You will often hear me refer to our clients as "members of the Nostco family". Yes, I know you have your own family, I'm not referring to genetic ties. You see, there's one thing we obsess about and love...construction/design. That's why clients come to us and that's why clients stay with us down the road. We literally get giddy when someone says "Design my kitchen". We want to make your kitchen end up on next month's Magazine cover. This mentality goes across the board for all of the varied services that we offer.
What does this have to do with family? Well, when you say "Design/build my kitchen" we take it to mean, "Let's work together to change my relationship with my home, specifically my kitchen". It's a large undertaking, anyone can slap a few pieces of material together and call it a kitchen. The difference between ordinary and extraordinary lies in the details. The things that are specific to YOU and what you want to get out of your kitchen. We're the experts who GUIDE you through the process, so when we say "make you a part of the family" we mean to take you under our wings and make sure you get as much out of the process as possible.
You're not just a number, you are not just anybody. In this day and age, service has become more and more impersonal. Production, short cuts, the fastest way from A to B. Whatever happened to quality? The details? The journey AND the destination? You see, everything we do is a journey. It starts with you and your project. The journey should be just as enjoyable as the destination. In so many words, that is what we believe. We go to extraordinary lengths to ensure you have a rewarding journey. We want to ensure that the process is not only free of worry, but enjoyable. We work to protect you at every turn. We want to be the company that you trust for all time. To know that the solution to your problem is one phone call away, 24/7. Because that is what families are, people that will be there for you no matter what. That is why families are cherished and with us you don't have to have blood ties. The ties that bring us together is the passion that goes into transforming the space in which you live and while we're at it...enjoying the process along the way.
Toronto Renovation Contractor
Friday, April 23, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Hiring a Licensed Contractor
So you're thinking about renovating your home and are looking for Licensed Contractors.
But where do you find them? What are the Pros and Cons? What's the difference anyways?
First off, let's start with saying that you're well on your way towards a successful Toronto renovation project. Would you hire an unlicensed Lawyer? Doctor? Mechanic? No, and if you would then you must love to gamble. A license ensures that the Contractor has undergone training and certification and meets the Ministry's requirements to carry out business in the Province. Right off the bat, you know you're hiring someone with sufficient knowledge and training to handle the project. How? Because the Ministry has done the homework for you. You also know you're not hiring a criminal, because individuals with a criminal record cannot be Licensed in Ontario (except for minor convictions-summary fines). After all, this person is going to be working INSIDE your home, wouldn't you like a criminal background check? Hiring a licensed contractor is the 1st step towards a positive outcome.
So, where do you find them? Unfortunately, the Ministry does not have a website with Licensed Contractors. You have to call them to verify a license. However, there are other websites that you can trust. For example, Renomark has a website with a list of Contractors. These contractors have all been verified by Renomark to be licensed/insured and work within wsib compliance. That's really doing the homework for you, in addition to enforcing code of ethic guidelines for their members. Check them out HERE. Renomark is overseen by The Greater Toronto Home Builder's Association and houses the biggest inventory of Licensed/Insured/WSIB compliant and ethical contractors in Canada.
What are the Pros and Cons? If you're thinking you will pay more for a licensed contractor, well that is partially true and partially not true. The correct answer is, not necessarily. There is a fee for being licensed, so that becomes overhead for the contractor and in turn results in higher fees. Having to carry mandatory insurance, being wsib compliant and playing by the rules costs the contractor money which we know then becomes overhead which then means having to charge more to make the same profit vs the unlicensed contractor. But it doesn't always translate to you paying more. I know plenty of unlicensed/uninsured/non tax paying contractors that charge way more than I do. Contractors set their own price, and in the case of the unlicensed contractor there is little if any liability/overhead/accountability. An Unlicensed contractor is already breaking the law by carrying out work without a license. If he doesn't have a license, do you think he will carry liability insurance that protects YOU, the Home Owner in case someone gets injured on your property? Or if something gets damaged/stolen? Do you think his employees will be covered by mandatory WSIB coverage? Do you think the contractor will have proper training and be qualified to carry out the work? If so, why isn't he licensed? Anyone can "say" they are qualified..."I'm a qualified brain surgeon"...there, I just said it...does it make it true? How can you know? Point being, the headaches are guaranteed for Home Owners that work with unlicensed contractors in the hopes of paying less in the short term and the risks are far far too great.
