Taina & Stefanie

After underpinning our basement, we needed a brand new staircase built and installed to satisfy the new building code. After meeting with Rowan we were immediately drawn to his charm, constructive ideas, and patience with our many questions. Rowan worked with our staggered schedule (as a result of working with so many trades to finish our basement) and left us with a lovely oak staircase, painted and stained to our specifications. Premium Stairs also installed 2 oak support posts in the basement. Anne, Rowan’s assistant, is an absolute GEM. I have never dealt with anybody more professional, pleasant, and considerate through a renovation project. Anne is one of Rowan’s secret weapons—working hard behind the scenes to ensure that the outcome of the job surpasses your expectations. She consistently responded to my many e-mails extremely promptly, and always communicated with me every step of the way in a transparent and intelligible manner. She is an anomaly in the industry in the most wonderful way possible. Although we had a few concerns with scheduling, we are pleased with the outcome of the project.

While tackling home renovations and opening up some walls, we discovered evidence of a frightening pest issue. It was like a dramatic scene out of an HGTV show. In a panic, we called multiple companies and had a few estimates. Most companies automatically gave us the worst-case-scenario and developed invasive, expensive plans without conducting a thorough investigation of the affected area. Joe was referred to me by another company. As of our first conversation over the phone, I knew Joe was different. He took the time to ask me direct questions to figure out exactly what was happening. He was very assuring, straight-forward, and patient. I even sent him photos via e-mail for him to give me his opinion. When he came over to view the affected area, he did a thorough investigation of the entire home. He asked us a ton of questions to determine what had happened, and why. Joe works with you to pinpoint the exact reason behind the problem, and finds a targeted solution. Joe does not base his business model around FEAR, which is exactly what most companies do. He truly is not there to just take your money. He is there to ease your worry, and help find a solution, if one is even necessary. Joe does not create or exaggerate problems to scare the homeowner. He is there to fix the root of the problem. He does not offer a generalized option which oftentimes does not solve the problem. Hopefully we never need to call Joe again, but if we have any more problems, he's already on my speed dial as my go-to.

Rick McLaughlin is a homeowner’s dream: meticulous, skilled, timely, and fair. From the moment we met Rick for a quote to remove our existing hardwood flooring and level and replace them with new hardwood flooring, we knew we were in good hands. Rick came to our home multiple times to ensure accurate measurements and changes were made to his plan, as we had multiple renovations happening at our home, such as a new stair installation, which affected the flooring. Rick is truly a perfectionist and a craftsman who takes great pride in his work. His concern for the final product makes him a forward-thinking problem-solver. He communicated with our other contractors to ensure that our home would be left in impeccable shape. The job itself took 4 days. One day for removals, and three days for installation. Rick’s team of gentlemen were incredible—courteous, personable, clean. Jordan and Steve’s work was flawless. Our home was built in 1930, and as a result, has its own set of unique quirks and slopes. Rick’s team did a fantastic job levelling what they could, and finding matching baseboards to the original home. We are beyond thrilled with the final product. We are so over-the-moon happy about our new floors! I would recommend McLaughlin Flooring with every single ounce of confidence within me. We have dealt with many contractors over the past year. Rick is truly one of the best out there. If you are looking for above-and-beyond hard-working, sharp, meticulous installers—do yourself a favour and call Rick McLaughlin.

Craftsmanship is where Penguin really shines. Their tradespeople are professional, courteous, and personable. As two women, we never felt taken advantage of or treated differently. From the boarding, to the tiling, to the painting-we were consistently blown away with how amazing the work was. The drywallers (Marco and Tony) in particular were outstanding. These gentlemen went above and beyond and boarded our laundry/utility room for us, at no extra charge. One of the reasons why we chose to work with Penguin was their usage of magnesium concrete boards instead of traditional drywall. In terms of quality of work, it is evident that Penguin works with the best tradespeople in the industry. From a customer service perspective, our experience was fair. As the client, we had to be very proactive throughout this project. We initiated contact frequently to inquire and push for concrete start dates, copies of updated floorplans, booking a design selections meeting, etc. With good reason, Penguin is a very popular renovation company. As a result, we found ourselves delayed a lot due to other projects. On multiple occasions we were guaranteed a date that work would resume, but they were often pushed further back. Scheduling was also a concern for us. We often had tradespeople (cleaners; painters; finishers) arrive at our house in the evening to complete their work. There were quite a few instances of poor communication and scheduling which led to costly changes and delays. A lot of issues could have easily been alleviated with simple communication, such as a call or a text. But we found that a lot of decisions were made without our consultation and we had to inquire often and remind Penguin to communicate with us more consistently. But at the end of the day, through the majority of the issues, Penguin worked with us to find solutions. We found the timeline listed on our contract (which lines up with a weekly payment schedule) extremely conservative. Delays naturally exist throughout large projects, especially with a busy company like Penguin who work with many clients simultaneously, so it is best to be cautiously optimistic when planning timelines. Although Penguin has quite a large organization, with departments such as finance, a regional manager, separate project managers, and a designer on site, we found it prudent to be deeply involved in the overseeing process. A note- it is a good idea to keep aside a decent portion of your budget for upgrades and change orders throughout construction. The package that you sign with comes with basic selections and often, an under-estimation of materials needed. For example, after drawing out our basement layout and measuring it to size, we were told that 12 pot-lights were plenty for the basement. Later, we discovered that 22 were actually required. The costs quickly add up. Upgrades are, naturally, much more expensive, but rest assured that the quality of product really shines through. We splurged on a few features such as a sliding barn door for the bathroom and more electrical work for 2 extra scones for the bathroom vanity. But we are so glad we did. These upgrades really make the room stand out. Another tip is to carefully read your contract before signing. There were a few things Dan, the regional manager, promised us at our meeting that were not actually included in the contract. We had to fight for them and ultimately, the owner Guy, agreed to keep their commitments. Overall, we are pleased with the quality of our basement. Juliano was a very responsive project manager, and all tradespeople were highly skilled. If you are looking for a quality crafted basement, Penguin would be a great fit for you. When you invest a large sum of money into a renovation, you want the final product to really stand out. And this is exactly what Penguin delivered.

