Most of the work is behind the finish
Anyone can photograph a finished kitchen. What decides whether it still reads as considered in ten years is the substrate under the tile, the blocking behind the wall and the crew that stayed the same from strip-out to final coat.
Protection and set-up
Before anything comes out, everything that stays goes under cover — your floors, the corridor, the elevator lobby, your neighbours’ doors. Dust barriers go up with a sealed entry, the elevator and loading dock are booked, and the building has our certificates on file before day one.
Strip-out
Demolition done carefully rather than quickly, because what is behind the wall decides the rest of the job. Anything unexpected — old plumbing, a bearing element, water damage — is photographed, priced and brought to you before it gets covered up again.
Rough-in
Framing, plumbing, electrical and HVAC set out from the drawings and inspected before anything closes. This is where the layout stops being a drawing and becomes permanent, so it is checked twice against the set.
The work you will never see
Level substrates. Blocking behind every fixture that will ever be leaned on. Waterproofing taken up the wall and over the curb, not just across the floor. Solid backing for millwork. None of it photographs, and all of it is the reason the finish still looks right in ten years.
Finishes
Tile, millwork, flooring, paint and fixtures, installed in the order that keeps each one undamaged by the next. Tight reveals, grout lines that hold their spacing, doors that sit square and shut the way they should.
Handover
A walkthrough together with the list made on the spot, deficiencies fixed rather than scheduled for later, the site left clean, and your one-year workmanship warranty issued in writing.
What holds the price and the date
A renovation runs late and over budget in small increments, each one reasonable on its own. These are the things we fix in writing so it cannot happen quietly.
- A fixed price, agreed in writing before the first day
- A completion date, agreed the same way
- One dedicated crew from strip-out to final coat
- Any change priced and signed off before it happens
- A written one-year workmanship warranty at handover
Build questions, answered
What homeowners ask before the barriers go up.
Can I live in my home during the build?
For a kitchen, a bathroom or a smaller scope, usually yes — the work area is sealed behind dust barriers and the site is left clean every evening. For a full gut we normally recommend staying elsewhere. Because our projects run in weeks rather than months, that window stays short and, more importantly, predictable.
Who is actually on site each day?
The same crew, with one site lead who is your point of contact throughout. We do not hand your project to a rotating cast of subcontractors between trades, which is where most of the finish quality and most of the schedule slip is lost.
What happens when you find something behind the walls?
You see it before it is covered. We photograph it, price the remedy, and bring you both before we carry on. Older Toronto buildings hide plenty — cast iron stacks, undersized wiring, previous work done badly — and the honest answer is that no estimate can see through drywall. What we can promise is that you never find out about it on the invoice.
How do you handle the building and my neighbours?
We work within your building’s hours, book the elevator and loading dock in advance, protect the common areas we pass through, and keep the corridor clean. Property managers tend to notice which contractors do this, and it is a large part of why approvals go smoothly the second time.
What does the warranty actually cover?
Our workmanship is covered by a written one-year warranty, with the terms set out in your contract. Manufacturer warranties on fixtures and appliances are registered in your name and handed over with the documentation at completion.
Start with a free walkthrough
Start with a free walkthrough. We’ll confirm your scope, location and next steps.