Dianna from Toronto

I highly recommend Lisa Orridge for landscape design services - either CAD or concept plans. She is creative, professional, personable, patient, and quite simply, very talented! She was recommended to us by our neighbours who used her for their new beautiful and elaborate backyard living space. I'm grateful they did because I love what she did for them and more importantly, what she helped us accomplish with ours! I was initially hesitant to contact her because we were on a tight budget, only needed a simple concept plan focused primarily on our interlocking patio layout, and had days before work was scheduled to begin. I felt we needed advice on the layout of our interlocking patio, but my husband did not. Though I convinced him we needed Lisa's expertise, I'm sure he secretly felt he nailed it with his design (good effort, but he now admits she did). A few emails later, Lisa accommodated our short-notice request (yay!) and swept in with her pleasant, cheerful and efficient demeanor. After some collaboration, Lisa gently recommended modifications and suggestions to improve his layout and made sure we were in agreement before she sketched it out. (The rough sketch vs CAD costs less and it was all we needed at this stage. I should mention that her CAD designs were impressive magazine-worthy works of art!) Lisa then sketched out something we never would've thought to do and added in landscaping/softscaping for a later date since my focus was currently on the patio. I'm lacking a green thumb so her action plan will save us time and money once we're ready to go to a nursery and do some gardening. Plus, she selected low-maintenance flowers, trees, etc. that she knew I could handle and that would match our contemporary style. Thank you, Lisa for all your help! It looks amazing so far. Pictures to come once we're done. :) -Dianna & Andrew

They've changed the store's offerings a bit since I last visited over a year ago. Didn't see the small Umbra accessories, which used to be displayed against the back wall, but generally the layout is easier to navigate with more furniture/vignettes on display. The service I received from a gentleman was good - he was extremely patient, polite and helpful. I only wish it was swift service at the check-out. There were 4-5 reps behind the cash register area and it seemed a touch disorganized (was there a line? why did my salesperson stop to check someone else out in the line even though it seemed like he was helping me and took my items to the register? could he have explained why he took another customer firsr?). Regardless, he was still pleasant but it was definitely one of the slowest check-outs I've encountered in ages, even though one person was taken before me. I was at the King St location the next day, there were no other customers at the cash and I had the same experience - slow process to pay and leave. Maybe it's a relaxed atmosphere where people aren't meant to be ushered off quickly. Don't know, but with a 9 month old, I want to get in and out of stores as quickly as possible. Would still go back infrequently when I can handle the slow pace.

Can Do is one impressive well-oiled machine! We are extremely pleased with our new fence and strongly recommend this company. Several key factors helped us select Can Do over their competitors. Alon, Sales Manager would be one of those factors: professional, customer-centric, appropriately-enough "Can Do" attitude, organized, honest, patient, efficient, to the point, considerate, punctual, and flexible. Alon quickly responded to our calls and emails, thoroughly answering all our questions/concerns in our numerous emails. He was an excellent listener, even when it seemed like he wasn't listening, and quite the multitasker! Made good suggestions regarding styles he felt we'd be most pleased with and provided his expertise regarding which solutions would work best based on our needs. Alon thankfully dissuaded us from a plan we had that would've looked awkward (all other companies who provided quotes didn't). Can Do also differentiated itself from competitors by sending us general pricing via email so we could assess whether it was within our price range and worth pursuing. The company also gave us a quote within minutes after our meeting, unlike other companies who got back to us a week or more later. This efficient process and reasonable pricing along with a simple hard copy of a fence style sheet Alon provided (loved that - smart!), allowed us to select, sign and proceed with plans for our new fence right away. A few days later, the fence material delivery was synchronized moments before Steve's tear-down and post installation crew arrived. And wow, what a crew! Steve, the foreman (authoritative, yet polite and personable) took an active role overseeing the large, skilled and energetic crew which almost ran itself like a smooth relay team. Steve quality-checked the work as it was being done instead of waiting until the end like some foremen do. The clean-up and set up was extremely fast and neat without inconveniencing our other workmen on site. Although the new fence was installed a week after the old one was torn down (not ideal since it spanned over a long weekend and we're on a corner lot), Alon had forewarned us before we signed that he could not tell us how long we would be without a fence, only that he could guarantee the work would be completed by a specific date. The target completion date was quite reasonable and they finished ahead of schedule in the end. Mili and team installed the fence expertly and he patiently answered all my questions even when I interrupted him several times. Mili was professional, polite and obviously quite skilled. The 100+ ft fence and 2 double gates were up within 3 hours. The sample photos on the website didn't do the work justice - it looks even better than I had imagined! Upon completion, we mentioned a few minor observations to Alon when we were paying (another bonus: no deposit and paid once completed). He totally surprised us: instead of getting paid and moving onto the next client, he went that extra step, exceeding our expectations to ensure we were 100% satisfied. He clearly understands how important it is to provide excellent customer service and this is one of the main reasons we have been recommending Can Do to the many neighbours who have stopped by to compliment our new fence. Keep up the good work, Can Do! -Dianna & Andrew

