“You either have more time or more money.”

My Dad told me that when I was a kid, and I’ve lived by it ever since. If you’re short on time, that’s where I come in. Decks, doors, drywall, painting and the whole honey-do list, done right and done clean.

Email Jon for a quote Read my story

Finished pressure treated deck with cable railings — A new deck and a new front door, both built and installed by Jon.

New white front door installed in a brick entry — A new deck and a new front door, both built and installed by Jon.

Locally ownedNew Hampshire native, operating as Jon The Builder, LLC
Fast repliesReply by end of day, next day at the latest
Clean job sitesYour home is treated with respect
Years of framingResidential and commercial carpentry background

Jon, on the left, and his brother Nathan, on the right, carrying lumber down a job site road — Jon (left) and his brother Nathan (right) back on the framing crew, where it all started.

Meet Jon

I want people to know that whenever they have an issue and they reach out, it’s taken care of.

I grew up in Manchester with very little money and a lot of time, so I learned to fix things myself. That habit turned into years of framing houses, and in April 2025 it turned into my own company. When you invite me into your home, I know you’re trusting me. I take that seriously.

Read the whole story

What I do

Real jobs, real photos. Tap any photo to see it bigger. Big project or small fix, the process is the same: a clear quote, a scheduled date, and a job that’s done when I leave.

Decks

Framing is where I started, and building decks is the part of the job I enjoy most. Whether you want a basic pressure treated deck, a composite deck or something extra fancy, send me an email.

Porches, pool decks and walkways too.

Deck with cable railings

Deck boards laid with posts and cable railing

Composite deck, from the footings up

Concrete footing forms set in a gravel pad beside an existing deck

Pressure treated beam set on post bases over the gravel pad

Joists resting on a doubled beam and posts

Jon laying composite deck boards over the new frame

Finished composite deck with wood and black metal railings along the back of the house

Side stairs with railings leading up to the finished deck

Composite deck surface with a breaker board and railings

More deck, porch and walkway projects

Pool deck

Above ground pool in winter before the deck was built

Finished pool deck with railings beside the above ground pool

Resurfaced deck and pergola platform

New deck boards going down over existing joists

New low deck platform with steps under a pergola, next to the resurfaced deck

Cabin walkway

Weathered wooden walkway at a cabin door

New pressure treated walkway and railing at the cabin entrance

Front porch and portico

Old front entry with rotted trim and a cracked tile step

New wooden porch with posts and a covered gable portico

Windows and doors

Quality windows and doors have a big impact on the overall health of your home. From better energy efficiency to a fresh look, this one upgrade can make a real difference in your family’s quality of life.

New white front door in the same brick entry

Drywall

Small repairs and patch jobs, replacing water damaged material, and framing and finishing brand new walls and ceilings. I cut my teeth replacing old horsehair plaster, so older homes don’t scare me.

Jon in a protective suit removing an old plaster ceiling

Smooth new ceiling above white paneled walls

Painting

I take real pride in my paint jobs. Smooth, even finishes, clean paint lines, and efficient, dependable service are the least you can expect.

Freshly painted room with crisp white trim

Smooth painted wall after wallpaper removal

Home repairs

Everyone has a few things around the house they’ve been meaning to fix but lack the time or know-how to get done. Loose doors, wobbly chairs, broken locks, hanging pictures and more. Save yourself the headache and let your friendly neighborhood handyman take care of your honey-do list.

And yes, I’ve even rebuilt the door on a bus.

Porch column with rotted trim at the base

Rebuilt wooden front stairs below a blue double door

Business sign rebuilt on new posts and base

Custom door built into the side of a bus

Gutter cleaning

Clogged gutters overflow, soak your trim and send water where it doesn’t belong. I’ll clear out the leaves and pine needles so your gutters are ready for the next storm.

Gutter packed with pine needles along a shingled roof

Cleaned out gutter along a shingled roof

Furniture assembly

Shop online for furniture with confidence. I’ll make quick work of anything that says “some assembly required.”

Why hire me?

Jon The Builder is a locally owned and operated handyman service. I’m a New Hampshire native who cares about this community and respects your home.

