I'm not usually one to write reviews, but our decision to contact Gecko was initially based on the reviews I read, and the information on their website. I decided to write this, in the hope that if someone is on the fence with their decision, their garage build will be as pleasant an experience as ours was.
We did talk to a couple of other contractors, and while it's true, as stated above, that I was already leaning towards Gecko, I found talking to Derrick just confirmed my initial feelings. I had a couple of ideas that were a little out of the norm, and at least one contractor tried to talk me out of them. Derrick listened to what I had in mind, and why, and said it was doable, made sense with our yard layout, and what I wanted to do in the garage. I suppose one could think that agreeing to everything might be a way to get the job, but it became apparent this wasn't the case. Later, I was talking to Derrick about something I was planning on doing myself. He took the time to explain why it might not be a good idea. Saved me time, money, and some possible headaches down the road. A garage and an education.
We procrastinated on our decision to shop for a contractor and get started, until I realized we were getting towards the end of the building season. Derrick was able to fit us in, before the snow should have started falling. Unfortunately, we did get some early snow and cold weather, and it affected the concrete pour schedule by a few days, but the garage was still completed well within the promised time. And, I was comfortable with the fact that they waited for the right temperature to pour the concrete, so it wouldn't be adversely affected.
Our garage is 22'X24', placed width wise on an approximately 25' yard. It required a reverse gable roof for clearance, as well as fire rated side walls. There was a fence across the back that had to be removed, as well as an older shed. As well, there were a large and medium tree that had to go. Derrick also had his arborist grind and remove a stump from a tree that had blown over previously. All this was completed very quickly, making room for the concrete contractors.
The day Derrick's crew were scheduled to begin construction, my initial thought was "I sure hope this goes as smoothly and quickly as promised." At 8:00 am we had a bare concrete floor. I spent the rest of the day thinking "Holy crap, we've got walls." "Holy crap. the rafters are up." etc.etc. By 5:00 pm, the garage was up, shingled, and sided. Part of the crew was back the next morning to insulate and drywall the two fire rated walls as required, and the electrician hooked up the electrical panel. Everyone was gone by noon. The work site was clean, the garage swept, and the only way you could tell they had been there was the fact there was a garage today, where there wasn't one yesterday.
It was a few days before the garage door and opener were installed, but that was no problem, as we couldn't park inside yet as the concrete had not yet had time to complete curing, as required.
I chatted with the building and electrical inspectors when they performed their inspections, and they had no concerns, whatsoever. I said to one of them "That was quick." and his reply was "It's pretty simple when it's done by a reputable contractor."
All in all, we couldn't have been happier. Great communication, from start to finish. Constant updates, if there were any scheduling changes due to weather, etc., and everything still completed well within the promised time frame. Our #1 wish, besides a quality garage, obviously, was a minimum amount of time and disruption, and we were pleasantly surprised that it was even less than we'd expected or hoped for.
The crew was actually a pleasure to watch work, if you're into that kind of thing. (I didn't spend the WHOLE day watching, as I didn't want anyone feeling like I was looking over their shoulder.) Before I was injured, I spent over 30 years as a firefighter, and always felt that a crew that worked together for a long time was much more efficient. And that's what Derrick's team reminded me of. No muss, no fuss. Everyone doing their thing without getting in each others way, working together when required, no sense of urgency, but efficient and rapid progress. The truth is, when I was younger (and before I was hurt) I probably would have endeavored to build the garage myself, but I'm sure I'd still be working on it, and would have had way more hassles than doing it with Gecko.
If you got this far, I'm sorry, I didn't plan on it being this long. We couldn't have been happier with the whole process, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend Derrick and Gecko to family or friends, or use them again if we needed to build another garage.
P.S. - I've attached a few pictures. I wish I had taken pics every hour or two. At 8:00 am there was a bare concrete floor. The first picture was taken at noon. The next at around 4:00 pm. The last 2 at around 5:00 pm, after everyone had left for the day. This was all the same day, the first day. As I said above, they were back the next morning to finish up and tidy up.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $27,000.00
- Company Response
Wow, thanks for taking the time to write such a great review Darcy! Greatly appreciated. Teamwork is hugely important to me, and I'm fortunate enough to have the best people working with us. Our crew has been together for a lot of years, and I'm glad that is shows. Thank you so much for your business, it was really great working with you. And thanks again for taking the time to write such a fantastic review. All the best!!!
