Licensed general contractors specializing in residential renovations and remodeling. Top quality work and attention to detail. Turnkey services. Kitchens and bathrooms. Design services.
Essette Construction began operations in 2008 and has received 13 reviews for an overall customer rating of 3.5. The average rating for businesses providing similar services in the Montreal area is 4. Write a review
3.5
3.5
3.4
3.4
3.5
3.7
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5
We hired Essette to renovate our ensuite. The quality of work for my renovation was excellent. Essette was dedicated to ensuring the highest quality of workmanship. They kept the work area as clean and contained as possible and cleaned up at the end of every day to make as much of the house usable as possible. They made sure we were satisfied at each step of the process, that the our needs were being met, and were able to quickly adjust to any changes that we requested to ensure that we were totally satisfied with the final outcome of the job.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with the work that Essette have done in my home. I would highly recommend them to others and would definitely use them in the future for any future projects.
5
We hired Essette to do a 400 sq-ft single storey addition. We needed the extra space for our new kitchen.
Essette was very helpful with the planning and layout and offered a ton of ideas. They sent us their architect to draw up the plans and also dealt with getting the permits from the city.
We are extremely pleased with the final result and would not hesitate to recommend Essette to our friends and family.
5
We hired Essette to do an addition and kitchen renovation on our family home. They were referred to us through a neighbour who hired Essette to renovate their kitchen and were very pleased with the work they did. Their bid was similar to others we had received so we decided to award them the project. We were looking for someone that could handle the job from beginning to end as my wife and I work long hours and don’t have a lot of time to deal with applying for permits, finding an architect, etc. They said that it was very common practise for them to handle a project in this manner.
They delivered beyond our expectations! We are extremely pleased with the work they did which took just over 5 months to complete. They took care of the permits, the drawings and everything from a-z. We would not hesitate to recommend Essette and will most definitely be calling them for any future projects.
1
Just stay away! You will meet Shawn, and he will come off as very courteous and you could be fooled into thinking that you are dealing with a professional who will respect you as a customer. You'd be wrong!! The main issue with Shawn, is his lack of communication. He will go days, sometimes weeks ignoring your email, calls or texts and then have some ridiculous excuse. My favorite was when he was supposed to put our flooring down and then we just didn't hear from him for 2 weeks. I was pregnant and couldn't live in the condo because of the lack of flooring and dust and actually had to stay with a neighbor. It was very stressful and my husband and I were emailing, phoning and texting practically begging him to come and finish the flooring he promised. Two weeks later I got a text saying "sorry. Had the flu." This is just one of countless examples of Shawn's promise to come and finish something, and then just not showing up. He installed an island and the countertop warped. Shawn says this is is due to the humidity in our apartment or some such thing. We weren't even annoyed that this happened we just wanted it replaced. He said he'd change it, and so the emails, calls and texts began.....finally he answered saying he'd be in....and didn't show. So we have continued to try and reach him, and he isn't responding. We are fed up. We should have complained ages ago, but chose not to. But enough is a enough. Looks like you have yet another unhappy customer. I'm curious to see if you'll actually respond to this (unless of course you have the flu...)
We are not difficult clients at all, in fact we've been too nice throughout this unpleasant process. I could say more about the qualify of the work, but I'll leave it at this for now and urge you to stay away from essette.
1
This project was a disaster from the start. Originally contracted and deposited to tear down and rebuild a garage. Project scope changed and while Shawn agreed to do the work which the deposit would cover, he essentially strung me along for about 8 months and took off with the deposit.
No work done. No materials procured. 3,417.00 paid in deposit with nothing to show for it at all except a string of emails promising work to be done and materials to be ordered. Of course none of this ever materialized.
Currently chasing in small claims court.
Do yourself a favour, take a pass...
Further to latest review... I had retained Essette to do a garage project. The project was never completed, Essette essentially walked with my deposit. I took them to small claims court and won.
I am in the middle of enforcing the Writ of Execution in an attempt to retrieve the funds they owe. Enclosing a copy of the judgement for veracity
One other fact - Essette is no longer at 7575 Transcanadianne.. This is a group business office; group essette does not have an office there - in fact they have not for quite some time. It's part of National Business Centres - Group Essette has not been a client there for years. Their current listed business address is in Vaudreiul which is a UPS store.
