This is my recollection of our interaction with Mr. Mark Hofstee (Representing Rammik Construction Inc.). In June 2018 our en-suite bathroom shower gave up and my wife decided a renovation was needed. The idea was to remove the Jacuzzi and the old shower, with the exception of the vanity, and replace them with a slightly bigger "all glass "shower. In July we met with Mr. Hofstee and he presented us with a proposal. The quote or "Opinion of cost" as he called it was a 7-page document (six of the pages consisted of "legalese" and only the seventh one contained the estimated cost of the renovation). That alone should have triggered an alarm signal, but it did not (my first mistake). Anyway, my wife wanted the bathroom renovated and we agreed to the $24,000 price with a $1,200 non-refundable fee (my second mistake). Mr. Hofstee also agreed, verbally, to a mid-September 2018 starting date. Well, mid-September became mid-October, then mid-November, then mid-December. At that point I sent him an email and postponed the starting date to January 2019. On December 05, 2018 Mr. Hofstee sent me an email requesting a 25% increase to a total of $30,000 for a 9ft x 7ft bathroom. The increase was unacceptable - we had not added anything to our original plan. If anything, we, removed heated floors and agreed to buy the hardware and toilet separately. We cancelled the contract and requested the refund of $ 1,200, which Mr. Hofstee refused to do. I had no choice but to seek legal advice. After reading the quote, sorry, "Opinion of cost", our lawyer asked me two questions: 1. Do you have an email/letter stating the work was supposed to start in September 2018? The answer was no, but we had a verbal agreement. 2. Were there any independent witnesses to that conversation? The answer was again, no. Then she told me, bluntly, the following: This is a small-claim court case. If you want me to represent you it will cost you at least $3,500 in legal fees with no guarantee we will win. You could also hire a paralegal or do it yourself for less money but, even if you win you will still have to collect. The message was loud and clear: Count your losses and move on. Very frustrating! This is the point when I decided to become my own general contractor. Fast forward to June 20, 2019. The bathroom is done. With the exception of the demolition part (shower and Jacuzzi) I used only qualified professionals. We also decided to order a more expensive, custom-made quartz shower base and had to wait over two months to have it installed (it was made in and shipped from Spain). We also decided to go with low iron glass for the shower which added an extra $1,500 to the original quote. Total cost $15,000 +/- $500. I have spent less than 15 hours getting quotes and scheduling the work to be done. At $24,000 Mr. Hofstee would have made a 60% profit. At $30,000 he would have made a 100% profit which translates to $1,000/hour. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Hofstee for his insistence in "optimizing" his profit. Dear Mr. Hofstee, Without your help we would not have had enough money to get a new concrete driveway and beautiful artificial grass installed on the front and back lawn. Regards, Dan Ciloci, P.Eng (Retd). read more

The Tutor exterior of our home was dated, tired and in need of a face lift. My husband did not want to spend countless hours coordinating all of the trades people that would be needed and I am no expert. I also wanted professional guidance on style, textures and colours. I found that expertise in Rammick Construction. Mark, Grace and their team listened to what I had to say, and designed options based on my taste. They were very patient with me throughout the process. Once I knew what I wanted the work began in a timely manner. Our pets are very important to us and I felt completely comfortable going to work knowing that they were safe while the new exterior doors were installed. I couldn't be happier with the finished product. Every time I come home I can't believe this is my house. It turned out better that i imagined. And right on budget. I highly recommend Rammick for their professionalism and superior quality. Lynn Goodman read more