Frequently Asked Questions

What information do you need to give us a quote?

It depends on the scope of your project. Any plans you have are always helpful for a rough estimate. For a final quote, we need a full set of detailed construction plans.


How is your billing process?

We need a downpayment before works start to book your project. This will serve to buy material and commit subcontractors. Once your project starts, we will invoice on a regular basis as per the project progress.


Will you stay on budget?

Our goal is to respect your budget. When we quote a project with fully-detailed construction plans, we usually stay within budget, unless there are change orders.

The main two reasons for a change order are: 1) Request from our clients, architects, designers, engineers or city; and, 2) Changes to the scope of work from items that could not have been identified at the time of writing the proposal, such as: structural issues only visible after opening a wall, mould, infiltration, etc., or anything that needs to be addressed to bring the project up to code.


How do I pay you?

You can pay by cheque or e-transfer. We can also provide you with our banking information for EFT. All our invoices are due on receipt.


Do you have an in-house design team?

We offer design-build services. Depending on the scope of your project, we either prepare the design in-house or collaborate with trusted architects and designers. On both cases, we remain your main point of contact to facilitate the communication and manage the process.


Will you respect the timeline?

We understand that the delivery of your project is one of the most important aspects for our clients. When we estimate your project, we also provide you with a reasonable and realistic timeline. Unless there are changes to the scope of your project or factors out of our control, we usually adhere to our timeline.


Can I hire you for just a portion of the works?

We do not do portions of a project unless it’s only structural.


Can I use my workers?

No. When we take on a project, we are responsible of its safety, quality, cost and time. We only work with subcontractors that we know and vetted.


How long does it takes to get an estimate?

Estimates take between 2 and 4 weeks. This is the time needed for us and for the trades to review your plans, ask questions and collate the final price.


Do I need a permit for a renovation project?

Yes. The city requires a permit for all renovation projects. You can only do small repairs and regular maintenance to your home without a permit.


Do you save dates?

We work on a first-come, first-served basis. As soon as your deposit is received, we will schedule a team for your project.


Can I stay at home during the works?

Renovations are very messy and loud, start early and finish late. Trades and deliveries come in and out. Running water and electricity might be cut during the day, etc.
We always suggest to our clients to move out during the renovations, but we also understand the cost implications of such.
Depending on the scope of the work, you might be able to stay in your home, but consider the renovations area as off limits as it is our responsibility to maintain a safe, clean site for both the trades and client.


What do you do about dust and noise?

Dust and noise are unavoidable during the renovation. We install plastic to minimize dust and floor protection will go down to try and protect the floors. These items will stay during the entire project. At the end of the project we will do a light cleaning of the area.
Deep cleaning is necessity after a project including vents, HVAC, carpets, windows, etc. This is not included in your contract, as we are not a cleaning company. You will need to hire a specialized cleaning company.


How many trades will work at the same time?

There are a maximum of 2 trades on site at any one time.


What are your working hours?

We will need the site from 07:00 to 17:00 from Monday to Friday. Please note that you might receive 3rd party deliveries off-hours.


Do you work weekends?

We do not work weekends unless it is an emergency.


Do you need additional storage space?

We need a dedicated garbage area and an area we to place the toilet.


Will you move my furniture before the renovation?

We are not a licensed moving company and we do not carry insurance for moving furniture. We can certainly subcontract one for you if you choose.
You must asses what need to be moved out in order for us to work properly.


What is a Change Order?

A Change Order or (CO) is a change in the scope of the project. This could be to include an item that was not previously contemplated or to remove one. Change orders are issued and added to a signed contract. They might change the final cost of the project and its timeline. They can also be estimated in advance when there is enough information available or billed on a cost-plus basis.


Who is my main contact?

To facilitate the communication please contact:
Matt Tennant, for anything related to the project, trades and subcontractors. He will supervise your job and make sure all tech issues are addressed and rectified.
It is very important that you don’t discuss any items pertaining your project directly with the trades but contact Matt. The workers are not familiarized with your project, budget, timelines and other trades involved and might give you erroneous information. We also had instances in which they misunderstand our clients resulting in changes to the scope of the work and cost.
Bill Karam, will be your contact for anything related to sales and customer service.
Mich Laursen, will be your contact for billing and payments.


What is a Fixed Cost project?

We refer to Fixed Cost when we estimate your project using detailed construction plans. We then, cost each item and determine the budget. When you accept the proposal and signed it, the budget should not change unless there are Change Orders (CO) or extraordinary circumstances. For example, the price of the steel or lumber changed drastically and we are unable to source the material at the price when the budget was made.


What is a Cost-Plus project?

In a Cost-Plus project, we bill the actual labour hours, subcontractor’s bills and materials plus an agreed upon mark-up to cover overhead and profit. We can provide you with a rough estimate of the cost of the project before your project starts, but this will remain variable.


Why you cannot use the plans I submitted for my city permit to give me a fixed cost budget?

Plans for permits are not detailed construction plans as they only depict a layout of the floor and some items required as per code. As such, they miss important details that are needed to fully estimate your project.
Detailed construction plans include the material type, quality, position of the lights, switches, plugs, floors, HVAC, tile (including size and cuts), cabinets, faucets, sink, accessories, etc.
All these items have to be considered and their cost vary considerably.
Also, when construction plans are incomplete, there will be many Change Orders to fill in the gaps, resulting in added costs and delays in the timeframe.


Why do you need an asbestos test report?

It’s not possible to tell whether a material in you home contains asbestos simply by looking at it. The only way to tell is to have it tested by a qualified laboratory.
When materials in your home have asbestos presence, they will be disturbed and damaged during the renovation and its fibers become airborne. These fibers can be inhaled which present a health risk.


What should I do if the asbestos test comes positive?

When the presence of asbestos is found, you should hire an asbestos contractor that is properly trained to handle asbestos before doing any renovation work. You should move out while it’s been removed. Only move in when you have the green light to do so. We can include this item if you choose to.

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