Thanks to the reviews for Pallotta Construction on HomeStars, my husband found the perfect company for our home improvements. The results exceeded our expectations and we highly recommend them. To put my review into perspective, we would be considered to be extremely particular, very hands-on, and...well, perfectionists. Paul Pallotta - the approchable and humble, yet confident owner - and his crew were exceptional. (Miguel was also a great employee if you're lucky to get him on your job.) Below is a quick overview of our experience and why you should use them: - No-haggle fair pricing: Great value based on the quality of work for the money. Though not cheap, the old adage is true: you get what you pay for. And what you get is fine workmanship that's built to last. Plus I've watched them and this is back-breaking labour-intensive work. They don't stop - no long breaks for these guys. - Unbelievable listener: A very underrated quality, which actually pays off in the long run and saves money. Because Paul listened so closely to our goals and vision as well as our emphasis on attention to detail, he was able to make suggestions along the way and took initiative to create better solutions. - Strong communication skills and work ethic: He described in detail (at our request) how he would do the work, provided a clear estimate with no hidden fees upon completion, answered our countless questions throughout the project, and was reachable via email or phone, always responding in a timely manner. - Patient and flexible: Unbelievably patient and adapted to changes throughout the project, including our initial design, several revised designs, and post-completion additional requests. When we had additional requests, Paul would never scoff at our pickiness, he would simply agree and strive to make us happy. - Integrity: Kept his word (i.e., promised to go out of his way and drop off samples for us and he did without being reminded, promised to be on site every day and he was). - Professional, punctual, polite, friendly, and thoughtful: Paul and crew demonstrated these attributes every day. For example, they worked in such a way that allowed us access to our entire property even when it inconvenienced them. They were consistent in their professionalism and extremely considerate of us and our home. - Clean and presentable: They actually made us proud to have them at our home...we looked good for hiring them. If you have large trucks parked by your house every day during a project, trust me, you'll want Pallotta's - they are nicely branded and meticulously maintained. Though you may laugh thinking this is insignificant, it actually reflects on who this company is. If they treat their equipment this well and display pride across all aspects of their company, they'll take even better care of you and your home (and they really did!). - Safe and neat working conditions: Went above and beyond to maintain an organized and safe work site. Especially appreciated since I was carrying our 9 month old around our property and regularly visited the backyard to sneak peeks of the progress. They put away tools and equipment, cleaned up, and swept our large driveway every night before leaving. - Beautiful work, on budget and on time: Exceeded our expectations and completed earlier than promised. The only "problem" I can think of: Paul was such a nice guy, we were sad to see him leave every day and kept chatting to him when he was understandably eager to get home but too polite to say it. :) Thank goodness we found a company in this industry like Pallotta that still believes in the proper way of doing something without cutting corners, instead of the quickest way to make a buck, and a company that still believes the client's happiness is paramount and believes in providing a stress-free, attitude-free experience. We're looking forward to working with them again. Well done and thank you, Pallotta Construction!!! - Dianna & Andrew (Note: we had never before met, or had any relations through family or friends to Pallotta or the crew)