An unlicensed contractor is less likely to pull permits for the job as well, which is required for any sizable project by law and you can be fined/penalized if found out (and trust me, it's not hard for you nosy neighbours to call the City on you...or a disgruntled employee or sub-contractor).
The lesson here is Unlicensed contractors are a huge liability for the Home Owner. They do everything wrong, you pay the price!
For a list of qualified, licensed Renovation Contractors follow the link below.
If you have any questions, need some advice, feel free to contact me.
Renomark
Toronto Licensed Contractor
But where do you find them? What are the Pros and Cons? What's the difference anyways?
First off, let's start with saying that you're well on your way towards a successful Toronto renovation project. Would you hire an unlicensed Lawyer? Doctor? Mechanic? No, and if you would then you must love to gamble. A license ensures that the Contractor has undergone training and certification and meets the Ministry's requirements to carry out business in the Province. Right off the bat, you know you're hiring someone with sufficient knowledge and training to handle the project. How? Because the Ministry has done the homework for you. You also know you're not hiring a criminal, because individuals with a criminal record cannot be Licensed in Ontario (except for minor convictions-summary fines). After all, this person is going to be working INSIDE your home, wouldn't you like a criminal background check? Hiring a licensed contractor is the 1st step towards a positive outcome.
So, where do you find them? Unfortunately, the Ministry does not have a website with Licensed Contractors. You have to call them to verify a license. However, there are other websites that you can trust. For example, Renomark has a website with a list of Contractors. These contractors have all been verified by Renomark to be licensed/insured and work within wsib compliance. That's really doing the homework for you, in addition to enforcing code of ethic guidelines for their members. Check them out HERE. Renomark is overseen by The Greater Toronto Home Builder's Association and houses the biggest inventory of Licensed/Insured/WSIB compliant and ethical contractors in Canada.
What are the Pros and Cons? If you're thinking you will pay more for a licensed contractor, well that is partially true and partially not true. The correct answer is, not necessarily. There is a fee for being licensed, so that becomes overhead for the contractor and in turn results in higher fees. Having to carry mandatory insurance, being wsib compliant and playing by the rules costs the contractor money which we know then becomes overhead which then means having to charge more to make the same profit vs the unlicensed contractor. But it doesn't always translate to you paying more. I know plenty of unlicensed/uninsured/non tax paying contractors that charge way more than I do. Contractors set their own price, and in the case of the unlicensed contractor there is little if any liability/overhead/accountability. An Unlicensed contractor is already breaking the law by carrying out work without a license. If he doesn't have a license, do you think he will carry liability insurance that protects YOU, the Home Owner in case someone gets injured on your property? Or if something gets damaged/stolen? Do you think his employees will be covered by mandatory WSIB coverage? Do you think the contractor will have proper training and be qualified to carry out the work? If so, why isn't he licensed? Anyone can "say" they are qualified..."I'm a qualified brain surgeon"...there, I just said it...does it make it true? How can you know? Point being, the headaches are guaranteed for Home Owners that work with unlicensed contractors in the hopes of paying less in the short term and the risks are far far too great.
An unlicensed contractor is less likely to pull permits for the job as well, which is required for any sizable project by law and you can be fined/penalized if found out (and trust me, it's not hard for you nosy neighbours to call the City on you...or a disgruntled employee or sub-contractor).
The lesson here is Unlicensed contractors are a huge liability for the Home Owner. They do everything wrong, you pay the price!
For a list of qualified, licensed Renovation Contractors follow the link below.
If you have any questions, need some advice, feel free to contact me.
Renomark
Toronto Licensed Contractor
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Toronto General Contractor
So what should you look for when hiring a Toronto General Contractor?
#1- The quality of their work. Most General Contracting companies have a "niche" in the market. Some cater to the low end, some mid, some high, and some extremely high. Each is different, each is unique.
Let's discuss this for a second.
WHO IS THE LOW END CONTRACTOR?
