Renovate By Design is a design-build company that collaborates with our clients to design and build spaces that transform their lives. We create "Curbside appeal for your home, both outside and inside your home" and delivering leading edge design with creative solutions to transform your home. We deliver quality workmanship, great custo read more...
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I hired George in Sept 2016 for a renovation job. At first he was very polite and would answer all my queries. But after the contract was signed, he would only answer calls when he needed a cheque. The renovation work started in December and its August now, the work still isn't completed. We extended our house and excavated a brand new basement. The foundation work was so shoddy that the basement wasn't dry since it was completed. Later George agreed to rectify the basement but left the job mid-way again with the entire perimeter around the house dug up. After the excavation work the grading of the house was left really high and all the water was coming towards the house. The garbage was never cleared from the site. When i moved in to the house it was one month after the completion date that George gave me. But the house was no where to be finished. Also the trades that he hires are mostly from kijiji and craigslist. None of his trades were experienced. Most of them seemed to be under influence at work. Also with the contract price he added the extras which were 50% more than the original contract. He is never on site to supervise the work. He asks all his trade to send him photos but he never physically present on the site to oversee the work. He never pays his trades on time, all his trades would come to me and ask for money. he would ask his trades to harass me for money. Our total contract was for 170k but i ended up paying him 280k for all the unfinished work. I had to hire other contractors to rectify his mistakes. Working with George was the worst decision of my life. I would only say to anyone that is looking to hire him or has hired him already, that be very careful with the work that he does. He uses cheap co nstruction materials and hires cheap and inexperienced trades for most of his work. He says his work has a warranty of 1 year, but thats all Hoax.
Renovate by Design quoted us a Complete Condo Renovation — after making sure to itemize everything required and verifying their reference, we hired them. The project scope was; demo, drywall work, tiling, painting, electrical and plumbing and because, we were working on a Condo Unit, Condo Rules dictate hiring only “Licensed” Electrician & Plumber, (they supplied us both license numbers).
Due to the scope of this project, from the start this should have been a 2-man job, plus painter, licensed electrician & plumber. For the majority of the project, they sent us "one guy" and a few other workers sporadically, a painter and electrician. Without our knowledge, they did not send us the licensed plumber, instead they allowed this "one guy" who was NOT licensed or experienced do all the plumbing. This caused multiple leaks into the Condo Unit below us, creating major problems with both the owner and building management. During this ordeal I tried to contact Renovate by Design without response or assistance. We ended up hiring another Licensed Plumber to fix the problems they created.
The project timeline they quoted us was 2 – 3 weeks and after 6 weeks filled with multiple delays and problems, we asked them to leave and finished the balance of the work and deficiencies ourselves.
To further add to our frustration and even though they did not complete all the work itemized on our Contract, they tried to charge us thousands of dollars ($$) in EXTRAS and threatened to put a lien on our property if we did not pay. Our saving grace was that I had written into the Contract; All Extras were to be approved PRIOR to doing the work.
Apart from meeting Zach (partner) twice and talking to George (partner) on the phone, we never saw either of them during the entire job, not even during all the problems we were having.
We have done multiple construction and renovation projects and I have never before written this type of review, however, in this case I felt it necessary, if only to warn other potential customers. It is Companies like Renovate By Design which give contractors a BAD NAME!!!
Caroline (Scarborough, ON)
We are very happy with the work performed by Renovatebydesign team for replacing old hardwood and opening a door to backyard.
My wife and I started working with George and the Renovate By Design team again shortly after they finished the project of re-vitalizing the façade of our home.
We had such a great experience with them on the first project that we thought we would let George and the team give their expertise and ideas on how to do everything we wanted.
Being in a 1910 semi that had already gone through 1 botched main floor reno with a previous contractor, we were skeptical on what could be done to a) fix what had been done and b) make it into a beautiful, functional space that suited our personalities.
We tried to do my wish list with another contractor in the past, they were only able to do a couple things on the list. When we saw the project was running way over budget compared to the work that was actually being done we had to cut it short. This left us with a bad taste and a constant reminder that our vision had not been fully realized.
We were anxious to start fresh, so I gave George my entire wishlist and my budget and asked him to see what he could do, assuming that we could only do a fraction of what we wanted. There was a lot to do – new flooring, turning our “walk-in freezer” back room addition into a sitting room, 3 walls removed (1 separating the kitchen and living room, and 1 partial wall to open up a previously enclosed staircase, and 1 opening up our entryway), new countertops, kitchen island, various lighting, oversized pantry, 2nd floor hardwood flooring and hallway repair.
George provided a quote, and we both worked diligently on defining the scope so that there were no gray areas or misunderstandings. He came in on budget, and I was satisfied with his thoroughness and professionalism so we agreed to get started right away. Right away, I was impressed by the holistic approach they take to the job.
As an example, our previous contractor put in pot lights for us, exactly what we asked him to do. I cant fault them for giving us exactly what we asked for. After the job was done, we were unhappy with this as we realized that there were only 2 switches for the entire room, so it was either blinding house lights or total darkness – no in between. Should we have asked for something more? Probably. Did we know we had to ask for this specifically? No - you just assume that when you pay someone a lot of money they should take care of these little details.