With the judgement in my favor I have contacted Mr. Lafleur via Cell, email and text with no response. STEER CLEAR!!!!
Update - May, 2014 - Essette is no longer a solvent company, Shawn closed it down, emptied the bank accounts before my writ of seizure could be executed. He is now in business as Lafleur Construction. I'm likely never going to see my money - but if I can save someone else that pain, I will.
So easy to post a bogus negative review. After numerous meeting with the clients, the city, land surveys, rezoning and architectural plans drawn by our company I guess we were expected to work for free as the drawings alone were over $2000. Maybe John would like to work for free. I guess i shouldn't get paid for my time??
As stated on our invoice 1085 dated 30/11/2012 the total amount services rendered to you is $4642.12.
When can we expect the balance owing???
5
1
Caveat Emptor - Buyer Beware
Unfortunately, we have had a VERY bad experience with Essette Construction and Shawn Lafleur. We hired Essette in March 2011 to build and install a built-in cabinet in our home. When we first met Mr. Lafleur we were impressed by his knowledge and manner. When he delivered the bottom portion of the built in we were pleased with the workmanship. At that time Mr. Lafleur asked me for more money as the ‘materials for the upper unit are very expensive'. Against my better judgment I gave him what he asked for without cross- referencing the original invoice. By giving Mr. Lafleur the amount of money he requested Essette had now been paid for approximately 90% of the job.
After the delivery of the lower unit there was a delay of approximately three months that was entirely ours – we needed to locate a piece of granite large enough so that there would be no seam on the granite for the built in.
Things began to go VERY wrong once the granite was installed. Mr. Lafleur assured us that he would return one week after the granite installation (mid-January 2012) to install the upper portion of the unit. He did not return and did not respond to our emails asking him to confirm installation. After many emails we were finally successful at establishing a date for installation and, the day before the installation Mr. Lafleur stated that the finisher for the large upper unit had 'disappeared' with our unit and that he would have to build a ‘new upper unit'. He then asked to visit our home to remove a door from the lower cabinet to give to the 'new' finishers so they could match the stain. He came to our home and removed one of the doors from the lower unit. This door has never been returned to us.
Mr. Lafleur guaranteed an installation date for the 'new' upper ‘within five weeks' (these assurances were given to us in writing). Eleven weeks passed and, after a series of emails requesting an installation date, Mr. Lafleur said that he had visited the finisher, had seen the piece and set an installation date the following week. He did not respond to my emails later in the week attempting to confirm the installation date. He did not show up to install the upper unit and did not call, email or text us to let us know he would not be keeping the appointment. He also did not return our calls, emails or texts.
At this point we were extremely frustrated and made an on-line report to the licensing body for contractors in Quebec, the RBQ. We also sent a copy of our complaint about Essette to Mr. Lafleur. This garnered a very angry response from Essette. Mr. Lafleur then sent us photos of the upper unit that he ‘would not be installing'. He stated that he had gone to his garage to take the photos to show us what he would 'not be delivering' because we had filed a complaint about Essette Construction. The photos showed assorted pieces of wood in what appeared to be a very messy, cluttered garage. We were shocked as it was evident that the upper portion of the unit was not, in fact at the finishers as Mr. Lafleur stated.
At this point we attempted to mitigate our losses by requesting that Mr. Lafleur deliver the door to the lower cabinet and that he deliver the upper cabinet so that we could pay to have another cabinet-maker install it. This also did not happen.
As we became more frustrated and began communicating our dissatisfaction with Essette, Mr. Lafleur sent us a new invoice and stated it was for installation of our AV equipment in the lower portion of our unit. He stated that because we had become difficult clients he decided to add this new charge.
We wish that we had seen the reviews on HandyCanadian.com before hiring Essette as we would have chosen to give the work to a company with better consumer feedback. Unfortunately, our only recourse will be in the courts and we have decided to take legal action against Essette Construction. Caveat emptor....buyer beware.
Absolute nonsense.
To address the issues.
The unit was in my garage on the day of delivery as it was Sunday and it had already been picked.