- Small jobs
- Quick turn-around (in-and-out)
- Work with mostly small "repairs"
- Usually "One-man-shows" or work with one or two helpers
- Purchase most of their products at Home Depot, Lowes, discount suppliers
- Have little "technical knowledge" (Think handyman types)
- Offer the cheapest prices, have low over-head, sometimes skirt the law (License, Insurance, taxes, etc.)
- May not have a written contract or warranty
MIDDLE CONTRACTORS
-Probably 80% of all contractors out there fall in this category
-A wide range of services
-Jack of all, master of none
-Most jobs take 2 weeks to a month (Bathrooms, kitchens, misc.)
-Use moderate building materials, offer "good enough" workmanship.
-Mostly play by the rules, but sometimes rules have to be bent (overhead)
-Hit or miss
-Mostly have a written contract, a written warranty but only offer a lump sum pricing structure.
HIGH END CONTRACTORS
-Usually handle larger, more complex and involved projects
-Typically work with designers/architects/engineers
-Have a vast network of vendors/suppliers
-Can deliver high quality materials, with superior workmanship
-Most jobs take several months
-Detailed contracts, good warranties, offer a range of contracting options
-Are not the cheapest, and never will be. They offer "quality" and professionalism.
-Some can "over-charge" if they don't keep their over-head in check
EXTREMELY HIGH END CONTRACTORS
-Very "niche" market of the wealthy clientele (Think Bridle Path, Forest Hill, Rosedale, etc.)
-Are typically Architects by trade or have a very unique flare for design
-Extremely meticulous in detail
-Use ONLY the highest grade of materials
-Most projects take close to a year to several years
-Very few of these contractors around, as it's a very niche market and the ones that are around have been around for a long time and have an established clientele base
-Are Extremely expensive, but offer bar-none the greatest quality of design/craftsmanship/materials.
-Don't even visit their website...it will make you cry. You might even lose money just browsing their site...seriously, I feel poor just looking at the homes they have built...oh, to dream.
You see how honest I am? Those are your basic 4 main types of contractors out there...did you even know that? Did you assume they are all the same? It's like the Caste system, there is no mobility in this structure. You are what you are. A low-end contractor will never be anything else because his company/setup was designed to sustain and cater to a certain niche market. If he tries...he will fail. That goes for all the other ones out there. Company structures are vastly different and offer vastly different services to the market.
SO...where do you start? By first asking yourself what market YOU fall in.
ARE YOU:
-Looking for the cheapest price?
-Think you can handle doing the work yourself...but rather just hire someone to do it instead?
-Don't care too much about the "finer details"...it's more of a "fix" or "repair"?
-Contracts? Pfft, if he doesn't do it I won't pay him...simple as that?
-If I pay cash, I save?
Then the low-end contractor is your best match. Don't go to the other ones...you will be disappointed. Don't waste you time, and don't waste honest working people's time as well. Find the low end contractor...it's really easy. Go to Craigslist and find the mother-load of unlicensed, low over head, quick turn around, willing to skirt the law type of contractors. They won't have web-sites, and most work from their cell phones. Be careful, you will probably not get a contract and if they screw up good luck trying to find them. I'm not judging you, I'm saying they may be very useful to you...I'm just giving you the heads up so you know what you're getting into.
NOW ON THE OTHER HAND, If you are looking for:
-A respectable company, that tries hard to play by the rules (License, Insurance, Wsib, pay taxes, offers contracts, warranties, won't disappear hopefully)
-Offers acceptable craftsmanship
-Can offer a decent selection of materials
-Actually cares about their business/reputation
-Tries hard to be competitive in price
Then the middle contractor is for you. That's probably 80% of the contractors out there, but be careful and make sure you get everything in writing. This group is a mix bag of the well meaning, and you know what they say about good intentions. Don't get me wrong, you will find a LOT of good, solid contractors in this group but there are some bad apples that ruin if for everyone else. The bad apples are probably 5-10%, and they will go out of business soon enough. The good ones have been around the block, and know their market very well. If this sounds like a good match for you, then make sure you have a reasonable budget set aside for the project. These people have to pay taxes, insurance and other over-head costs required by law to be legitimate but in turn you get a decent amount of professional service and the reassurance that the project was done to code, with a warranty, and you didn't hire a "fly-by-night" contractor. You hired a legitimate company.
