Nick in Downsview

I was quoted a price for a 60 foot armour stone retaining wall and install of a hot tub base. It was to be completed over a 3-4 week period. We were quoted $17K. Over that time, I checked with John the owner, to see if we were on track according to the quote, (understanding that with large projects, things can change in real time). John told me that his quote was now "out the window" and it needed to be updated. It seems he did not take into account how much work it really required. I asked him to give me the revised price and it turned out to be 60% higher. That significant blow was made worse by the condition of my backyard. It was an absolute mess, and no other contractor would touch it so I was forced to proceed with this new price. Since John is a one-man-show, the retaining wall took over 2.5 months to complete vs. 3 weeks and he did not install the hot tub base. Although he is a creative landscaper, he did not complete the job and he went way over budget. Our challenges did not end there. John ordered a bin to remove earth from the property. With all the weight, the bin sank into my asphalt driveway and damaged it. I asked John to fix it. He said I would have to pay him for time and material. ??? Also, in order to get the bobcats and excavators in the back yard John damaged the entire front yard (which was expected) and he explained that the sod repair is also my cost, ie he did not add it to the quote. (Who does that to a customer?). While completing the retaining wall, John was to prep the backyard for patio slab installation. To add insult to injury, he did not grade the property properly, and water now collects and puddles in the middle (it is presently a swimming pool of rain and snow). He also did not lay down fabric before laying 30 yards of HPB, so now the property has to be re-graded and much of the HPB removed and replaced, again. Furthermore, I obviously chose not to proceed with him to install the patio pavers, but the damage is done and we’re now paying the price. We have to redo all his prep work which will cost me. Three Unilock contractors came out and explained that there is a huge drainage issue and it must be redone. In retrospect, I should have turned away when he would not provide references. This I admit, was my mistake. When we pressed him, he did provide one reference and it happened to be a relative of mine. My relative did not know him. He did work at the site but my relative did not book that job with him; the guy he was working for booked it so I cannot confirm how much of the work John did there. It was a weak referral and one we shouldn’t have placed any value on. My only positive note is that the retaining wall did meet our expectations. His masonry work was good. It’s his business skills and soft skills that leave much to be desired, and ended up costing us far more that we bargained for. I hope this allows you to make an informed decision. Ask for references (some just give you pictures - not enough). Detail the entire quote including repair to sod and clean-up work. Check every day to ensure that your contractor is on track with the quote. Good luck