Who We Are

Handiwork provided by women & queers

Located in Buffalo, NY, K & M Home Repairs provides skilled and accessible home improvement services to our community. Our certifications include Building Trades, EPA Lead Removal, and OSHA 10.

Our mission is to uplift women and LGBTQIA+ communities in the trades, and we work towards this from multiple angles.

First, we employ and subcontract primarily women and queer tradespeople. The trades are traditionally an industry operated by and for cisgender white men and often exclude and exploit women and queer people trying to enter or work in their respective trades. We work towards creating a referral network of non-traditional tradespeople that allows us to keep work within our community.

Second, the majority of our customers are women and queer people who feel more comfortable and safe inviting queer workers into their homes. We work to create safe job sites and foster clear and compassionate conversations.

A note on costs and fees: We understand that there are companies that charge less than we do, but not all companies are community-focused with a mindset to protect and accommodate their employees' well-being. We strive to be a place where we can support our community through encouraging good mental and physical health for our employees, and our prices reflect that.

Meet the Team

  • KATIE

    OWNER

    Katie (she/her) is the founder and owner of K & M. She’s spent the past 15+ years honing her skills as a leader, artist, and craftsperson, and has countless projects under her tool belt. She is certified in Residential and Commercial Building Trades, EPA Lead Removal, and OSHA 10.

    As the business owner, Katie is informed by old-school carpentry tricks, a sense of scrapiness, and a whole lot of patience. She is also an absolute geek for geometry and loves nothing more than measuring things.

    The tool she searches for the most is her pencil (usually in her ear or pocket). She’s mostly behind the scenes now, answering your calls, drafting plans, and repurposing trash into treasure, but if you find her on the job site, she’s usually asking, “What’s the measurement?”

  • MALLORY

    CO-FOUNDER

    Mallory (she/her) is the other founding queer handi-women of K & M (hence the M to the K). She’s an experienced carpenter and was raised by a family of plumbers. She’s spent most of her life in the trades doing side projects while owning her own business, A Joyful Dog (one of Buffalo’s premier dog daycare and boarding facilities). 

    Mal’s passions include plumbing and carpentry. The tool she’s always asking for is her red handle wrench. If she gets control of the Bluetooth speaker, it’s disco music that keeps her motivated. After all, her motto in life is “Take your time, do it right.”

    One of her many talents includes eyeballing precision cuts like it’s nobody’s business. Mal always finds new ways to repurpose scrap materials, and you can be sure her joints are tight and gap-free. Usually, she can be found on the jobsite asking one of two questions: “Can I put a shut-off valve there?” or “Can I pet your dog?”

  • OLIVER

    APPRENTICE