Seven stages, in this order, on every job we take. What we do, what we need from you, and roughly how long each stage lasts.
Before any work starts, you will know what it will look like, what it will cost, and how long it will take. Anything that changes after that is written, priced and signed by you first.
First call
Fifteen minutes on the phone. We want to know what you are trying to do, whether the timing is realistic, whether you have drawings, and what your budget range actually is. If we are not the right contractor for the job we will say so on that call rather than three weeks later.
What we need from you: a rough description, the address, and an honest budget range. Photos help.
Site visit and measure
We come to the property, walk the whole space rather than just the room in question, measure, photograph, and look at the parts that decide cost: the panel, the ductwork, the joist direction, the foundation, the grade, the age of the plumbing stack. You get an on-the-spot read on what is straightforward and what is not.
What we need from you: access to the basement, attic and electrical panel, and any drawings or surveys you already have.
Written estimate
A line-by-line scope of work: what is included, what is excluded, and what is carried as an allowance. Allowances are named, priced, and reconciled against real invoices later, so you are never guessing whether the tile budget was ten dollars a square foot or thirty. If two approaches are viable we price both.
What we need from you: decisions on the big variables, and a read on which line items you want priced differently.
Contract, drawings and permits
Contract signed with a payment schedule tied to milestones. Where the project needs them, we produce or review drawings, engage a structural engineer, and prepare the building permit application. We submit it, answer the examiner’s comments, and track the file. Where a minor variance is needed we prepare the Committee of Adjustment package and attend the hearing.
What we need from you: signature, deposit, and owner authorisation on the permit application.
Mobilisation
Before a tool comes out of the truck: insurance certificates and WSIB clearance issued to you or your landlord, utility locates called in on anything we are digging, dust walls and floor protection installed, waste bin placed and parking sorted with the neighbours. You meet your site supervisor and get their mobile number. We agree working hours and stick to them.
What we need from you: keys or an access plan, and a decision on where materials can be stored.
Construction
Trades run in sequence against a posted schedule. Inspections are booked by us at framing, plumbing, electrical, insulation and final. Every Friday you get a short progress note with photographs, what is happening next week, and any decision we need from you with a date attached. Anything that changes the price is written up as a change order, priced, and signed before we do the work. Nothing gets buried and nothing appears on a final invoice as a surprise.
What we need from you: selections delivered by the dates on the schedule. Late selections are the single most common cause of delay on any renovation.
Handover, deficiencies and warranty
We walk the finished job with you and write a deficiency list together. Everything on that list is corrected before the holdback is released, not after. You get the closeout package: permits closed and final inspection signed, product warranties, paint colours and product codes, and marked-up drawings of what is actually behind the walls. Workmanship is warranted in writing, and we come back.
What we need from you: an hour to walk the job properly, and a note of anything you find in the first weeks of living with it.
Ready to start at stage one?
The first call costs you fifteen minutes and tells you more than a week of browsing will.