Mike in Toronto

This is an awesome company to deal with. I first sent an email inquiry about needing a walkway and small patio for a laneway house. Sergei responded promptly to discuss the project. We arranged a time to meet on site and he showed up on time (I cannot stress how pleased I was about this) and walked me through some options. His quote was very detailed and he broke out where exactly my money was going. When it came time for the work to be done, the guys were great to have around. They really took care and kept things tidy and organized. The work was done thoroughly, they certainly werent cutting any corners. The end result is better than I expected! I have since added extra work to be done, which I think is the highest compliment I can give. Do not hesitate to contact these guys, you wont want to work with anyone else.

Ive been in the same boat as most people here, youre scouring the reviews hoping to gauge how good a potential contractor is. Ill give you the quick summary first: McLaren Custom Homes is now our trusted partner in any home project my family or friends get involved in. I say partner because you genuinely will feel you are collaborating with a company that is on your team. This is the first company Ive ever worked with that I can be completely honest about finances with. I cant stress enough how important that is on large projects. Now, for the long-winded version It actually started with a quote on a garage at my old house that convinced me that I could work with this company. Jons quote was more thorough than any other company I had spoken with. He was also the only one to discuss cost options while pricing instead of just demanding to know my top budget. It built a lot of trust that he was pricing the cost of the work and not just agreeing to my budget. I HATE when Im asked my budget first because I dont know the cost of each portion of work so I cant tell if Im being ripped off or not. Although we had decided to use Jon if we went forward, we sold that house and bought another property While house-hunting I decided to email Jon and ask how I could loosely estimate costs related to extensions or additions. Keep in mind, I wasted this guys time on a detailed quote for a project I never did. I wasnt expecting an answer. A couple days later I got a very long and detailed email describing general numbers I could use with examples of different levels of finish. He didnt respond right away to just get me off his back. He waited until he could properly respond. I told my wife we absolutely have to use this guy on whatever we buy. We bought an old house with a crappy layout and knob and tube wiring. We knew we had some work to do. Of course I had Mclaren come and quote on a complete remodel of the main and upper levels of the house. I was going to try to save money by leaving the basement and exterior alone. I got the same level of care I got for my previous quote. Detailed walk through with lots of notes and discussions on options. Sometimes Jon would lead me to a better solution than I planned. Sometimes I wanted what I wanted and Jon respected that. He wasnt the only one to quote. He was the only one to provide a quote that properly described all the work involved. It broke down the many layers and order of operations. I found myself wasting so much of his time on the phone discussing things and changing things. At that point I just hired him because we were already collaborating on this. Of course, I am not the easiest customer because as soon as we started I changed my mind about doing the basement and exterior. These were properly quoted and discussed to get solutions that fit my budget (which I now felt completely open discussing!). Of course, when dealing with an old house, you are going to run into problems. We ran into a few big ones including some structural issues. Jon would walk me through the problem and we would discuss the options and costs. Whether we needed engineering or specialized trades, the solution was always available. Jon also coordinated all the appropriate documents and inspections with the city. Right through to the end of the project, I was changing minor things or asking for some extras. These were all handled with the same level of care and cost-consciousness as all the scheduled work. One little touch that I loved was the project group chat. All the guys are on it and actively update. At any point in time I could get pictures or videos or send links for ideas I liked. It meant that I didnt just have access to Jon. I could directly speak to Ross or Dan about whatever specific things they were working on. Or we could all give opinions on options that would pop up. It kept everyone updated and on the same page. Why dont more companies do this?! I could keep going but you get the idea. In the end, I cant begin to describe how happy I am with how my house turned out. I got the look and quality I wanted at the cost I expected. I could have given these guys a stack of blank cheques and I wouldve spent the same exact amount down to the last penny. Thank you so much, McLaren Custom Homes!

Once again, finding a contractor on Homestars proved to be an awesome choice. I own two sides of a semi-detached in Toronto. One side has a flat roof, the other a pitched. The flat roof was in horrible shape, with the soffit fascia starting to break apart in two corners. There was no way my roof would have lasted more than another 6 months. My first problem was actually finding a contractor that was willing to come into Toronto! So many would not even quote because they said the spacing between the houses wasn't enough for them. When I was able to find companies willing to come into Toronto, they wouldn't touch a flat roof. After asking around, I found out a flat roof is not something that DIY and 'side-job' guys will touch. You need to know what you are doing and the insurances required are very costly. Then I found The Roof Whisperer. I was relieved when they did flat roofs and were willing to come into Toronto! Arthur met with me and did what some other contractors didn't bother doing, he actually went onto the roof! He took pictures of the areas of concern and showed them to me. He discussed the work that would need to be done. I was impressed by how he wasn't trying to 'sell' me on anything. We were just talking about the work. He even explained how my pitched roof was in great shape and didn't need anything done to it. I received a detailed quote by email that broke down the work required and also outlined all his companies insurances and certifications. I knew he was the man for the job. The work schedule was agreed by both of us to be delayed because of some bad weather. The actual work was done while I was away on vacation, so I was a little nervous to see what I would come back to. I came home at night and even in the dark I could see the repaired soffit fascia corners which looked incredible. The next day I threw the ladder up and took a look at the work. All I can say is that these guys know exactly what they are doing. Everything looked so clean. Nothing sloppy at all. Very precise work. Even all the trim work around the chimney and vents. I can tell this wont require any warranty call backs. During the work, some ceiling was accidentally damaged, a small little section of drywall. These things happen. Arthur was immediately on the phone with me explaining what happened and arranged to have someone repair it as soon as I found it convenient. I wasn't worried. These things happen! The small hole actually gave me a good look at the under side of the work done, I could see how much new wood was used on my roof! I was actually pleased that I had this opportunity to see this side of the work as I wasn't around to see the progression and how much old wood had to be removed. The ceiling repair guy came in as scheduled and did a fantastic job repairing that small section. No problems at all. I got my detailed bill by email and I was very pleased to find out it was right on budget! I was amazed because I would have assumed some hefty extra charges when I saw how much wood had to be replaced. It was a cheque I was happy to write. It is worth the peace of mind to know I wont be dealing with water damage issues. The Roof Whisperer is not the cheapest company out there. Arthur will tell you that himself. Maybe if you have a very simple shingle job to be done, he's not the right guy for you. But I wouldn't trust anyone else to do my roof again. I can see what that extra money pays for and I say it's worth it to have someone certified, insured and skilled in his trade. I want someone who knows exactly what they are doing when it comes to my roof and protecting it from water damage for a decade. The best compliment anyone can give is a recommendation. I have already sent his contact info to a friend who needs his roof done in the next year. Thanks, Roof Whisperer!

