A Better Plan Renovations

Robert and Janice fully renovated my basement in 2010. Although there have been issues over the years, I didn’t want to be a complainer. I can no longer remain quiet about the problems I’ve experienced in the past or now, based on what was revealed today, while foundation work is taking place at my home.

When the renovation was completed in May of 2010, A Better Plan neglected to remove the vinyl flooring covering the floor drain. After a significant rain a clean water backup in the basement happened and because the floor drain was covered with vinyl flooring, the water had no where to go and ruined all the laminate flooring and baseboards throughout the entire basement. Robert was contacted and informed of this incident and would not take responsibility in anyway. It resulted in a house insurance claim.

A built in entertainment unit was part of the reno. A new tv was purchased for the space. Knowing full well the weight of the tv planned for that unit, A Better Plan built something that could not withstand that weight and it bowed and all the cabinet try is out of alignment.

This last issue is the one that has prompted this review. Currently there is significant foundation work occurring at my home. One full wall in the basement had to have the drywall and insulation removed. All of the electrical wiring on this wall is running behind the framing. I’ve been told that it is required to be run through the framing boards and that not doing so is a code violation. Due to the significant movement of the foundation wall this incorrect wiring runs on, I was told there was the potential for that wiring to be squeezed between the foundation wall and the framing boards and that could cause a fire.

The building practices used by A Better Plan are unacceptable.

This is a review of our own experience with this company. Keep in mind that this doesn't mean your own experience will be the same.

However, having said that, we were NOT AT ALL happy with this company's services. Particularly their project management and communication skills were terrible!

We first hired this company in the month of July 2016 to develop our basement. From the start, we were CRYSTAL CLEAR that the most important thing was that job be completed in early October because we had a family member moving in.

We were ensured that this would not be a problem as they only needed 6-8 weeks to do the whole job.

They were really expensive! But based on their time estimate, good reviews on this site, and the fact that there were still 11 weeks left from when they were due to start, to our dead line, we agreed to hire them.

We had blank canvas/empty basement with no demolition needed. They had just one framer, but the job started well enough and seemed to be going alright - A bit slow, but progress was being made.

However, once the drywall stage started, it was all downhill from there. The drywalling took FOREVER! Naturally, as time started to slip, we reminded them about our deadline and we were told that there was plenty of time left. In September, we asked again, but, again we were told that they would be done in just "2 or 3 weeks" and they were making really "good progress".

Yet, the drywallers did NOT work everyday - Not even close! When they did show up, they did not use tarps and we had dust ALL over the house. They also walked in with their boots and tracked mud/dirt all over our front entrance and down the stairs. We were the ones who had to put down our own tarps and sheets on the floors. It was so bad, that we complained and, although we did get a cleaning credit for the mess, nothing was done about it and it continued on and on.

With Oct just around the corner, the job was still far from complete. When we again expressed concern about our deadline, we were told they would work weekends if needed. Well, NOT ONE single weekend or OT hour was worked!

Of course October came and went and, naturally, we were not happy!

Fast forward to December... Yes, DECEMBER! The job is still not done! One day they showed up around 2pm but... to work? Nope! Instead they load up their tools and tell us they are over budget and can not hire anyone else to finish. The owner then said he would have to do it himself but could only come about once every two weeks! Of course this was unacceptable! So, we asked him why not everyday and were told because he had "other things to do"! Also, when we asked why the job was not done on time as per the agreement, and as we clearly stated, we were told that "sometimes jobs just go South!".

I wonder if they would have accepted if I told them that "Sometimes payments just go South"?

But, no... Unfortunately we paid ALL our bills ON TIME and in FULL! Including ANY extras that we asked for (and were promptly charged for).

At the end of the day, all we got were excuses and we were left with a missing office room French door. Of the other 5 doors installed, two don't close properly and one does not close at all. Not one of the 3 closet doors wee installed. The electrical panel cabinet was never built, the pony wall cap is missing, the plumbing and sink in the laundry room was not installed. The office is missing a window. Shelves are missing in the TV area. I had to install my own kitchen cabinets, 2 counter tops, sink, faucet, plumbing and closet door. I still have more to do and money to spend (although we already paid them for all of it).

