In my personal experience, this was one of the most frustrating and disappointing professional…read moreengagements I've ever been through. I found the entire process confusing, overpriced, and ultimately not worth the significant financial outlay. I would strongly encourage anyone considering working with Mike De Palma or his company to proceed with extreme caution and carefully scrutinize every detail of the pricing structure -- especially the fine print. One of the most frustrating aspects, for me, was how the $150/hour "coordination" fee was handled. We were under the impression that we wouldn't be charged this fee -- it certainly wasn't clearly explained or shown as a distinct line item on any invoices. Instead, it appeared to be embedded in broader invoice totals, often tucked into small print at the bottom as an hourly figure, with no clear breakdown or indication of the total accrued. In my opinion, this lack of transparency made it nearly impossible to track what we were actually being charged for. Months into the project -- after things weren't progressing as we had expected -- we were suddenly billed for a large number of hours at that $150/hour rate. These charges appeared to relate to internal coordination, emails, and meetings that had never been flagged as billable beforehand. From my perspective, it felt like this shift happened once it became clear our project might not deliver the financial return they'd initially hoped for. I found this extremely frustrating and, personally, I felt misled. On top of that, we were also charged an 18% markup on every project-related expense -- including third-party consultants like the permit specialist, whose services were outsourced. That meant we were paying the consultant directly, paying this company's hourly rate for coordinating with them, and then being charged 18% on top of both. These compounded costs added up quickly, and in my view, the value simply wasn't there. What I had hoped for was a transparent, involved construction partner. What I felt I got instead was a project overseer whose billing structure added significant cost without delivering commensurate value. Others may have had different experiences, but based on mine, I would not choose to work with this company again.

i would never hire this company flintstones ever again…read more what we got quoted and rendered isnt even allowed in our neighbourhood

Jared and his workers Ernest and Austin did a very good job repairing our stucco and repointing our…read morechimney on our heritage home, the texture of the stucco was near perfect, we have had other stucco masons in the past do similar repairs and we were not so happy about them, Its quite a skill to get a perfect match, they also did a great job repairing our old chimney, the price was fairly competitive but I am glad I chose them because there where no delays or mess left. Very happy with the service and the value was great

Thank you Jared for a professional repair on the o/s plaster of a 1923 home. You did an excellent…read morejob going above and beyond what was expected. Your quote and billing was very clear with no extenuating circumstances. I would not hesitate to recommend your company. Very much appreciated. Carol

I highly recommend Apple Construction. They installed a patio BBQ gazebo for me, and the…read moremanufacturer's instructions were anything but easy--metric measurements and some pretty confusing, poorly translated language. Pedro and his team handled everything seamlessly. They even made a trip to the hardware store to get the correct bit for the hammer drill to properly anchor into the concrete--something I wouldn't have figured out myself. Communication was clear and straightforward throughout, and they showed up exactly when they said they would. Good, honest guys who do quality work. Great company.

Apple's did a fantastic job of pouring a level concrete pad in my sloped basement floor for my…read moretreadmill. Even added a nice ramp on all sides to prevent tripping hazards which was a pleasant surprise and felt like going above and beyond. Quick responses, professional and quality work!

Good communication with this company and they came on time to perform estimation. After one week,…read moreLucas came to do chimney work . Reasonable price with great job.

Lucas, Mitch's successor from MK & Sons Masonry, went above and beyond. He came out personally to…read moreevaluate repairs for my chimney crowns and a damaged co-linear gas fireplace cap. Despite being booked out into next year, he took extra time walking me through the issues, explaining the mechanics behind each step of the repair, and outlining what he'd do if he were in my shoes. What really stood out was his honesty and generosity -- he reviewed other estimates I'd received, broke down pricing and scope, and helped me make the best decision for my budget and timing. You don't see that kind of transparency often. Further, his passion for his craft and quality were clear to me, and that masonry isn't just his job -- it's something he truly takes pride in. Lucas has absolutely earned my trust and future business. I understand fully why Mitch felt confident about passing on the business to him. Highly recommended.