THE HIGH END CONTRACTOR is right for you if:
-You value quality more than price
-You want professional service and you will not settle for less
-You see your home as an expression of who you are and not just 4 walls and a roof
-You want a unique design
-You want superior products because you would rather pay for a beautiful piece that lasts a lifetime vs a decent piece that will last only a few years
-You are ready and willing to pay a respectable amount of money in turn for professional service
-You want a wide range of options presented to you
-You want to see transparency in paper work
-You must have a full warranty for all the work
-You want detailed job tracking and exceptional workmanship
Then this group is right for you. You are very unlikely to be disappointed. These companies are very technical, very customer service minded and have a vast network of suppliers/subs/vendors that they deal with. You must come prepared with an appropriate budget for the project and be ready to pay for the higher grade materials that you want purchased/installed into your home. Most of the people in this group are very professional and the craftsmanship is exceptional.
THE EXTREMELY HIGH END CONTRACTOR is right for you if:
-Who are we kidding...if you're reading this, then you can't afford them!
I hope I've shed some light here. Nobody thinks a Bentley is the same as a Honda Civic, and if they do they're out to lunch. But a lot of people think contractors are all the same. Far from it, there are different demographic markets. Your first step in selecting a contractor should stem from you asking yourself..."Which demographic market am I?"...then go about finding that contractor. Trust me, it will save you time and grief.
So you think you found a contractor...but are they right for you? Well, what are the signs telling you. Look at their past work...is it in line with what you want done to YOUR house? And if it is...do you have the budget for it? I can look at a lot of pictures of multi-million dollar homes on MLS...but come time to buy would I tell my agent "Show me that one"?. No because I'm broke...so transfer that mentality to when you go looking for a contractor. Figure out which one of the 4 is best for you, then go about finding them.
If you don't, you will find yourself very disappointed very early.
You did all that and you're still not sure? Give me a call, I love giving free unbiased advice (Seriously). If I can point you in the right direction and offer some advice, that actually makes ME happy. I've been doing this for 10 years and I don't beat around the bush. I've read far too many misguided articles on "How to hire a contractor" by people that never even hired a contractor before in their lives. It's amazing how much these so called experts don't know. There's waaay too much miscommunication between contractors and the consumers...it's like Home Owners are from Venus, Contractors are from Mars.
Toronto General Contractor
Toronto Renovation Contractor
Peter Khatami.
#1- The quality of their work. Most General Contracting companies have a "niche" in the market. Some cater to the low end, some mid, some high, and some extremely high. Each is different, each is unique.
Let's discuss this for a second.
WHO IS THE LOW END CONTRACTOR?
- Small jobs
- Quick turn-around (in-and-out)
- Work with mostly small "repairs"
- Usually "One-man-shows" or work with one or two helpers
- Purchase most of their products at Home Depot, Lowes, discount suppliers
- Have little "technical knowledge" (Think handyman types)
- Offer the cheapest prices, have low over-head, sometimes skirt the law (License, Insurance, taxes, etc.)
- May not have a written contract or warranty
MIDDLE CONTRACTORS
-Probably 80% of all contractors out there fall in this category
-A wide range of services
-Jack of all, master of none
-Most jobs take 2 weeks to a month (Bathrooms, kitchens, misc.)
-Use moderate building materials, offer "good enough" workmanship.
-Mostly play by the rules, but sometimes rules have to be bent (overhead)
-Hit or miss
-Mostly have a written contract, a written warranty but only offer a lump sum pricing structure.
HIGH END CONTRACTORS
-Usually handle larger, more complex and involved projects
-Typically work with designers/architects/engineers
-Have a vast network of vendors/suppliers
-Can deliver high quality materials, with superior workmanship
-Most jobs take several months
-Detailed contracts, good warranties, offer a range of contracting options
-Are not the cheapest, and never will be. They offer "quality" and professionalism.
-Some can "over-charge" if they don't keep their over-head in check
EXTREMELY HIGH END CONTRACTORS
-Very "niche" market of the wealthy clientele (Think Bridle Path, Forest Hill, Rosedale, etc.)
