Beyond Contractor List

[SkiBum5.0]

Hi guys,

Starting to kick around the idea of undertaking some large scale renovations including:
- Kitchen
- Multiple Bathrooms
- Flooring
- Roof
- Windows and Doors

This leads to the often asked - who does everyone suggest for a General Contractor?

I would like this thread to focus on first-hand testimonials with who you would recommend, what your project was and any suggestions or tips you would have AFTER the project was completed.

I'm aware there are a few members on here who are in the contracting world and obviously there feedback and input would be great.

[ee2k]

I would recommend my contractor. However, given that he was recommended to me by a friend, took on my project and slowed down on my friend's ongoing project, and the not so great sentiment I heard from my friend as a result (my project went along fine,) I would have to wait until AFTER his project is done :)

[interlude]

How about someone I WOULD'NT recommend?

Above and Beyond General Contracting.

Started out good, but later on, communication was poor. Would dodge calls (I was calling while overseas to see why they were a NO SHOW for almost a month). Just overall not good to deal with. I could go on, you can PM me for more details.

[bspot]

Foothills Renovations.

We're just about done a decent size reno with them (addition to our house).

The house is 104 years old, so as expected, there were some hiccups. The way they handled them has really impressed me. We are still on target to be within a couple percent of our budget, despite some unforeseen costs.

Their trades have been for the most part great and honest. They've gotten new quotes throughout the process without me asking which has resulted in some savings in several areas, and overall they are pretty on top of things.

When they quote your job, they give you copies of all of the sub trade quotes and they just add a management fee on top of it. That means you have full visibility as you go into over or under runs. You get the full line by line estimate spreadsheet with actual costs with every bill that comes in.


Advice:

Know that stuff goes wrong. There will be days trades won't show up when they said they did.

If someone quotes you 2 months, know they are full of it, and trust their numbers just as much. There is a massive difference in how people quote these jobs. Some are frankly out to lunch. Don't just pick the lowest quote, because it might not mean you pay the lowest amount.

Keep an eye on things if you aren't living there. It's amazing the things some people will do because they are lazy, aren't thinking logically, or because they don't have the latest plans, etc. If you catch them early you save possible delays as other trades accommodate their work for those same mistakes.

Be patient. It's an incredibly frustrating/stressful process at times.

Oh, and move as much stuff out as possible. Even if they put up zipper walls, your furnace will blow dust over EVERYTHING.

Good luck!

[Kloubek]

As per my thread from a couple of years ago, Guy's Hill Landscaping is certainly NOT a company you want to deal with. Liars and morally lacking - besides charging far too much for somewhat substandard work.