Wickman Handiworks

03/17/2026

Howdy folks! We are out again for the 3rd day straight. We promise we are getting to you. Most of the Neenah streets were not plowed until late last night which means there are 4 to 5ft piles of ice in front of many driveways. We can handle a lot, but we are still just 3 guys with snowblowers and shovels and we are going as fast as our bodies are capable of.

We thank you for your (what I'm sure is rapidly dwindling) patience.

03/14/2026

Howdy folks! Given the massive storm that is going to hit us in about twelve hours, I wanted to touch base and remind our clients that we will be totally unavailable for roughly 72 hours. I promise you we will get to your driveways, walkways, sidewalks, and parking lots as quickly as we can, we just cannot be certain when that may be. We will be unavailable for calls and texts during this time as every call will delay us from getting to your home even more.

As of now, we will be going out Sunday morning, Monday morning, and Tuesday morning. We cannot control when the plows will go through, so if they come after we leave you will have to wait until the next morning for us to dig you out. This is going to be brutal, but we will do our very best to ensure you are not trapped by Winter Storm Elsa.

Thank you for your patience and stay safe out there!

03/11/2026

As is tradition in Wisconsin, one final snowstorm is going to hit us in March. Boy howdy, it is shaping up to be a doozy as we are looking at no less than a 1' of snow.

If you are on our route, the plan is to try to unbury you Sunday morning so you can get where you need to go, then return Monday morning to get the rest of it cleaned up. We will work as quickly as we can, but this is going to be a slow process and we appreciate your patience in advance! We will not be answering calls or texts during this time because it slows us down dramatically and the answer will be, "Yes, we are coming today."

Stay warm and stay safe out there!

03/09/2026

With the sunlight sticking around a little longer and the days warming up, it's time to start looking forward to lawncare season!

We are accepting new clients for lawncare and can customize a plan that fits your needs! If you are interested in our annual plan where one payment covers you for mowing and leaves from now until November, send us a submission at wickmanhandiworks.com and we can add you to the list!

02/24/2026

If you get the chance, go donate to this! The Menasha Walgreens on Third and Racine Street has a box right next to the checkout if you can't make it to city hall.

Shout out to that Walgreens for not actively laughing at us for being two clueless, childless, adult men who spent far, far too long making sure we were getting "the right" diapers, pads, and tampons to donate. We ended up just getting the largest packs they had because why not?

The City of Menasha is collecting NEW hygiene and cleaning items for local crisis agencies through The Family Radio’s Help for the Homeless Hygiene Drive from Feb. 22 through March 15. Please place your donations in the Help for the Homeless collection boxes located on the first and second floors of Menasha City Hall by March 15.

02/06/2026

Hi everyone! When I left for vacation, there was not a single flake of snow on the forecast and I figured Matt and Matt would not need to tackle any snow removal in my absence. Well, turns out when the government cuts funding to the National Weather Service predicting the weather becomes infinitely less reliable. The two Matts are out now clearing off driveways, but they will be a little later than usual as I am not there to assist.

Thank you for your patience, and know that they are going to absolutely never let me go on vacation again.

-Eli-

01/27/2026

Eli, here! I was out of town this weekend when much of Menasha lost power. I was worried sick that the pipes were going to burst at my house because of the ungodly cold temperatures. I called my business partner Matt to see if he could check on my home to see if the house was powerless, and like the saint he is, he popped over there right away. To assure me that everything was going to be okay because he knows I'm a worrier by nature, he gave me a piece of advice on what to do if it happens in the future.

If the power goes out in the dead of winter and you are worried about your pipes bursting there are two easy things you can do to prevent that. First, find your water supply line and shut it off, then run the lowest sink in your house until it doesn't run anymore. Your pipes cannot burst if there is no water in them to freeze. This is really easy and anyone can do it. Besides, it is always good to know where your water supply line is.

So if you see Matt in future, thank him for this good homeowner tip and for easing my mind while I was away.

01/13/2026

Howdy, folks! This is Eli Wickman, founder and co-owner of Wickman Handiworks. We have gotten an influx of new clients in the last few months and it has been an absolute delight working with them and getting their projects accomplished! The word about us and our quality of work has been spreading and I deeply appreciate any and all of you who have been recommending us to friends and family! We have had a fantastic track record of cordial and pleasant working relationships over the last 6 years, but occasionally we encounter a...let's say a bad apple.

Because of an encounter today and a few in the last few weeks, I must set a few expectations for the future. I was really hoping I wouldn't have to make a post like this, but I fear it is entirely necessary.

Because my team and I are young(ish), white, blue-collar tradesman, some potential clients upon meeting like to assume certain things about us. They apply a certain world-view, political belief, and mindset to us simply because of how others similar to us look, act, and behave. They then feel at ease to spout of some virulent, hateful, racist rhetoric because they think we agree with them.

We do not. Then we refuse to work for them.

We have had to do this 7 times. 4 of which were in the last few months. Today was by far the most egregious when a potential client was unhappy with an estimate and said, and I quote, "I can just pick up some Mexicans and have them do the work then call ICE on them so I don't have to pay 'em."

I couldn't believe it. I could NOT believe it. If it was a joke, in no universe was it funny. If it was serious, then they are some of the biggest pieces of trash I could have ever encountered. It repulses me to think they were comfortable to say that to me, or that they would even think it is okay to say. I told this person to delete our number and never, ever contact us again because we won't work for racists.

And we don't.

So let me codify this for any new and current clients: We at Wickman Handiworks will not work for racists. If you spout off anything hateful, bigoted, homophobic, ableist, sexist, racist, or Pro-ICE, then we will not work for you. If we are currently working for you and you feel compelled to let your problematic thoughts out, we will bill you for the work done then cease all future work regardless of the status of the job. All future contracts will have a morality clause codifying this to ensure how serious we take this.

At Wickman Handiworks, we build. We collaborate. We create. We refurbish. Hate is the antithesis to all of that and it has no place with our company.

-Eli-

08/06/2025

While not as dramatic as other projects we have done for the Neenah Historical Society, tidying up the bushes and landscaping is always satisfying!

07/28/2025

All done! The pergola went up in a day and the railings a day after. The clients are thrilled and I am pleased as punch! Using some extra wood and cut-off pieces, we added a gate to the front so that their big ol' friendly dog can't run into the driveway to greet passerbys.Now they don't have to lug the black fencing around just to access their back yard and deck.

In a year, once it is weathered and the green treatment isn't as harsh, we get to come back and stain it. What color would you stain this bad boy?

07/17/2025

Boards and skirting are on! Tomorrow the pergola goes up followed by the railings. Not pictured: the second set of stairs going into the yard opposite the sliding door.

07/15/2025

This deck we've been working on has been a journey. Due to just god-awful weather we had to start and stop and start digging the posts 3 times. This normally wouldn't have been an issue if we weren't digging (mostly by hand) down through 4 feet of good ol' Menasha clay. Our holes kept filling with ground water and we had to pump them out and re-dig about a foot of wet, wet clay each time for 8 holes. Luckily, today the concrete we poured last week was fully cured and we could begin--and finish--the framing. Pending inspection tomorrow, we can get these deck boards on and get these wonderfully patient clients their yard back!