A1 Contractors Est 1987

We had some grade lowering to do on the side of our house, and had quite a bit of dirt to move. Over the phone, Tom quoted me and said he could come the next day. He came by at around 1pm and brought his unique slim-fit bobcat. He talked about all the possible options we had for landscaping (Tom will talk FOREVER if you let him), and I thought he understood the scope of work I had for him (since we discussed it for an hour), and then he finally got to work. He worked for 1.5hrs on the bobcat (including a break for Tim's that I brought him), and then he talked and talked some more.
Then he left at 4pm to get another piece of equipment. When he came back he told me that our bill had already been racked up to almost twice what he had originally quoted me!! Whaaat? The job wasn't even close to done, it was 6pm, and he still had another several hours of work to do!

Never once before he starting working did he discuss an increase in cost we agreed upon the previous day.

I was really upset with this news. But Tom indicated that all his ideas and talking (so much talking) were "design" hours and that his time was worth it. HA! I already knew what I wanted. And it was really simple. He just kept throwing around more ideas, and charging me $110/hr for chatter. Oh, and he also charged a $250 equipment fee for loading and unloading - another thing he didn't discuss with me until 6pm.

But, I am a sucker, and continued to bank roll him, just cause I wanted to get the job done.

Tom worked the next morning as well to 'finish the job', but he didn't remove even half the dirt that I asked him to. I had to get another bobcat and truck to come back and finish the work that Tom did not. The next bobcat company I used was much better. Way more efficient, honest, hard working, and professional.
I would not recommend Tom to anyone.

I’m writing to tell you how thrilled I am with my new deck and the backyard drainage solution that you built in May 2013.
Your design ideas, deck workmanship, approachability and professionalism during the whole project made working with you easy and stress free. The finished deck exceeded my expectations and the new drainage system saved my yard from turning into a pond during the Calgary June rains of 2013.
From our initial meeting in April to discuss the deck design and my yard drainage problem, you offered design ideas and drainage solutions, a time line for the work to be completed (mid-May start date with a maximum end date of a late June, if necessary) and you delivered on all counts. And, I was pleased that it was accomplished within my budget. I was also impressed with your ability to adapt and incorporate a few of my on-the-go deck design modifications. You were thoughtful in the suggested solutions so that they would not run me over budget.
I would not hesitate to recommend your services to a future customer.
Thank you,
Franceen D.

A1 Contractors was recommended to me by a colleague at work and I'm very glad they did. Tom and his associates helped me plan out and design the new bathroom, closets and laundry room with a variety of costs from inexpensive to top of the line. I really appreciated having the choice and having everything explained since I don't know much about renovations or home repair. Everything was finished roughly within the timeline we had discussed and around the budget we had discussed as well! Everything they did is still in great shape and looks amazing. It was a fantastic experience and Tom and his crew did great work. I would recommend them to anyone not only for the quality of their work but the wide range and extent of knowledge.

I was very pleased with the closet design offered to me by this company. The estimated cost and turn around time was accurate and the work done was professional. After the closet renovation, I had a far more efficient use of space.