Norseman Construction & Development Ltd

We hired Norseman to do our basement renovation after doing thorough research, reading reviews on Home Stars and obtaining four other quotes.

The exercise of getting an accurate quote from Norseman was challenging as the first quote we received was far below what the "actual" job was going to cost, and we went back and forth with the Sales Manager (SM) to finally reach a number that accurately reflected the scope of the job and captured all the details of what we could expect from them. We had some concerns and almost didn't choose them to do the work. When we finally did, we were assigned a very enthusiastic and passionate Project Manager in Robert Hansen. Robert genuinely cares about pleasing the home owner and is very pleasant. He really went out of his way in the beginning to ensure that we understood each step of the project. There were some hiccups along the way that delayed the project and quite a bit of frustration at how long it took to complete the project, but we do feel that the work done in our home was quality work and our neighbours, relatives and friends are impressed with the apartment.

I now want to talk about the issues that came up along the way that we addressed with Norseman during a sit-down meeting after the project ended. First, getting an accurate contract for the job was incredibly frustrating. We had to continually go back and forth with the SM to make sure the contract was correct. Second, communication was a big downfall in almost every step of the project, e.g. trying to reach the SM, only to find out that he was on vacation more than once during the contract negotiation stage - no 'out of office' auto reply on his email alerting clients of same! Further, Norseman has software which is used to update the customer on the progress of the job and a log update was promised three times a week but was not always delivered and it was difficult for us to figure out what had actually been done on some nights when we arrived home. Third, there were mistakes that happened along the way, e.g. the wrong paint colour on the walls that had to be changed and confusion over what was included in the contract versus not. Fourth, Norseman states that they pride themselves with cleaning up your home each and every night before leaving - we found that this was lacking. There were occasions where we came home to debris around the house and also discovered that an item that they mistakenly thought was our vanity, but was in fact our laundry tub, was unpacked and then being used for storage in the construction area. It subsequently became dirty and required cleaning after they left. At other times, workers used our living room as their workshop without putting any protective covering on the newly installed floor. I mention this b/c a professional company should have higher standards and I expected more from them.

On to the positive - I can honestly say that each and every time we had a concern, our Project Manager (PM) did his very best to rectify the situation. He also admitted when he was wrong and apologized. We cut him slack b/c of this. We do believe that he will make an exceptional PM once he has more experience - right now he is good, but his potential is enormous. We also very much appreciated the fact that Kevin and Simon came to our home, met with us and discussed our concerns. They acknowledged that they were some changes that needed to be made, particularly around communication, which we feel is paramount when dealing with clients, particularly when one is investing so much money in a renovation. This to me showed integrity. They also brought a bottle of wine and a card to thank us for our business.

In closing, I would like to say that Norseman is in the process of expanding. The endorsement from Mike Holmes (of course) has brought new business their way. That said, it is important that they never lose sight of their core customer. We chose them b/c we truly felt they understood our needs. We want them to succeed, but we also want them to improve. We know it's a tough business and we are honest in our feedback. In good conscience, we cannot give them a perfect rating. They did a very good job, but they are capable of better.

The work I needed to get done was a bit small for Norseman but they did agree to give a quote and do the work. I liked the following:
- They scrupulously stuck to the quote and let me know when things were extra and how I wanted to proceed; clear when amounts were due for the work done
- I did not have much time to spend on the project so I left Norseman to do a lot of the choices based on my Ideas: tiles, cabinets, door etc. They selected everything, got it delivered and installed and so it lifted a big weight. from my shoulders; in the end it was all fine.
- Personnel working on this is very personable, respectful of property, keeping me up to date on what's happening.
However, like any renovation project, one has to be very patient: any delay in one area (for instance an unforeseen situation being uncovered or a supplier not performing) can cascade into other delays.

After a lot of research, we hired Norseman for a complete basement renovation in our home. The project took place over the bulk of the summer and beginning of fall and we could not be happier with the result. The quality of the work is top notch, with high-quality material and diligent attention to detail. The aspect that impressed us the most was our project manager Greg. He kept up frequent and thorough communication throughout the project and was very patient with us when we made changes/additions to the original scope of work. Furthermore, he provided suggestions throughout the project that we were very happy with and always went out of his way to ensure that things were done the right way. Throughout the renovation, Greg and his team were polite, punctual and left everything as clean as possible at the end of each day. We would absolutely recommend them to anyone looking to do a renovation and should the circumstances arise we would definitely use them again in the future.

An amazing experience! Norseman surpassed my expectations. I had previous problems with other contractors not delivering on their promises. So, I was skeptical at first but Norseman delivered exemplary service and under the estimated budget. During the reno they found some problem areas when they gutted the kitchen. Norseman was so helpful in offering me inexpensive solutions to help solve the issues quickly. The whole experience left me feeling like they really cared about their clients and were proud of their work. My new kitchen looks amazing and my family loves it! I normally don't give glowing reviews but these guys earned it!

I was recommended to Norseman from a family friend for a renovation for my home by the beaches, I dealt directly with Mr. Kris Potts & he delivered on every promise throughout my renovation. I must have called him three times a day during this project & it was a pleasure dealing with him everytime. I definitely pass my recommendation to use Norseman for any of your renovation needs, thank you guys.

After doing lots of research we decided on Norseman to do our basement renovation (extended bathroom, floors, and stairs). Our project manager Greg was very professional - he sent email updates through every step and also offered great design advice. Andrei did a lot of the work and he's very skilled. Everything was left as clean as possible at the end of each day and they were always available to discuss the work, changes, etc. We are planning to use Norseman again to do some renos to the upstairs and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them! So if you are willing to pay for quality work and want trustworthy people in your home, then Norseman is for you!

Our semi-detached house was built in 1913 and a 3-story detached extension was added 40 years ago, so the place was badly in need of a complete overhaul. The first company’s quote came in very high so we kept looking. A large home in the area was being renovated and it looked amazing. That’s how Keith and I found out about Norseman Construction and hired them to renovate our main floor and front porch.

We chose to live in the house during the renovation. It was a bit tricky with all the construction dust and living without a kitchen, but it was very rewarding to come home every day to see the progress, as well as the problems. Repairs and renos from previous owners had disastrous results like rotted joists in the basement from a slow leak due to nailing through the roof liner. Under the main floor wood beam ceiling was a tile ceiling and under that was a lath and plaster ceiling.

Thankfully the project manager Greg, and construction supervisor Andrei are highly skilled, hard working and know how to do things right. Really nice guys by the way, and very helpful by steering us away from bad design choices. Greg suggested we go with tile in the kitchen rather than hardwood throughout that I had asked for – I realize now what a mistake that would have been! Greg, Andrei and their team transformed our dark and dingy home into a modern, sleek and light filled space. The front porch is no longer an embarrassment and the main floor is now a wow. Our friends and family can't believe it's the same place! We could not be happier with the results and would definitely recommend Norseman Construction to others. Our only regret is that we didn’t renovate the 2nd floor at the same time!

Finally I renovated my garage. It was a big investment for us but Norseman did such a great job. Wonderful company to deal with, great ideas, very professional. Thank you!

We are very happy with Norseman!

Our main floor was a distaster. Norseman was a pleasure to work with from start to finish.

Josh, sales team, was full of helpful ideas.

Dave, PM, was great at communicating with us though our entire project.

What more can we say? We recommend
Norseman and will use them again.