I hired Lee after reading many positive reviews on HomeStars. I have to say, he delivers as advertised! I had Lee come up with a design for a small kitchen that did not use it's space effectively. On top of the new cabinets, I needed Lee to remove tiles on the walls and floors, grade the floor and repair the walls. His quote is itemized, so you will know exactly where your money is going. I was impressed by how easily it was to coordinate a project with Lee. We would often exchange many emails throughout the day just to make sure we were both on track. It made planning so easy when I didn't even need to see him to know exactly where we were in the project. Lee had to do a lot of custom work given that my house is 100 years old and none of the walls and floors are true. Lee made everything look so good. This has definitely added value to my property and I will be charging more rent because someone will get to enjoy such a nice little kitchen. The best part - Lee completed on time and on budget. After working with Lee and going with Ikea cabinets, you will wonder why you ever considered custom cabinets. Thanks Lee!

I hired John to remove all the tiles and vanity from a small bathroom in my rental unit. I was pleased that John was able to make the time for me, because I only gave him a short window in order to complete the job. I was blown away by what his crew was able to accomplish with such a small budget and a reduced time frame. He made great suggestions, such as tiling the entire ceiling and walls, that are beneficial to me as a landlord. His crew found that the drywall behind the tiles wasn't in the best shape, so they replaced it with proper drywall without much extra cost at all! We worked with the very small space and were able to find a narrow vanity that could be installed. The best thing I can say is that I will definitely contact John when I have more renovation projects to do. Thanks John!

Looks like there are some negative reviews, so I figured I would weigh in with my recent experience. I am very pleased with Provincial Granite! I went to about 5 different companies when my kitchen renovation started. I was amazed at how some companies seemed almost annoyed with your presence or wanted you to select granite based on a 2x2 square sample on a showroom wall. It was a different story at Provincial. I was able to go to the back and actually look at the large slabs and select my piece. We went over the approximate dimensions and I was given a reasonable quote. The measurement was scheduled, and I was met at my house at the exact time we scheduled. I cannot stress how important this is to me. Trying to manage a renovation while not living in the house, having a service provider show up on time is gold! All the measurements were done and any quirks due to my 100 year old home were discussed and we agreed on some specifics. When it came time to delivery, again the guys came out right on time! They worked quickly and efficiently, cleaning everything they touched. All the little customizations were done to perfection - even some little alterations I decided to make at the last minute. They even helped me move appliances around just so I could see how things looked. They applied the sealer and gave me a lot of great information on how to best maintain the granite. I was also given some interesting ideas on lighting to best highlight the unique colours of the granite. They made sure I was happy with everything before they packed up their tools and gave me the final bill. I understand that each persons experience with a company is unique, but I really find it hard to believe some of the reviews here. I think it's all about managing your expectations. Don't blame the furnace repair man if your windows leak heat. Don't blame the plumber if your electrical wiring is faulty. Granite is a very expensive and tough product to work with. Understand how every aspect of your kitchen comes into play...walls, cabinets, backsplash, etc. Do your work and discuss your expectations up front. From my experience with Provincial, you should be pleased with the results.

I simply cannot recommend Best Fence enough! I had an old wooden fence that had two sections fall down over the winter. The remaining posts did not look too sturdy either. I contacted a few different companies, all of which seemed happy to quote on the job without ever looking at the project. All their quotes included 'extras' for certain difficult conditions...it made it very difficult to get a firm quote when nobody will come to see if your job is difficult! Mike was a completely different story. He came to see the job at the time he specified. He made his suggestions to save me some money and his quote was firm. The best part about dealing with Mike was that he would email me updates before and during the job. I never had to wonder what was going on. Mike and his coworker were great while on site. They kept the place tidy and worked efficiently. The quality of the work done is absolutely amazing. I couldn't be more pleased with the end result. I have another project coming up to add a fence and gate to keep my dog in the yard, I won't even bother asking anyone but Mike at Best Fence to do the job. That's the best compliment I can give! Thanks Mike!!!