Mainland Ventures

We hired Mainland Ventures to convert an outdated two piece bathroom into an updated three piece bathroom as well as to frame in a bedroom and office that didn’t have proper doors, to open up a wall to create a larger closet and to frame a knee wall to make the space in a sloping room more usable.
We got three quotes from contractors because this was our first time doing a reno and that’s what they say you’re supposed to do, but it was pretty obvious from the get-go that we were going to be going with Mainland (Paul specifically). Paul came by a few times to quote the project as we changed the scope on a few occasions and he was always punctual and professional. Other contractors that came by (which also came highly regarded/recommended) were certainly a bit more flaky in their approach and I was left with the sense that going with them would have been a frustrating experience. All of the quotes were generally within the same range; although sometimes it was hard to compare because Paul puts in allowances for all expenses (which is very helpful for overall budgeting), while other contractors leave things like fixtures, paint, doors, etc. out because those costs are outside of their control.
During the reno Paul was always available by e-mail or phone and would confirm big decisions before proceeding. I really appreciated that Paul doesn’t bother you with every tiny decision, but employs logic and makes those decisions himself, while bringing the homeowner in for the important things (I’m sure Paul would consult on every minor thing if you wanted, but that was not my personal preference). Paul is very conscious of the budget and always gets approval where there may be a differential between budgeted and actual costs (which was not often). He was also flexible when we wanted to add last minute changes, which I’m sure messed with his schedule, and would always preemptively give a quote for the cost of that change. One of the few cost overruns that we were going to have was the cost of door knobs and to match the existing crystal knobs in our house (character house, so nearly 100 year old knobs). The cost of the knobs was going to be over $150 a knob, but Paul was able to repurpose knobs from a prior job, so in the end it cost us nothing and we got a better result because we don’t have new looking knobs and old knobs now. This sort of problem solving was really appreciated and the knob situation wasn’t the only time Paul suggested equally effective money saving alternatives. Finally, Paul’s team and his subcontractors are all very professional and respectful of your home and don’t leave it in a state of disrepair. I would recommend Mainland to anyone and expect I’ll be reaching out to Paul to take a look at our kitchen in the next few years.