-Are typically Architects by trade or have a very unique flare for design
-Extremely meticulous in detail
-Use ONLY the highest grade of materials
-Most projects take close to a year to several years
-Very few of these contractors around, as it's a very niche market and the ones that are around have been around for a long time and have an established clientele base
-Are Extremely expensive, but offer bar-none the greatest quality of design/craftsmanship/materials.
-Don't even visit their website...it will make you cry. You might even lose money just browsing their site...seriously, I feel poor just looking at the homes they have built...oh, to dream.
You see how honest I am? Those are your basic 4 main types of contractors out there...did you even know that? Did you assume they are all the same? It's like the Caste system, there is no mobility in this structure. You are what you are. A low-end contractor will never be anything else because his company/setup was designed to sustain and cater to a certain niche market. If he tries...he will fail. That goes for all the other ones out there. Company structures are vastly different and offer vastly different services to the market.
SO...where do you start? By first asking yourself what market YOU fall in.
ARE YOU:
-Looking for the cheapest price?
-Think you can handle doing the work yourself...but rather just hire someone to do it instead?
-Don't care too much about the "finer details"...it's more of a "fix" or "repair"?
-Contracts? Pfft, if he doesn't do it I won't pay him...simple as that?
-If I pay cash, I save?
Then the low-end contractor is your best match. Don't go to the other ones...you will be disappointed. Don't waste you time, and don't waste honest working people's time as well. Find the low end contractor...it's really easy. Go to Craigslist and find the mother-load of unlicensed, low over head, quick turn around, willing to skirt the law type of contractors. They won't have web-sites, and most work from their cell phones. Be careful, you will probably not get a contract and if they screw up good luck trying to find them. I'm not judging you, I'm saying they may be very useful to you...I'm just giving you the heads up so you know what you're getting into.
NOW ON THE OTHER HAND, If you are looking for:
-A respectable company, that tries hard to play by the rules (License, Insurance, Wsib, pay taxes, offers contracts, warranties, won't disappear hopefully)
-Offers acceptable craftsmanship
-Can offer a decent selection of materials
-Actually cares about their business/reputation
-Tries hard to be competitive in price
Then the middle contractor is for you. That's probably 80% of the contractors out there, but be careful and make sure you get everything in writing. This group is a mix bag of the well meaning, and you know what they say about good intentions. Don't get me wrong, you will find a LOT of good, solid contractors in this group but there are some bad apples that ruin if for everyone else. The bad apples are probably 5-10%, and they will go out of business soon enough. The good ones have been around the block, and know their market very well. If this sounds like a good match for you, then make sure you have a reasonable budget set aside for the project. These people have to pay taxes, insurance and other over-head costs required by law to be legitimate but in turn you get a decent amount of professional service and the reassurance that the project was done to code, with a warranty, and you didn't hire a "fly-by-night" contractor. You hired a legitimate company.
THE HIGH END CONTRACTOR is right for you if:
-You value quality more than price
-You want professional service and you will not settle for less
-You see your home as an expression of who you are and not just 4 walls and a roof
-You want a unique design
-You want superior products because you would rather pay for a beautiful piece that lasts a lifetime vs a decent piece that will last only a few years
-You are ready and willing to pay a respectable amount of money in turn for professional service
-You want a wide range of options presented to you
-You want to see transparency in paper work
-You must have a full warranty for all the work
-You want detailed job tracking and exceptional workmanship
Then this group is right for you. You are very unlikely to be disappointed. These companies are very technical, very customer service minded and have a vast network of suppliers/subs/vendors that they deal with. You must come prepared with an appropriate budget for the project and be ready to pay for the higher grade materials that you want purchased/installed into your home. Most of the people in this group are very professional and the craftsmanship is exceptional.
THE EXTREMELY HIGH END CONTRACTOR is right for you if:
-Who are we kidding...if you're reading this, then you can't afford them!
I hope I've shed some light here. Nobody thinks a Bentley is the same as a Honda Civic, and if they do they're out to lunch. But a lot of people think contractors are all the same. Far from it, there are different demographic markets. Your first step in selecting a contractor should stem from you asking yourself..."Which demographic market am I?"...then go about finding that contractor. Trust me, it will save you time and grief.