I checked my email at 10:15 on the Sunday in question before leaving to deliver the unit when I see an email from Cindy threatening legal action because I did not respond to her email from an hour before.
The additional invoice was for installing the AV equipment as it was not part of the contract. Never was there any mention of them being difficult clients. Although Cindy certainly was.
We returned every email and phone call within 48 hours and have time stamped emails to prove it.
It took them 5 months to get the granite. 5 months without a peep!
4.5
Essette Group recently completed a basement remodel for me. The basement project consisted of adding two bedrooms, a storage room, and a large sitting area. After a few weeks of demo, new sub-floors, new walls and ceilings, the basement looks really great. . It's bright and airy, and the new floating floors look amazing. I'm very happy with the work done and look forward to them coming back soon to complete a deck project .
1
We would like to share our unpleasant experience working with Essette Construction. We signed the contract with Essette Construction Inc. and Shawn was hired on October 15th this year to finish inside of our country house with tongue and groove wood paneling. He looked very professional upon arrival on the job site (expensive tools, company's truck and etc.), but after a day of work it was clear to us that he had no idea how to work with wood (all the paneling on the walls were crooked with 1/2" gaps everywhere). We wanted to terminate the contract this very day, but he reassured us that the job will be done according to our needs. Couple days later he asked for full amount as an advance payment even though the job wasn't half way through. We were very hesitant to pay him in advance for unfinished job, but Shawn swore that he was very honest contractor (unlike "others") and that he would had finished everything on time. Unfortunately, we made the payment and a couple days later we left on vacations, hoping that Shawn would finish the job according to our mutual agreement. He stopped replying to our phone calls and text messages the next day we left. Later, we have found out that Shawn was gone, the job wasn't finished. It's been a month since we've been trying to get in touch with Shawn without any success (phone calls, letters, messages and etc.)
P.S. Dear Shawn,
In case you are reading this letter, please find the courtesy to answer for your deeds in front of all handycanadian.com community. Please note that we are proceeding with RBQ complaint as well as we are filling a court case against you and Essette Construction.
By the way, we would like you to know that you've got a contract with us only due to the positive reviews on this reputable website.
Dear Handycanadians and "future" Shawn clients, please note that Shawn could make a great first impression but in fact there's a lack of professionalism and honesty, so be aware!
Hoping to find justice customers.
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Added comment to Essette Construction:
Hi Shawn,
We are glad to hear from you. We knew that the only way to get your attention was to write the truth that you wouldn't like. Unfortunately, for you the facts stay the facts: we have the contract for $3942.50 and you've got paid $4100 and the job isn't half done!
How could you say that we are deadbeat customers if you've got paid 2/3rd of the total contract amount right after you started, to be exact 3 days later? I guess that you've forgotten your own words that you needed an advance payment for your 1st subcontractor from Ottawa for his accommodation in Quebec province.
For your information, you were paid for the extra job of installing strapping and vapor barrier in advance as you requested and guess what - you've never done it!
We don't deny that we are picky customers, but how come your second subcontractor Daniel was able to install that "crooked wood" in the right way without gaps? Maybe Daniel just knows how to get it done and unfortunately for us you don't, despite your advertising pictures of wood siding that you have sent us.
Anyway, I would like to keep it short: please contact us immediately to deal with unfinished work by our contract, otherwise you'll be legally punished for what you've done!
Best regards,
Andrey
As there are stories of deadbeat contractors, unfortunately there are deadbeat clients and this is one such case.
I should have realized that these people were problem clients after finding out that I was at least the third contractor to work on this job. I took the job expecting that all of the preparation work would be done be the homeowners when I started the job. Unfortunately that was not the case. There was still strapping, insulation and vapour barrier to complete and were told to go ahead and do the prep work and that we would be paid. We did the prep work as requested and started the finishing. Our contract stipulated that we were to be paid at the end of each week. After we submitted our first bill and requested a progress payment at the end of the first week we were met with a reluctance to pay and did not receive the full amount requested. Obviously alarm bells started to go off but we continued working for another week as we had committed to doing the work.
