Brendan in Vancouver

Wanting to install a new bathtub in my condo, I contacted John Bogar of Stay Able Baths. He cancelled the first two appointments at the last minute, which told me this may not be the ideal company to deal with. But, he eventually came by and was very affable, with what seemed a good plan for getting me the tub I wanted. His quote was considerably better than some others I'd received. Intuition may be a powerful tool- for against my better judgement, I awarded Stay Able the job for July 2015. The job was substantially completed, but be warned, the contractor who'll be doing the installation is not the tidy, well-spoken gent that will be visiting for the measurements and drafting the estimate. There were a lot of glaring cosmetic deficiencies in the installation (large, unsightly gaps between the edge of the tub surround and wall; large scratches on the tub surface; significant mess left behind; etc.). In my experience, leaving a tidy job site behind is the trademark of a skilled professional. Leaving a mess is exactly what I would've expected from the installer- and he didn't disappoint. John told me the reason for the deficiencies (scratches, gap, etc.) was that the installer had been doing the job so long, and was so proficient at it, that his high levels of expertise meant he probably no longer even noticed the cosmetic issues that would bother a customer. That doesn't sound like any master craftsman I've heard of- I thought they only get better and more exacting over time. If you can put up with that, maybe Stay Able is a good choice if the estimate is a lot lower than competitors. Stay Able claims it stands 100% behind its work and has a lifetime guarantee. There has still been no one around (despite repeated requests) to fix a major problem: the acrylic surround isn't properly attached to the tub on one side. It's therefore very flexible right at the point where it should be caulked. This means the caulking cracks within days of new caulking being applied. While the tub may have a lip behind the wall which will prevent water leakage into the interior of the building, this doesn't mean it looks good, and does nothing to reduce the risk of mould developing behind the walls due to moisture escapage. So basically, treat the lifetime guarantee with circumspection. In my experience, you'll be waiting a lifetime for follow-up service.