Kitchen and Bathroom Renovation plus Basement Insulation
Overall, the work was well done albeit with a few problems. As with any job, careful management and setting of expectations is critical. While we would not choose to work with this company again, this is not to say that they would do a bad job for others.
Kitchen and Bathroom Renovation plus Basement Insulation
Update: September 2020 - in the years following the work, we found some problems. Plumbing seemed to be a challenge. We found several loose fittings, including the pipe clamps that secured a rubber pipe coming out of the toilet drain to the sewage pipe. Eventually, we noticed stains on the sewage pipe that we traced back to the toilet. It took all of two minutes to properly tighten this. Another problem we found was with the installation of water pipes against a wall. We had added on a basement insulation job and instead of moving the pipes away from the wall, the contractor left them against the wall. A few years later, during a cold snap, the pipes froze and I had to remove the insulation and thaw the pipes. The plumber who relocated the pipes said that the pipes should have been routed through the wall studs.
Another challenge was painting. There were numerous examples of rough surfaces, poor plaster finishes, and just generally poor work throughout on the painted surfaces.
Another problem we encountered was, yup, more plumbing issues - this time it was a drain issue. We were told that for the basement insulation that they had to remove a set of wash tubs, made of cement. Rather than clean up all the cement dust, which is what they should have done, they just used a hose and washed the dust out through the floor drains. This led to a blockage that led to a sewage backup. This required another plumber to come and clean out the drains. The plumber used his borescope to show us the debris that had built up in the drain pipe.
The initial samples of the granite countertops that we had been shown, and promised, were nothing like what was finally installed. We suspect that cost was an issue. As to a payment schedule, he insisted that we pay the kitchen contractor (for the cabinets) separately (and the full fee up front). Generally, I don't think this is what is supposed to happen. Because Duguay was the prime contractor, he should have paid them whatever was necessary and we would pay him in full after the job was finished. I noticed that this was how it worked with the window supplier. We did not receive an invoice from them, rather Duguay payed them directly.
ORIGINAL REVIEW (edited)
Cale Duguay did a good job. He and his crew were efficient, professional, and helpful. He kept to the budget and he was able to effectively manage the subcontractors that were part of our renovation. Throughout, he was polite, prompt, kept things as clean as possible, and he left us with a serviceable kitchen and bathroom that made the best use of our small bungalow. As well, the basement insulation we had him do helped to reduce our energy costs.
Cale solved some big problems in our older home (circa 1947) such as a weak bathroom floor. If carefully managed, he is effective although we found that towards the end of the job, as additional cost items were added (which is always the case in any project), he tended to demand payment in full before the work was started versus a 25 percent initial payment with the balance at the halfway point and full payment after completion.
Kitchen and Bathroom Renovation plus Basement Insulation
Cale Duguay did a very good job. He and his crew were efficient, professional, and very helpful. He kept to the budget and he was able to effectively manage the subcontractors that were part of our renovation. Throughout, he was polite, prompt, kept things as clean as possible, and he left us with a stunningly beautiful kitchen and bathroom that made the best use of our small bungalow. As well, the basement insulation was extremely neat and it has really helped to reduce our energy costs.
Cale solved some big problems in our older home (circa 1947) such as a weak bathroom floor and some questionable plumbing repairs done by the previous owner. He was also very good at picking colours and finishes for such things as bathroom tiles, the backsplash, and paint. While my wife and I had some ideas, he shared his wealth of experience and his really good design sense freely and willingly. Where there were minor problems, not of his making I might add, he was very good at resolving issues to everyone's satisfaction.
As a final comment, all of his crew and his subcontractors were great people to work with too. We replaced all the windows in our house on the basis of the good work done in the kitchen and bathroom. We highly recommend Cale for the quality of his work, his ability to stick to the budget, how easy he was to work with, and his attention to detail.