The client mentioned the they were concerned about gaps in the paneling and we explained that it was because the boards were warped due to improper storage (wood supplied by the clients) and that we would have to either nail through the face of the boards or screws would have to be driven in certain areas and later concealed to bring the boards into alignment. This can be confirmed by the other contractor who they hired to do the exterior as they were using the same material. They insisted that this was absolutely not an option and to proceed anyway.
By the end after the second week and more charges for work that was not part of the contract we were again met by a reluctance to pay and were not paid the full amount. The homeowner seemed to expect any additional work to be free or almost free as we were bargained down for every last item. We were then told that they would be going on vacation out of the country for 2 weeks but could continue to work while they were gone.
Since it was nearly impossible to collect progress payments while they were in town, it only seemed logical that there was absolutely no way we would get paid if we completed the job while they were away.
To clarify there was absolutely no advance payment made to me. All payments were progress payments based on work completed and there are still outstanding amounts. As for the subcontractor, he left with tools belonging to us, which he has yet to return which is why there is an amount outstanding.
This client is a deadbeat who does not pay his bills! He will look for any excuse to whittle down your price and has no intention of paying the full amount for anything.
There is a reason I was the third contractor on the same job. There should be a list on this site for deadbeat customers as this one would belong at the top of it.
Regards,
Shawn Lafleur
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Andrey,
If you find that my work is not up to par why would be insisting for us to come back to finish it?
You seem to be forgetting that there was more than $2000 of additional work added to the original contract.
I WILL REPEAT, I WAS NOT PAID FOR ANY WORK THAT WAS NOT DONE.
I can handle picky, but you were being unrealistic. Your unwillingness to understand that you need to actually pay to have things done correctly is why the work was stopped. I will also be sending you an additional invoice for moving materials, that were to be cleared out of the way by you before starting the work, which was also not part of our job or our contract.
I will gladly see you in court.
Perhaps you would like to post the names of the other contractors who also supposedly left with your money before completing the work so we can get their side of the story.
5
Groupe Essette installed a brand new bathroom in my basement. The concrete had to be broken up to install a pump, as we are on septic system, the pump was installed in such a way as to reduce the noise of it, as well as part of the plumbing had to be run and berried in the concrete floor. They did a fantastic job, they designed the layout of my bathroom, installed heated flooring, created a beautiful tiled shower with glass door. The end result was amazing and the quality of the work is obvious, along with their friendly service.
I will definitely be calling Essette for any future projects!
Thank you,
Mrs. Letourneau
Essette Construction has a TrustScore™ of 1.4. The average TrustScore™ for other businesses providing similar services in Montreal and the surrounding areas is 3. For detailed information on how TrustScore is calculated, click here to learn more.
The following elements are used to calculate TrustScore:
| Customer Reviews | Last 12 Months | All Time |
|---|---|---|
| Total Received | 0 | 13 |
| Approved | 0 | 13 |
| Unverified | 0 | 0 |
| Suspicious | 0 | 0 |
| Overall Rating | 3.5/5 |
| Complaints Received | Last 12 Months | Last 3 Years |
|---|---|---|
| Suppliers & Creditors | 0 | 0 |
| Employees & Sub-Contractors | 0 | 0 |
| Questionable Affiliation/Association | |
|---|---|
| Busines Name(s) | Lafleur Construction / Vaudreuil Dorion (Rated 1 / 5) |
| Transparency | |
|---|---|
| Posted License Information | Not yet provided |
| Posted Liability Insurance | Not yet provided |
| Posted Workers Compensation | Not yet provided |
| Company Website | No |
| Social Media Profiles | Not yet provided |
| Endorsed by Peers | Not yet endorsed |
| In Business Since | 2008 |
| Member of TrustedPros Since | 2010 |
TrustedPros does not validate certain information provided by contractors and vendors in conjunction with the creation or maintenance of their profile and we cannot endorse or guarantee the performance of any contractor. TrustScores are provided for informational purposes only. We urge you to use the TrustScore™ in conjunction with the tips provided in our Hiring Guide to maximize the probability of hiring the best professional for you project.