I understand that by inviting me in, you’ve extended a great deal of trust, and you expect friendly, efficient service for your hard-earned money. I’m fully committed to giving every customer the most stress-free, professional experience possible.

I’ll keep your house clean, and I’ll do everything in my power to make sure your needs are met every single time you reach out. No matter what.

Jon in a full protective suit and respirator taking down an old plaster ceiling, with plastic sheeting sealing off the room — Plastic up, suit on. Messy jobs stay contained so your home stays clean.

See Jon’s story

How it works

For simple jobs, like a door repair:

You email meTell me what’s going on. Send your number in the email and we’ll give you a call!
I send a quoteBy the end of my working day, or the next day at the latest, with a date and time for service.A small fee applies to most estimates. This fee is waived for local clients.
You stop worrying about itOnce you accept, take your mind off the problem. It’ll be dealt with by the time I leave.

For larger projects:

We meet at the jobWe walk through exactly what you’d like done and how we’ll do it.
I send the quoteAs soon as I can.
We schedule the workOnce it’s accepted, we lock in a date. Simple.

Trusted referral partners

Some jobs need a specialist. These are the people I trust and send my own customers to.

TLC HomeCare by Cef

Ceferino Duana

603-568-0532

tlchomecarebycef.com

CJH Electrical Contractors

Colin Hebert

603-661-4603

cjhelectricalnh.com

Stassi Consulting Co.

Websites and digital marketing. They brought this website to life.

917-731-3947

stassiconsulting.org

Jon’s story

You’re thinking about letting me into your home, so it’s only fair you get to know me first. Here’s how a kid from Manchester became Jon The Builder.

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More time or more money

Manchester, NH, early 2000s

I grew up in Manchester, New Hampshire in the early to mid 2000s, the oldest of three brothers, raised by my father. We didn’t have much money. One day while we were out shopping, I asked my Dad if we could buy some precut fruit. He pointed out that the whole fruit was cheaper.

That made no sense to me. The precut fruit came in a much smaller container, so shouldn’t it cost less? He explained that you pay extra for the convenience of having someone else prepare it for you. Then he dropped the piece of wisdom that would shape my whole philosophy on self-sufficiency:

“You either have more time or more money.”

For whatever reason, that stuck with me, and I live by it to this day. When problems popped up, whether it was car trouble or a home repair, I’d remind myself that I had plenty of time and very little money. That meant I had to take the time to learn how to fix it myself. That drive to understand the things around me kept me going, and kept me providing for myself and my family when money was scarce.

The motorcycle

Age 17

My journey into repairs really started at 17. I saved up enough to buy a used motorcycle and spent one beautiful season riding my new pride and joy. Then one day she refused to start, and I had no clue how to fix her.

So naturally, I spent the entire next summer trying to diagnose and fix it myself. With absolutely no motorcycle experience, I took apart most of the bike and replaced every part I could afford. I read the repair manual so many times I could recite the ignition section by heart. After working through every common issue on the checklist, I finally found the culprit: a faulty EIU, or Electronic Ignitor Unit.

I was relieved to know exactly what was wrong, but there were two problems. A new EIU cost almost as much as the bike was worth, and by then the summer was pretty much over. So I cut my losses and sold the bike.

I’m still grateful for that experience. I lost my motorcycle, but I gained a wealth of knowledge about doing research and making repairs on my own vehicles. And I kept learning, so I’d never be stuck like that again.

Finding the trade

Residential framing

I tried my hand at a lot of different work: warehousing, general labor, food service, door-to-door sales, masonry, debt collections, even stagehand work. Then I landed in construction as a residential framer on a small crew of just four guys, including the owner, working right alongside my younger brother.

Once I got past the aches and pains that come with construction, I realized I really enjoyed building houses. There’s a sense of pride that comes from making something out of nothing, kind of like cooking a meal for someone you love or finding them the perfect Christmas gift. You look back at the end of the day and think, “Wow, I did that!”

I got obsessed with learning the trade and getting better every day, and I picked up plenty of tricks along the way thanks to the owner, Scott Gordan. Scott was a close friend of my family and was eager to add some young blood to the crew. He was willing to teach us, and actually enjoyed teaching us, about carpentry and working with our hands without losing any fingers in the process.