Our family contacted TFA for a patio installation/ advise. Will came to our home and walked the…read moreground and gave us detail of what him and his team can bring to life for our space. Less than two weeks later my family has a beautiful outdoor living space to create memories for years. The end result is breath taking. Far more than I ever imagined. The crew was efficient, professional, cleanly, and respectful. They came in knew what the task was and got the job complete way faster than I anticipated. I can't recommend them enough.

I highly recommend TFA Concrete. I recently had the opportunity to work with Will Armacost and the…read moreincredible TFA Concrete crew on a patio project. From the first correspondence with Will, I was very impressed and appreciative of his professionalism and responsiveness. I had reached out to other local businesses for quotes and the quote from TFA Concrete was the most detailed and was very fair. Will is very skilled at his craft and he took the time to talk through various options and considerations for the project. My new patio turned out amazing! I look forward to working with Will and the TFA Concrete crew on future projects. Thanks again, Will!

I would highly recommend. Seth did a great job on our chimney rebuild. He explained each step and…read morewhy it was done. He is very knowledgeable, does great work and his price was very reasonable

We called Seth in early Jan.2021 to fix a leaking chimney that roofers had given up on, claiming it…read morewas a masonry issue.He understood the problem over the phone but said he would not be able to fit us in until mid February. He said he would call back at that point to schedule an inspection. While we waited, rain periodically leaked through the ceiling. In the third or fourth week of Feb., not having heard from him, we called and left two messages three days apart without response. We left an email message and it's now been three days without any contact. Seth is obviously very busy, but if he can't bother to communicate and wastes your precious time better spent finding someone who's actually willing to show up, why bother in the first place?

Like other reviews, Stephen from Prograde landscape asked for deposit first. We asked him to plant…read morea tree, Stephen asked for $450 deposit and said he would find a maple tree. I paid $450 deposit and got a receipt and he came a few weeks after with one older guy. After planting the tree, he asked to be paid again, I said I think you asked me to pay for it already, Stephen said no, it's for different tree, but we only asked him to plant one tree. I paid him again and thought once I found the receipt, I could show him, I FOUND the RECEIPT and sent it to him, he insisted it's for different tree so we asked him to come to the property to show us what other trees he had planted in our yard, he started not communicate. This company is a very dishonest company.

Do not do business or enter into a contract for landscape services (or any services) with Prograde…read moreLandscape and/or the owner Stephan Bains. We entered into a landscaping service contract in early July, 2019 and provided a $2,500 deposit and he was to start end of July. We have sent him numerous emails, texts and have left several voice messages. He has not communicated with us since he cashed the $2,500 cheque and has not provided any services. We noticed some negative reviews but we chose to ignore them as he seemed honest. Now, too late for us, we have discovered that he has 21 judgments against him and/or his company Prograde Landscape. Please do your due diligence and visit the website https://justice.gov.bc.ca/cso/esearch/civil/partySearch.do. Search the name Stephen Bains and you will see numerous civil small claims judgments against him.

Josh helped out on a driveway repave, then went way beyond the expected when he noticed front…read morestairs had moss and needed concrete repair around railings. Give Josh a call!

Josh came to my rescue taking on repair of concrete work that was poorly repaired at some time in…read morethe distant past. He repaired a foundation wall crack, worked on steps and a walk way, repaired a chimney to like-new condition, and even removed and filled in a window in a concrete wall that didn't make sense where it was. His work was fantastic in quality (friends and family have congratulated me just based on the "after" pictures) and several other contractors I've had do work have wanted his number for projects of their own. He definitely devotes himself to doing a good job. (The concrete work you have done will probably out last you so it's important that it be done right.) Based on a traffic tie up he got a late start on the largest pour of my project and so had to get started in the rain. He kept working through the evening and into the night under a plastic tarp, on his knees, in a downpour, working the concrete and taking care that everything turned out right for me. (He didn't get out of here until 2:00am!) I cannot recommend him enough.