Accessibility, Alarm Systems, Basement Renovations, Bathroom Renovations, Cabinetry and Millwork, Carpentry, Carpeting, Caulking, Ceiling, Central Vacuums, Closet and Storage, Concrete Work, Countertops, Data Wiring, Decks, Demolition Work, Drywalling, Duct Cleaning, Electrical, Fencing, Fireplaces, Floor Heating, Floor Refinishing, Flooring, Foundation Repairs, Foundations, Framing, Furniture Repairs, Garage Construction, Garage Doors, Handyman Services, Heating & Air Conditioning, Home Construction, Home Restoration, Home Theaters, Hot Tubs, Insulation, Interior Design, Kitchen Renovations, Masonry, Mold Removal, Non Slip Treatments, Painting, Plastering, Plumbing, Roofing, Satellite Dish, Sewer Services, Shed Construction, Siding, Skylights, Solar Energy, Structural Engineering, Stucco, Sunrooms, Tiling, Wallpapering, Waterproofing, Window Treatment, Windows and Doors, Basement Lowering, Commercial Renovations, Excavation Services, Landscaping, Stonework
Essette Construction has received employee and/or sub-contractor complaints
Complaint: As other people have said, Shawn Lafleur gives a very good impression of himself and his work, but it is by no means genuine. Everything this man says is a lie. I can tell you this because I worked for him for 7 months and I saw and heard all of his BS. He speaks confidently when asked a question about the work, but it is almost ALWAYS a fabricated answer to make it seem like he knows what he's doing, when in fact he doesn't.
Also, as other people have mentioned, he does not answer calls or texts or emails, even though he will argue to the death that he did. He plays "innocent" so well, you may even start to question yourself! well, don't be fooled.
I saw him install a toilet waste pipe with a backwards slope over a 4meter span, he told me that the pressure from the toilet would overcome this long uphill journey. Then of course, when the plumbing would not drain, he tried to blame the tiler! The result is permanent plumbing problems because Shawn did it himself to save money on a qualified plumber.
I saw him install many useless concrete footings, some before the thaw, some with water in the holes, and ALWAYS without 3/4 gravel in the whole first, despite my suggestions to build them correctly.
He told me a story about how he'd been painting a "friends" house (without a drop sheet of course. why? because he is NEVER prepared for the job he is doing) and when he tried to clean the paint he had dropped with some chemicals, he destroyed the finish on the floor. Who's fault is that? well according to Shawn Lafleur, his "friend" for using cheap floor varnish! (this is quintessential Shawn).
On another job he caused damage to the neighbour's walls, and every day the poor lady would come to me and ask "when is Shawn coming to fix my wall? why won't he answer my calls".
There are countless stories like these, but the bottom line is - he will never admit fault, and will say anything to avoid being accountable.
I worked hard to help this man but when I told Shawn that I would no longer work for him, he disappeared, with my pay! When I tried to contact him he would ignore me, just as he ignored so many other people (I know because I witnessed it). When there were problems with his jobs, or whenever people were trying to contact him, I always felt like he thought that if he ignored it, it would go away.
Not only has he taken money from me - a good honest hard working employee - he is trying to lay phony charges of assault against me now, just to get out of paying me.
In my seven months working for him I saw four other employees come and go, and each one can verify these truths about Mr Lafleur.
Avoid him at all costs.
Licensed general contractors specializing in residential renovations and remodeling. Top quality work and attention to detail. Turnkey services. Kitchens and bathrooms. Design services.
| Main contact(s) | Shawn Lafleur , Richard Johnson |
| Affiliations or other locations: | Lafleur Construction / Vaudreuil Dorion (Rated 1 / 5) |
| Listed with TrustedPros since: | 2010 |
| Residential work | Yes |
| Commercial work | Yes |
| Warranty | No |
| Accepts credit cards | Yes |
| Year established | 2008 |
| Offers financing | No |
| 24 Hour emergency service | Yes |
| Legal structure | Incorporated |
| Licensing information | Contact Essette Construction to request licensing info. |
| Insurance information | Contact Essette Construction to request insurance details. |
Check local laws pertaining to license requirements and verify license and insurance details provided by the contractor prior to hiring.
Essette Construction has contributed 1 responses to the following questions posted in the 'Ask the Pros' forum