Scott was nearing retirement age but was still tough as nails and could outwork most guys half his age. He was there with us every day, framing walls and lifting rafters just like the rest of us, and making it look easy. He taught me most of what I know about carpentry, and I owe him a lot of my success. Learning in a classroom is great, but there’s nothing like hands-on experience next to a carpentry OG like Scott.

Wall framing standing on a new foundation — Framing days: walls going up.

A house frame with green sheathing — Making something out of nothing.

Going out on my own

Jon The Builder, LLC, April 23, 2025

Eventually it was time to move on. I took a commercial framing job with a company based in Manchester, hoping to work a little closer to home, and for a while it worked out. Until my commute went from 10 to 15 minutes each way to nearly two hours! Safe to say that wasn’t going to last.

That’s when I got the idea to start my own company, one that would let me do the work I enjoy in a community I wanted to improve. I wanted my company to show the traits I look for when I hire someone: professionalism, efficiency and humility. The man who thinks he knows everything knows nothing.

At the time, my skills were mostly carpentry and light painting, and I knew very little about running a business. But based on everything I’d been through, I knew I could figure it out. I spent nearly a year saving up for emergencies and learning everything I could about drywall repair, painting, and general home repair and maintenance.

Then a friend gave me the chance to practice on his rental property, and I renovated his place in my off time. It gave me a ton of experience, room to learn on my own, and the confidence that I could really run my own business. I’m incredibly grateful for that. Eventually I made the jump, and on April 23rd, 2025, I made it official with my LLC: Jon The Builder!

The first job

An old house near Concord

I’d been handing out business cards to anyone who would take them for weeks, and it was about to pay off. On a moving job I’d picked up for some extra cash, I met a young couple who had just bought a beautiful, very old house in the Concord area. The job sounded simple: replace three old, cracked horsehair plaster ceilings with new drywall and finish them.

Little did I know there’s a world of difference between working on a job like that with a company and being the company, working it alone. I put everything I had into that house. I made trip after trip for supplies in my little Subaru Impreza, used everything I’d learned so far, and learned plenty more on the fly to get the quality finish my wonderful customers and I were looking for.

At times I had to call in help, and thankfully my friends and family were incredibly supportive and even put in hours with me. I also met a few guys along the way with a lot more drywall experience than me, and I’m not ashamed to say they helped me tremendously.

That job was a lot like the motorcycle: long, much harder than I expected, and a huge learning experience. Except this time, perseverance pulled me through, and I finished the job, all while taking smaller jobs on the side to get my name out there.

Seeing the happy looks on their faces at the end gave me a sense of pride and fulfillment that’s hard to describe without getting dramatic. I was thrilled they were satisfied, and that I got to make such a fantastic old house a little more cozy. It made all the 16-hour days, the sweat, and the stress of meeting deadlines worth it. They even left me a fantastic review, which I’m incredibly grateful for. Without their faith in a brand new business, I don’t know if I would have had the confidence to take on the work I’ve done since.

A small hatchback with a ladder strapped to the roof — Humble beginnings: the original work truck.

Hatchback packed with insulation rolls and a shop vac — Every trip, packed to the roof.

Hatchback loaded with scrap wood on a tarp — And hauling the debris back out.

Old cracked plaster ceiling before work — Before: cracked horsehair plaster.

Ceiling opened to the joists and insulation — Opened up to the joists.

New drywall ceiling taped and mudded — New drywall, taped and mudded.

Smooth finished ceiling above leaded windows — Finished.

Worn old door opening in a plaster wall — Same house: an old door opening.

Custom painted plank door fitted to a sloped wall — A custom door, built to fit the slope.

Word got around

The phone started ringing

Part of what made that first job so hard was the sudden flood of work coming in. People were reaching out every day, mostly through Yelp. My business really took off there, and it kept me busy during that job and for months after.

It was clear to me that people really needed a good handyman, and I wasn’t going to let them down. I want to be known for reliability, professionalism and expertise. I want people to know that whenever they have an issue and they reach out, it’s taken care of.