For these reasons and MORE, we wish that we had spend out hard earned money else where and do NOT recommend this company.

Very professional, the quality of work was unbeatable. From design to finished kitchen, everything moved very quickly. The staff kept the work area very clean at all times and answered every question I had. Would recommend bob and his company to anyone looking to do a renovation.

Our kitchen reno was a complete gut-and-rebuild job in an old house that needed everything. Of course, that means encountering the unexpected--so it took longer than I hoped, but the delays were reasonable given the kinds of issues that were encountered. I appreciated that the people working on our house were always polite and accommodating. The few things that we pointed out were changed immediately. Everything that we flagged was fixed to our satisfaction. it was expensive--but considering that we had radiators moved, windows in and out, walls, insulation, gas, plumbing, and everything else, and that we have pretty expensive tastes, it's hard to find fault with the pricing.

Our experience with A Better Plan Renovations was extremely positive. From the initial assessment through to the finished product, Robert and Janice were very professional and up front with all aspects of the job. The job was well planned out which is key to the success of the project. All subcontractors used for the job were efficient and trustworthy. Robert and Janice worked with us throughout the project to make sure we were happy and this led to a finished product that we are extremely happy with. We have already recommended A Better Plan to our friends.

A Better Plan provided excellent service for my basement project. Working with Janice to develop a floor plan for my completely unfinished basement could not have gone better. She developed an excellent first draft that we then discussed back and forth until we came to a perfect final product.

When it came to implementing the plan the work was done quickly and efficiently. Any questions and concerns I had were addressed promptly. Robert oversaw all the sub contractors and made the project as stress free as possible for my husband and I.

We love our basement and are probably going to spend most of the winter down there!

A Better Plan was not the cheapest quote we had, but it was the most comprehensive. Robert took the time to really consider what we wanted, tell us the pros and cons of our choice, and gave us realistic quotes and timelines. They were clean, and the people on his crews were polite. A Better Plan did what they promised (a then some).

We hired Robert and Janice from A Better Plan in the summer 2013 to renovate and develop our basement. We have been impressed with them, right from the very first meeting. They are professional and knowledgeable and organized and informative; necessary qualities that any renovator should have. But they are also, courteous and kind and caring and supportive and fair and just really nice people. These are the additional qualities you get by dealing with Janice and Robert, and these are the qualities that really make the difference. Our renovation was easy to live through, because they did what they said they would do. They started when they said they would start. They finished when they said they should finish. They worked every day. They supervised every trade, every single day. They emailed/called and returned all voice messages and emails promptly. They cleaned up the work area every day. They protected our home and they looked after it as if it was their home. They had great suggestions throughout the process to make the end product even better. It has been a real pleasure to work with them and we would definitely recommend them to others. We would absolutely use them again, without hesitation for any project in our home. We are completely happy with our basement renovation and are grateful that we hired A Better Plan!

We hired Janice & Robert of A Better Plan Renovations to update our small 1960's kitchen, after reading their numerous positive reviews on this site and could not be happier with our new kitchen (just in time for Christmas and with a newborn baby arriving early!)

Both Janice and Robert were great to work with, and it already seems kind of strange not see them/talk to them every couple of days! They listened to what we wanted, kept us on budget, and helped us every step of the way. Janice helped us choose the cabinets, counters, flooring, hardware and even paint.

The project was even completed a week early, despite a few setbacks beyond our control along the way. Robert was able to effectively troubleshoot and get the job done, always being mindful of cost. We were always able to get a hold of either Robert or Janice via phone or email whenever needed and always got a fast response.

We would recommend A Better Plan in a heartbeat to anyone looking to do kitchen renovations, and hope to hire them in the future for basement and bathroom renovations.

Robert and Janice were wonderful to work with. Right from the first meeting where they had a good sense of what I wanted done and some great ideas of what should be done. They were very respectful of the budget and kept me focused in the face of a million options!

The project started and ended on time and on budget. What more can you ask for! I enjoyed working with them and can't wait to start the next project.

Oh and the end result is beautiful!!