisfaction and he re-soldered each joint to perfection. A final example dealt with the shipment/delivery of the finished shoe rack bench. I FaceTimed Derrick as I opened the shipment box. He shared my initial joy and gratitude along with disappointment over a small section of the bench having been slightly damaged in transit. Thinking quick and smart on his feet, Derrick offered to send me the materials I would need to completely address the damage, at no additional charge, and walk me through the process via FaceTime calls to do the right thing. I instantly took Derrick up on his offer and await the next steps. In conclusion, Derrick Harris is a master carpenter with a brilliant mind and sense of artistry; however, it is his honesty and objective to make his customers beam with satisfaction over a unique, high-quality piece that separates him from all other carpenters. When I am, or one of my friends is, in need of another wooden piece, Derrick Harris is my number one choice.

MR

Marla Rosberg

For Marla's Media Cabinet

4.8

Jan 17, 2022

Derrick is a gem! His talent and passion are unprecedented. He is kind and very passionate about his craft. He was able to help us and answer all of our questions as well as address our concerns. The final outcome is more than we anticipated! If I could place a billboard on our front lawn, I’d be happy and proud to recommend this true artist????????????

Our 48 inch square rustic coffee table is beautiful! Exactly what we wanted. We will definitely have Derrick make some more furniture for us. It was such an easy process. He kept in touch with us from the beginning and was extremely helpful with decision making as far as type of wood, stain color, & amount of distressing. We would highly recommend him!

Harris Carpentry made sure I got EXACTLY what I wanted. Was kept up to date with the status of the project as it progressed. Very professional and great pricing. Product was well built, very sturdy, and made from quality materials. Will return for future projects!

JK

Jonathan Klandrud

For Distressed Cedar Mantel

5.0

Jul 3, 2021

Derrick is a pleasure to work with, I had requested a Custom Fireplace Mantle for a Homeowner that just Purchased one of our homes. The quality of the wood and the finished product was above our expectations. He is a craftsman in the true sense of the word. He and I are currently working on several other projects. This will be a long term friendship!! Keep on Keepin on!

AS

Aio Sifu

For Aio's Bed

5.0

May 25, 2021

Mr. Harris was incredibly easy to work with. He listened to what I was looking for, considered my budget, and made it work. He kept me abreast of his process along the way which made it even more special. I fully intend to contact him again for my next project.