Year one, and thank you

Where things stand today

This first year has been an adventure. I now have a dedicated work vehicle, I’m finally putting up my website, and I’ve met so many wonderful people who’ve helped me along the way. I’ll keep learning, keep growing, and keep giving my customers the quality repairs they deserve.

I also want to extend my deepest gratitude to you for taking the time to read my whole story and get to know me a bit. I hope to get to know you too, and to build a great working relationship. Thank you for visiting my website and for helping me live my dream.

Be sure to check out the services section to see some of the jobs I’ve completed.

Jon Cherry
Jon The Builder, LLC

Fat Boy, a black dog in a bandana, sitting on a drop cloth at a job site — Fat Boy, supervising.

Reviews

Don’t just take my word for it. Every review below was written by a real customer on Google, copied here word for word.

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5.0 ★★★★★ 27 reviews on Google See them on Google

“Jon the Builder is now our go-to person for home improvement projects!”Alex Huddleston, about their 124-year-old house

★★★★★

Jon has been a pleasure to deal with. I've had him help me a couple of times with my action figure displays. He's been professional, prompt, and has done a great job each time. He had the knowledge to perform the job and was able to bang it out in a timely manner. Highly recommended. 👍
Jon helped with turning this ammo can into a cool, military themed action figure display. He removed the side of the can for the figures to be displayed, cut the glass, and cut the shelves for the figures to be displayed on. Came out great.

Sean Connolly

★★★★★

Jon did a great job fixing a couple of loose stair rail posts and sagging garage door. He's a good listener, communicated effectively and showed up when he said he would. I'm making a list of other things that need fixing and will do business with him again.

Diane Allen

★★★★★

Had Jon repair a section of drywall. He not only did an exceptional job but he was very accommodating in fitting us in to his schedule. His prices were also very reasonable. Thanks Jon

Joseph Marinelli

★★★★★

The 3rd week of August 2025 I contacted Jon about replacing the trim on my bay window. The nails holding the trim kept popping out. He came out and gave me a good quote. Within a few days he started the job. Alas there was a lot of rot. He replaced the rotted portion, the trim and primed and painted. Understandabley it was a few hundred dollars more than the quote. Jon is pleasant and I'm very pleased with his work.

Sandy Kimball

★★★★★

Jon’s great! This was our third time working with him. The first to patch a large hole in our plaster walls after we had some plumbing added, second to take apart a dresser so it could fit up our stairs, and this time a much bigger project - moving the wall and door in our pantry/bathroom. Our old house comes with a lot of challenges, but Jon was up to the task! He’s super pleasant and considerate, has strong attention to detail, and won’t quit until it is just right. We will definitely reach out to him again for future projects

Hannah Scott

★★★★★

I had a great experience with Jon. He came out in freezing temperatures and fixed my sliding door alignment and handle when others couldn’t help. He was professional, knowledgeable, and made sure everything worked smoothly before leaving. I really appreciate the quality of his work and would highly recommend him.

Oksana Dyer

★★★★★

Jon helped with several projects at our new condo. He demo'd old built-ins and repaired the walls, prepping them for us to paint. He also removed old wallpaper in a walk-in closet and repaired those walls. Today he painted a very tall stairwell area that would've been tough for my husband to do (safely). It looks great. He is very thorough, professional and personable. We definitely recommend Jon and have already discussed plans for future projects with him.

Diane Taft

★★★★★

Thank you, John, for your excellent work on our drywall repair! You came highly recommended by our electrician, and now I understand why. Your craftsmanship was top notch, you worked efficiently, left the place spotless, and were incredibly friendly throughout the process. I truly appreciate your professionalism and attention to detail. I’m looking forward to working with you again on future projects and will absolutely be spreading the word - your help was invaluable.

Jason Skoglund

★★★★★

Jon is an honest and fair handyman and a pleasure to work with. I live in the Manchester, NH area and he's done several projects for me. These include:
-Interior and exterior painting
-Siding/trim replacement
-Door/lock repair
-Removal of old insulation
-Fence repair
-Other odds and ends
Jon has fair pricing and stands behind his work. He's also proactively come back to do minor touch ups on items that don't meet his standards. If you need a hand, I highly recommend calling Jon The Builder :-)

Patrick Dugal

★★★★★

I had a tree fall on my house and I needed roof patching done because it was going to rain soon, Jon was there first thing the next morning! He is Kind, Courteous, and did a great job. He even got extra props from my insurance estimator who said " Whoever patched your roof did a fantastic job." Looking forward to working with Jon a lot more in the future!