Given the extreme climate of the real estate market in Toronto, my partner and I chose to create more liveable space in our home by underpinning and excavating our basement. Although our initial meeting with Gemil lasted over 2 hours, it took mere minutes for us to feel confident with Gemil’s extremely evident experience in underpinning and waterproofing. Gemil’s customer service is impeccable. He is an anomaly in the construction industry. Compared to other companies we interviewed, NuSite truly stood out. Gemil came prepared with information brochures on their methods of underpinning and waterproofing. He is genuinely passionate about his work, and it shows. He took the time to examine the space, and ask and answer questions. This assisted greatly in the preparation of an accurate estimate for us. NuSite does not try to engage customers by creating low-ball quotes that balloon during construction. Of course, one must expect their quote to change once construction progresses. Our home was built in 1927, so there were quite a bit of issues we ran into once the walls came down with respect to plumbing, structure, and electrical. These issues were all, indeed, hidden, and somewhat expected. Our estimate with respect to the underpinning itself remained the same. Gemil really is your best advocate throughout the project, putting you first and ensuring that all of your questions are answered and all of your concerns are addressed. His rolodex of contacts were extremely helpful as well for related work we needed done such as architectural work, HVAC, masonry, and plumbing. We began the underpinning in April. Unfortunately for us, April was a particularly cold month in Toronto. As part of the demolition, our furnace was removed. Gemil brought us electric heaters (some from his own home!) to ensure that we were warm. He also put up a privacy tarp to cordon off the front door entrance and basement stairs from the rest of the house. This was amazing as it kept dirt and debris outside of our living space, as well as provided some privacy when we were getting ready for work in the morning as the workers arrived. Martin was assigned to underpin the basement and excavate a new room. Hard-working does not come close to describing Martin and his team. These gentlemen worked tirelessly from early in the morning until late in the afternoon, 6 days a week, to underpin our basement 4 feet. They managed to create a 10ftx12ft room from our former crawl-space/cold room. This is no small feat as it was truly done by hand. No heavy machinery was involved. They were all very polite, clean, and respectful of our home. They finished the huge project ahead of time, which took roughly 7 weeks to complete. Aside from minor hiccups, natural to any project of this scope, the underpinning, waterproofing, and excavating went smoothly. We strongly believe that no large renovation exists without problems. But it is about how your contractor handles the problems that really matter. Do they go above and beyond to ensure that you are satisfied? This is where Gemil shines brightly. For example, when we discovered that NuSite’s copy of our house key was not safely stored, Gemil installed a lockbox very quickly. When there was a communication issue with a third-party structural engineer, Gemil assisted in having NuSite cover part of the invoice cost. When one of our new drains was mistakenly covered during the concrete slab pour, Gemil ensured that the plumber returned to re-locate and open up the drain in a timely manner. We were prudent to stay involved in every step of the process, which helped keep surprises at bay. Although we typically initiated contact with NuSite, Gemil would always return our call within 24 hours. Communication is key, and Gemil was always transparent. Making the decision to underpin is a huge one. We are so happy that we chose to go through it with NuSite. We highly recommend Gemil and Martin at NuSite. For the amount of money involved in a project like this, it is so important to find the absolute best of the best: A company with a great warranty on their work, with experienced and respectful workers, and a personable foreman. NuSite encompasses all of this, truly making them the best of the best.

As part of our basement renovation, we needed 3 new windows installed. Edan from Delco came by for a free estimate and sold us immediately. He was extremely competitive, thorough, and straight-forward. Compared to other companies who had a 6-8 week window for ordering custom windows, Delco's timeframe was 3-4 weeks. Because our project was considered "small", booking an installation date was not the simplest. Once the installation date came, however, the installers were very friendly and did a great job. Our contractor had created a new opening for a window, but he made the opening much too large. As a result, the original installation of that window became problematic and the window had to be re-installed at a different height. Our contractor was definitely at fault here, as he was not accurate with his measurements. A few calls to Edan solved the problem. The installers returned and re-installed the window to the appropriate height, even after being paid in full. This is a true sign of a professional company. Edan at Delco is truly there to ensure that you receive the best possible service, even when it involves solving problems created by other contractors. This type of attention to client needs, as well as the quality installation and warranties offered, really make Delco a fantastic company to trust for your home renovation needs.

Super speedy, yet thorough service. Phil was very pleasant to work with and extremely honest and direct with his recommendations. He respected our home by keeping his work area tidy and covering his shoes when indoors. I highly recommend Phil and the Mr Rooter team!