So you think you found a contractor...but are they right for you? Well, what are the signs telling you. Look at their past work...is it in line with what you want done to YOUR house? And if it is...do you have the budget for it? I can look at a lot of pictures of multi-million dollar homes on MLS...but come time to buy would I tell my agent "Show me that one"?. No because I'm broke...so transfer that mentality to when you go looking for a contractor. Figure out which one of the 4 is best for you, then go about finding them.
If you don't, you will find yourself very disappointed very early.
You did all that and you're still not sure? Give me a call, I love giving free unbiased advice (Seriously). If I can point you in the right direction and offer some advice, that actually makes ME happy. I've been doing this for 10 years and I don't beat around the bush. I've read far too many misguided articles on "How to hire a contractor" by people that never even hired a contractor before in their lives. It's amazing how much these so called experts don't know. There's waaay too much miscommunication between contractors and the consumers...it's like Home Owners are from Venus, Contractors are from Mars.
Toronto General Contractor
Toronto Renovation Contractor
Peter Khatami.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
What can we do for you?
Who are we, what do we do and most importantly...WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU?
Our company was designed around that question, What can we do for YOU?
AND
How can we do it better than everyone else?!
It takes knowledge and a lot of experience to answer that. To begin, we have to first know what NOT to do. Knowing what NOT to do, usually comes from bad experiences. Knowing what TO DO, comes from years and years of trial & error, researching, experimenting, learning and hands on experience.
ANYBODY can open up a General contracting company and offer services to the public.
But not everybody can do it well. It takes a lot of resources, knowledge and experience to say "
We're one of the best out there".
So, what can we do for you? To begin with, what's most important to us is that you are well informed. We know that informed clients make better decisions and we're here to guide you. From the first site visit, we offer unbiased advice towards your project. We want to put you in a better position to understand the various aspects of the project you have in mind.
From there, we are happy to break down the costs for you. We separate material and labour, so you can gauge what you want to keep, what you want to add and what you want to take out. This is a preliminary budget and intended as a guide so you can gauge your budget with the scope of work you have in mind.
UNDERSTANDING PRICES
MATERIALS: Materials are costs that we can't control. There are a slue of options when it comes to materials, your selection will dictate the cost to the project. For our part, what we can do is inform you of the price differences amongst various choices. Furthermore, we often receive discounts from suppliers as Contractors (10-50%). We forward those discounts to you and NEVER mark-up materials.
LABOUR: Our labour charges are at par or below the industry standard rates. What we pay our carpenters and in-house skilled trades is standard industry rates. However, most companies mark-up their labour for profit...we don't. What is calculated on top of what we pay our employees is overhead (W.S.I.B, Insurance, tool replacement, vehicle allowance, gas, kms, etc.). No profit, only the charge to bring on-board professionally skilled, knowledgeable and experienced artisans and to ensure that they receive fair compensation for their labour and have all the required insurance/clearance/licensing required by Law. If you find lower labour rates ANYWHERE, then rest assured they are not legitimate, tax paying, licensed/qualified professionals, covered by mandatory W.S.I.B. insurance.
CONTINGENCY: Typically 10%, contingency is an amount added to the sub-total to account for the unforeseen aspects of any construction project. In our "Cost-Plus" method of contracting, this amount is not charged to you if it is not used. 50% of the time, we don't use it and you are not charged.
MANAGEMENT FEES: This is typically 20%, discounted for Spring to 15%. This is the fee that we charge for our services. What you receive in turn is comprehensive management for the entire project. We offer transparency in paper work, and each project has a segregated bank account and records are meticulously maintained. Our job-tracking/management software is unmatched in the industry. You receive continuous updates, 24 hr open line of communication, open access to all vendors/sub contractors, expert management, full financial transparency (except "Fixed Price" contracts), forwarded discounts from vendors all backed by a Fully Licensed, Fully Insured ($5,000,000) Liability, WSIB compliant labour, Renomark certified contractor status, Full member of the Canadian and Greater Toronto Home Builder's Association with industry leading quality workmanship all standing behind a full 2 year warranty on labour/workmanship. You can't beat that!
We have the best deal in Town. Because we want YOUR business, and we want to be YOUR contractor for life. We want to not only meet, but far exceed your expectations.
