Aquata Review 2020.
For those of you who are skeptical about a lot of 10/10 reviews, please read this one.
Three or so years ago when we interviewed Peter for our bath Reno (Queen), he had a lot of 10/10’s. At the conclusion of the interview, during which we had been very impressed, I challenged Peter on this point. I said “nobody in the real world gets 10/10 all the time... what’s up with that?”
For all the skeptics, I will say three years later that there was only one thing about hiring Peter and executing the project that I regret. It is not posting a 10/10 review for Peter that he and his team so deserved. I drafted three different reviews and posted none of them because they all sounded like an exaggerated story. Sadly, none of them got posted but that gives me a chance to do a review of what it’s like to live with Peter’s product every day for three years.
It brings joy!
It’s reasonable to expect competence when you hire a contractor. After three years of daily use by two of us, the quality and durability of Peter’s work is evident. It isn’t competence alone that has brought me daily enjoyment. It is, for example, the recollection of how thoughtful Peter was when installing the tile in the room. I admire frequently how he paid attention to small details that made the difference between competent and masterful. While some contractors might have seen a more finicky tile as a headache, Peter saw the vision and took the time to perfectly place the tiles, the lines and edges and cuts to create a finish that he could be proud of in any old world country where pride of craftsmanship is honoured.
I especially respect that because tile is completed near the end of a project at a time when some would be tired and anxious to move on to the next project. Like any project, Peter had already dealt with unforeseen challenges due to the characteristics of our building. It wasn’t that the project proceeded perfectly smoothly.. it was that Peter took in stride every surprise and came with a solution. We had a lot riding on it, because its the only bathroom we have and we were worried about things going sideways.
In fact, the very first morning after we turned the job site over to Peter, I was on my way to a meeting and got a call. Peter had encountered our first surprise, something that was clearly outside the scope of work for Peter, and that none of us could have foreseen. As he explained it, my heart sank but I had to tell him that I was due in a three hour meeting immediately. Peter said “Leave it to me”. When I checked in three hours later, he had come up with two alternate solutions, and had chosen a path that allowed him to proceed with other work and avoid a painful delay. He also treated that surprise and every other incident that followed with exactly what I would expect knowing how big projects are well managed. He was always factual, respectful, creative and fair in resolving every inevitable project issue. I learned that first day that when Peter asks you to trust him and leave the site in his capable hands, you should do yourself a favour and do exactly that!
On pretty much every scoring criteria, Peter and his great team won the day. He was not the lowest bid, but he was close and better than most. He scoped out our dependence on the room and estimated the shortest schedule to completion and then he met it. I had confidence that if anything came up (and I’ve never seen a project where it didn’t) I could look forward to a reasoned and sensible discussion with Peter. This is everything you can expect and hope for from a professional.
Now with the passage of time, I can add some additional criteria that you may not always hear about... the quality of Peter’s work absolutely stands the test of time. By now, I should be seeing the two or three little problems that were never properly resolved, or be bothered by the one thing that the builder promised would be done later but was never done because they had moved onto the next project. There has been NONE of that. Instead, I am left admiring the result and feeling happy to let my eyes roam the room, seeing only inspiration and admiration for quality.
That brings me back to the beginning. There was only one thing left undone, and that was our review. We haven’t had any contact with Peter since the project was completed, so in hopes that late is better than never, and with fond memories I will say to all of you skeptics that this skeptic is happy to give Peter a solid 10 out of 10. Peter, you earned it.
Hire him!
- Approximate cost of services:
- $25,000.00