I need someone reliable and fair

My vote is to find a local cabinet maker to perform this task for you. Google, yellow pages, or if you are on Nextdoor.com, I have received some decent referrals from my immediate neighbors. Here is how to hire a contractor. My dad upcycled hundreds of them before it was popular during the 60's & 70's for the counter culture clients that other contractors wouldn't work for.

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0242-hiring-contractor

Check with friends and neighbors for locals who do this kind of work. Check with local craft/consignment shops for people bring in their repurposed/painted/etc items to sell--they should be able to give you some names. I often sell repurposed items in my local craft/consignment stores and have picked up a few extra jobs like this. Make sure you get a good idea of what this will cost you so there are no surprises once the job is complete.

Hi Terri, Do you have a Craig's List in your area? or Ask around for recommendation........Good luck....

Ask friends for recommendations and look at several jobs the handyhelper did. (If I had seen the kitchen of the man who did my kitchen, I would have run screaming. Mine wasn't as bad as his, because I was there to supervise, but, oh, dear...) Then make sure he is licensed and insured. Yes, it'll get more expensive, but you're going to live with your choice and his expertise for a loooong time. Check with the Better Business Bureau, too. Then get several estimates. (I got 7 for my new furnace: I learned.) Get everything in writing. The kind of wood, what length nails, all glue oozes wiped out, etc. If he's doing it in your house, will he bring anyone else in (We lost a collectible this way.) Who does the daily clean up in your house? You approve all the sanding before he starts staining, what brand/color stain/paint. How many coats? Agree on what to do if he says he's got price hikes/overages. (Hint: he should be professional enough to know how long it will take and what he will need to do rhe job well.) Set a start and finish date. (Yup, I'm the lady whose handyhelper got called 2 states away because his daughter decided she needed her daddy to come help her husband finish a project during husband's 2-week vacation. Try cooking with nothing but a microwave.) Pay a portion when the contract is signed. Don't pay the entire amount until you are totally satisfied. Whew, got all my frustrations out, hunh? Sorry you had to go through all that, Terri. There's just so many things to think of and discuss before you and he have a good idea of what you want. I don't have to wish you good luck, because you'll get it all taken care of before the first board is cut!