Stephanie

WOW — Just wow! This has been our best experience with a home improvement project to date! Stone and Cedar is, simply put, professionalism, quality and integrity all in one. Back in March, we began our search for a fence company and had several come by for quoting. Robert, the owner of Stone and Cedar, promptly came and reviewed our property. Immediately we were impressed by his professionalism and clear communication of his vision for our fence. Robert provided a detailed quote and was more than willing to discuss materials and brands and helped to educate us on the choices that were available. Never once did we feel pressured or up-sold which was great. At this point we were confident that we wanted to work with Stone and Cedar. In-between our deposit and the start of the project, Robert would periodically communicate with us to let us know if we were on schedule. (Inclement weather can affect outdoor construction). The project began on time and we were blown away by the speed in which our fence took shape. At each major step, we would be consulted on the plan. If we were unsure, Robert shared his expertise and advised us on what would not only be functional, but also aesthetically pleasing. This level of communication gave us a ton of peace of mind, because with each day that passed, we knew that we were in the best hands for the job! Other points to note which were impressive: Tidiness, approachability and constant attention to detail, (an area where other contractors have let us down in the past). Every piece was sanded, components were finished tastefully and every cut was re-stained to create a seamless end product that FAR exceeded our exceptions. We didn’t just have a fence… we have a beautiful fence, and we are still in awe every time we see it! When the project ended, Robert left the work area spotless. He even offered advise on landscaping as we were having some trouble with grass from a previous project. Would we use Stone and Cedar again? ABSOLUTELY! Thank you Stone and Cedar for our beautiful fence and for going above and beyond in delivering a product and service that far exceeded our expectations! We can’t wait for you to do our deck!

After contacting many asphalt and paving companies, and either not hearing back or being stood up, I luckily found Norton Paving and Construction Inc. Marc Volante, owner, promptly returned my call and was able to discuss the work, expectations, timing and estimates. We were able to set up a visit right away. Upon meeting with Marc, he was on time, professional and drew up a proposal and contract for the work at our visit. We were thrilled! Work began on time on our start date. Marc met with my husband and set his teams to work! The team was diligent, professional and efficient, and we had a lovely new asphalt driveway in a matter of hours. We are also given 'Do/Don't' documentation explaining how to take care of our driveway following the project which was very useful! The next day Marc followed up with us to ensure we were satisfied with the work, which we were! Thank you Marc and Norton Paving

This past summer, we decided it was time for a full basement renovation. A & R Renovations had done a stellar job of our main floor and upstairs 5 years earlier, so we decided to go with them again. Our goal was to take our unfinished 'ancient' basement and create a family room, laundry room, second bathroom and storage room, while rerooting plumbing, adding new HVAC, and a new high efficiency furnace, and waterproofing the exterior walls. The project began on time and we immediately saw progress. Alex was always there on time and worked diligently throughout the day, while coordinating all aspects of the project and communicating with us on everything. He worked to minimize the amount of time we were out of the house, and provided us with advise and recommendations as we decided on finishes, fixtures and more. The end result greatly exceeded our expectations. We couldn’t be happier! We have a lovely space for our family that I am still blown away by every time I see it! The project ended on time, on budget and we would gladly use A & R Renovations on any future projects! Thank you Alex and A&R Renovations for your dedication and expertise!

It was our first summer with our baby and I couldn't take another heat wave so we decided it was time to get central air - and fast! I started my search on Homestars and began calling top-rated companies on one of the hottest days of they year. I had some ac companies actually laugh at me for calling them when the temperature was so high, which was off-putting to say the least. I met with three companies to collect quotes and began to learn more about AC facts along the way. The third company I met with was Spring Home Heating and Cooling Systems Inc. I spoke with Cy over the phone and I really liked his direct approach. Cy was very matter-of-fact and I had a good feeling with him where I didn't feel like he was 'sugar coating' a potential sale. Meeting and Quote Cy made time on the holiday long weekend to come by and meet with us to finalize the quote. He informed us of everything and never did I feel like he was trying to up-sell us. Installation Once all the paperwork was signed, the Spring Home technicians arrived on time, as promised, and worked like troopers to have everything done as soon as possible. It was sooo hot that day and they remained polite, informative and very efficient throughout the whole process. First, they showed me what they would be doing. Then as they worked, they laid down drop clothes to keep my floors clean. They built a lovely pad to elevate the unit and customized it a bit because of a slop on my yard. Upon completion, they walked me through how the unit worked from the outside to the inside and answered all of my questions. They also completely cleaned up their working space so it was as if they were never there, EXCEPT now my house is cool and wonderfully comfortable! In conclusion, Spring Home Heating and Cooling Systems Inc. are consumate professionals from the sales representative to the installers and I would recommend them in a heartbeat. Their workmanship was excellent. We also got a Lennox which has a top-notch reputation. Spring Home Heating and Cooling Systems Inc. is not the cheapest but I always say you get what you pay for and I know if you use them, you'll be very pleased!

At the start of 2012 my husband and I knew that we would be embarking on our first full-scale home renovation, but when we found out that we were expecting our first child, we knew that timing was critical. We’d purchased our first home - semi detached in East York in 2007 and EVERYTHING needed fixing. There wasn't one floorboard that didn't squeak, there was barely any insulation and our bathtub's overflow was the ceiling of our kitchen. It was really bad, so we began the daunting process of learning how to find a contractor. We poured over renovation advice blogs, collected references from friends and started to make calls. Many emails were sent and we lined up a few consultations. We began to consider one contractor who came to us on referral. Everyone says referrals are golden, but I couldn’t shake the feeling I got when they repeatedly were late for meetings and unclear on project scope and pricing. At this time we found A&R Renovations on Homestars. I emailed the owner Alex a project list of everything we wanted done (kitchen, bathroom, living room, dining room, staircase, baby room, master bedroom and hall) and booked a consultation and he got back to me the same day. Alex was on time for each meeting. He was always organized, explained everything clearly and was very professional. You could tell he knew what he was talking about. My husband and I then decided, based solely on our gut feeling and the reviews we read, that we would sign with A&R Renovations. We were filled with trepidation as we handed off the first cheque, but to our delight, as the project ensued, everything unfolded just as Alex said it would. The team was always polite and professional, and showed up on time each day. Alex was in contact with us day and night, weekday and weekend - letting us know how things were going or if he needed our feedback or decisions. He would give his advice when asked, and would offer his expertise and guidance when we weren't sure what finishes to choose. Alex and his team worked tirelessly to give us our beautifully renovated home. He helped to ensure we stayed on budget, and he was cognizant that the longer the project took, the more it would cost us, as we were renting accommodations for the duration of the job. They finished in exactly 6 weeks to the day, and we were able to move back home. Since we've been home, we are delighted with the results and I continue to have to remind myself that this IS actually our house. Everything is stunning, from the floors, lighting, our beautiful new bathroom and kitchen and opened staircase and more – everything is perfect esthetically and functionally. Alex and his team went above and beyond for us at every turn and continued to exceed our expectations throughout the whole project, and you have to understand how critical this was for us, with baby on the way, incomes cut in half and a new mortgage ahead. We can't thank Alex and his team enough. While other things in life fell through, our home renovation kept chugging along just as promised and that meant the world to us. We have developed a strong trust in Alex and the A&R Renovations Team, where we know first-hand that their clients’ satisfaction and quality work is priority number one. I feel very fortunate to have found A&R Renovations and would recommend them in a heart-beat. A sincere thank you for everything Alex and team!