We offer in-house Design/Build services. Comprehensive construction Management. Consulting, Home inspection services and General Contracting ALL UNDER ONE ROOF.
If you are looking for a Toronto Renovation Contractor, that takes care of you and welcomes you into our Nostco family...give us a call. We want to be YOUR Toronto General Contractor for life!
Toronto General Contractor
Toronto Renovation Contractor
Toronto Construction Consulting
Toronto Construction Management
Toronto Residential Contractor
Toronto Commercial Contractor
Toronto Home Inspector
647.347.6784
Our company was designed around that question, What can we do for YOU?
AND
How can we do it better than everyone else?!
It takes knowledge and a lot of experience to answer that. To begin, we have to first know what NOT to do. Knowing what NOT to do, usually comes from bad experiences. Knowing what TO DO, comes from years and years of trial & error, researching, experimenting, learning and hands on experience.
ANYBODY can open up a General contracting company and offer services to the public.
But not everybody can do it well. It takes a lot of resources, knowledge and experience to say "
We're one of the best out there".
So, what can we do for you? To begin with, what's most important to us is that you are well informed. We know that informed clients make better decisions and we're here to guide you. From the first site visit, we offer unbiased advice towards your project. We want to put you in a better position to understand the various aspects of the project you have in mind.
From there, we are happy to break down the costs for you. We separate material and labour, so you can gauge what you want to keep, what you want to add and what you want to take out. This is a preliminary budget and intended as a guide so you can gauge your budget with the scope of work you have in mind.
UNDERSTANDING PRICES
MATERIALS: Materials are costs that we can't control. There are a slue of options when it comes to materials, your selection will dictate the cost to the project. For our part, what we can do is inform you of the price differences amongst various choices. Furthermore, we often receive discounts from suppliers as Contractors (10-50%). We forward those discounts to you and NEVER mark-up materials.
LABOUR: Our labour charges are at par or below the industry standard rates. What we pay our carpenters and in-house skilled trades is standard industry rates. However, most companies mark-up their labour for profit...we don't. What is calculated on top of what we pay our employees is overhead (W.S.I.B, Insurance, tool replacement, vehicle allowance, gas, kms, etc.). No profit, only the charge to bring on-board professionally skilled, knowledgeable and experienced artisans and to ensure that they receive fair compensation for their labour and have all the required insurance/clearance/licensing required by Law. If you find lower labour rates ANYWHERE, then rest assured they are not legitimate, tax paying, licensed/qualified professionals, covered by mandatory W.S.I.B. insurance.
CONTINGENCY: Typically 10%, contingency is an amount added to the sub-total to account for the unforeseen aspects of any construction project. In our "Cost-Plus" method of contracting, this amount is not charged to you if it is not used. 50% of the time, we don't use it and you are not charged.
MANAGEMENT FEES: This is typically 20%, discounted for Spring to 15%. This is the fee that we charge for our services. What you receive in turn is comprehensive management for the entire project. We offer transparency in paper work, and each project has a segregated bank account and records are meticulously maintained. Our job-tracking/management software is unmatched in the industry. You receive continuous updates, 24 hr open line of communication, open access to all vendors/sub contractors, expert management, full financial transparency (except "Fixed Price" contracts), forwarded discounts from vendors all backed by a Fully Licensed, Fully Insured ($5,000,000) Liability, WSIB compliant labour, Renomark certified contractor status, Full member of the Canadian and Greater Toronto Home Builder's Association with industry leading quality workmanship all standing behind a full 2 year warranty on labour/workmanship. You can't beat that!
We have the best deal in Town. Because we want YOUR business, and we want to be YOUR contractor for life. We want to not only meet, but far exceed your expectations.
We offer in-house Design/Build services. Comprehensive construction Management. Consulting, Home inspection services and General Contracting ALL UNDER ONE ROOF.
If you are looking for a Toronto Renovation Contractor, that takes care of you and welcomes you into our Nostco family...give us a call. We want to be YOUR Toronto General Contractor for life!
Toronto General Contractor
Toronto Renovation Contractor
Toronto Construction Consulting
Toronto Construction Management
Toronto Residential Contractor
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Toronto Home Inspector
647.347.6784
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