Niki Loiko

★★★★★

Jon is a courteous Professional who knows his stuff. I thought what I had to be done was a major job, but Jon did the job quickly, efficiently and with high-quality. He is a personable man who can be trusted in your home. He is very easy to talk to. His prices are very reasonable and from speaking with him, he obviously takes pride in his work. I felt very comfortable with him. His work was outstanding, and I will hire him again.

Billy Martin

★★★★★

After my doorframe was broken due to a forced entry, I called Jon the Builder. He came the next morning and fixed the damage within an hour and change, leaving a functional, locking door behind him. Fast, quality work and friendly service. I would recommend him for any handyman call.

Seth Adams

★★★★★

My husband and I bought a 124-year-old house that has needed some extensive updating, and Jon has worked with us from the beginning. He helped us identify projects that needed to be done, and he gave us reasonable quotes for his work. Even as the projects became more complicated, he stuck to his original quote, which is a fair and honorable way to do business.
Jon completely removed two interior ceilings that had cracked and dealt with the lathe and plaster in our old home. He then replaced some insulation in the attic and put up new fresh ceilings.... complete with priming and painting. Being a messy project, he was diligent about cleaning up the work area after each day. We were so impressed with his work that we hired him for other projects in the house: rebuilding an attic access area and patching drywall holes left from electrical work.
With so much work to be done, we trusted Jon to have a key to our house so he could come and go on his schedule and get work done while we were away, which made living through the construction much more tolerable.
Jon the Builder is now our go-to person for home improvement projects!

Alex Huddleston

★★★★★

Jon is not only detail-oriented and a wonderful painter, he’s a pleasure to deal with on a business level. He’s professional and takes great pride in his work!

Denise Rudman

★★★★★

Jon helped us do some surgery to a big armoire so it would fit up our stair case. Was able to figure it out pretty quickly, and were now looking to have him back to work on some French doors and other items on our to-do list up here in Concord. Highly recommend!

James Scott

★★★★★

Had him clean our gutters that were filled with gunk after many years of buildup.
Very professional work and very fair price.
Showed us before and after photos that helped verify his work.

ken carlton

★★★★★

Jon installed 3 A/C units for us. Very affordable and did a great job. Will hire again soon. Thank you Jon.

Elaine Larson

★★★★★

Friendly professional did an awesome job of repairing my screw up when I shattered the soap dish in a tile wall

Kirsten Knaebel

★★★★★

Jon did a wonderful job hanging a heavy glass white board in my office. He cleaned up after the job was completed and was a pleasure to work with.

Karen Goulet

★★★★★

Jon did a great job installing a custom storm door for us. He’s fast, professional, and very skilled at his trade!

Charlotte Bielecki

★★★★★

Jon removed old pull down wooden attic stairs and installed new aluminum stairs. I would recommend Jon for a variety of Handyman jobs.

wc alb

★★★★★

Thorough, detail oriented, completed the project in a timely manner even with a change in design (by me, during construction). Price was more than fair. Very happy with the results and will enjoy my new deck for years to come!

M Cobb

★★★★★

Awesome job. He was fast and efficient and most of all professional It's refreshing to see somebody hold you to what they advertise. Good job

James Cherry

★★★★★

Polite, professional, and great work. I would recommend John for anything you need

Salvatore Rauseo

★★★★★

Jon was very efficient and personable. Great job!

Michele Guilfoyle

★★★★★

Great worker , excellent job

Joshua Kirej

★★★★★

Best handyman around!

Nicole Mccormick

Worked with Jon? I’d be grateful if you left a review on Google. It helps a small local business more than you’d think.

Leave a review on Google

Got a project or a honey-do list?

Email me with what you need and I’ll get back to you by the end of my working day, or the next day at the latest, with a quote. Send your number in the email and we’ll give you a call!

joncherry603@gmail.com