After having a walk through George said first off, he would make sure all lights were on dimmers. He said he wanted to create pools of light in each area according to our traffic patterns, our hallway entry, where we walk, where we eat, where our daughter does homework, where we watch tv. Small details to some, but this attention to detail is what separates George from other contractors we have worked with in the past, and it carries through in every aspect of the project. He took what we had, changed it and molded it into something really great and thoughtful.
George looks at everything both as a builder and a designer. George and Maia, our design consultant, were fantastic in helping us select paint, fixtures, flooring and countertops. We previously did all this by ourselves, with little to no help from our previous contractor. Let’s just say that using a professional is well worth it!
We collaborated on many different ideas to make the changes that we wanted fit in under our budget. Things did not always go as planned, as to be expected, but George, Zack, Shantz and Maia were always in constant contact and collaboration with my wife and I on how to proceed with issues as they came up.
We wish we had met George earlier! We would definitely recommend George and his team to anyone looking to renovate or refresh their home.
Thank you nick, for those kind words about our work and how we work. More often than not we meet up with clients who have the budget and know where they want to go and allow us to do the work we are good at doing, whether its small project or larger projects. We carefully design and build our jobs. The relationship with Nick and his wife was open, upfront and well communicated with throughout the main floor renovation project. It was a pleasure working with you and your wife on this job. george and the team
Renovate By Design took our awful front porch and made it beautiful and classy. We had an old and decrepit front porch that wasn't going to last much longer when Renovate By Design came in and saved the day. Zach, one of George's crew members came to ask us a few questions then we met with George who gave us drawings and digital renderings of his vision of our porch based on our previous discussions and we were blown away. George presented us with different options based on our budget and continually worked with us to ensure we remained on target and still give us what we wanted. Seeing the vision come alive was truly amazing. George and every member of his group who worked on this phase of our renovation were polite, professional, kind and respectful. We love our front porch and people are always complimenting us on a job well done which really needs to be passed along to Renovate By Design for their fantastic work.
Thanks Tammy and Nick, we had a wonderful experience working with your family, as you allowed us to be creative in coming up with design solutions to improve your curbside appeal! including our infamous garbage/bench solution for the recycling bins!
George and the team.
This was the first time I used an online system to find a contractor. Although I was very apprehensive and sceptical, it worked out very well. After posting my scope of work and general concepts, several contractors replied resulting in on site reviews and quotes. I picked Renovate by Design for my project. Their quote was very competitive and I had a good feeling from prior discussions and meetings. The actual work was small but time consuming, tricky and included opening a wall, new island range hood and coordination of new counter tops. John, the on site contractor, was great, pleasant and skillful. As an architect by original profession, he added valuable input and suggestions. As a whole, I was very happy with the work and final product. The job did take a few more days than expected and no matter how much plastic is used, it's going to get very dusty very quick. The final costs were about 20% higher than the original quote (a good number to use for contingency) primarily due to modifications on the fly and unexpected electrical work. I would recommend this company.
Thanks Stephen, we enjoyed working on this small project with you too! Often times unknown conditions arise when opening up walls and that was unfortunately the case here with the electrical, but my master electricians came in at short notice and solved the problem so that it would not delay us during the process. Looking forward to taking the final picture and posting it here so that all can see the work we did including the countertop and backsplash retrofit. Its actually and interesting idea for other condo townhouse users in the tecumseth street area south of king street and west of bathurst.
It looks great. Great advice from George at Renovate by Design as well as the contractors
Renovate By Design designed and constructed a beautiful and unique front porch, incorporating a stylish garbage/recycle bin storage box that doubles as a bench. It is such a novel but highly functional design! George and his team provided expert advice, sketches and samples and continually kept in touch with us. Their professionalism and courtesy was greatly appreciated. Moreover, we did not think we could replace our clunky brick pillars because we thought they were structural in nature but George and his team, after their review and analysis, advised that they were not structural and that it was possible to replace them and now we have beautifully hand-crafted pillars that greatly improve the entire look of our house and increase the curb-side appeal. This is our second project with George and we will definitely contact Renovate By Design for our next project!
Thanks kari, we did enjoy working with you and your husband Craig and your being open to new ideas around how we need to incorporate our city of toronto recycling bins in hidden, but convenient ways into our porches (wooden porches) By the way the front porch columns (masonry piers) were structural, we just replaced them with 6 x 6" structural members adequately anchored to the existing brick pier foundation and the existing beams above. george
We added a new bed room on the first floor of our house. It was very difficult and challenging work, a few contractors refused to do it. Finally we contacted George at Renovate by Desing. He checked the entire house, basement and the roof thoroughly and made the suggestions. He then called the engineers to double check the house. Engineers visited at least twice and then they made the plan. George then helped us to get the permit from the City of Toronto, it takes a while to get the permit and by then the summer is over. But George helped us by giving the contact numbers to speed up the process. Once the permit was received, workers started their work very quickly. I must say that George has a very knowledgeable workers like plumber, electricians and all other experts. The work was finished within the time limit and with our full satisfaction. The addition of the new room, by cutting the room and putting extra supporting beams in the basement was not easy but Renovate by Design did it the way we wanted, excellent work.
Gautam P.
Renovate By Design has a TrustScore™ of 3.4. The average TrustScore™ for other businesses providing similar services in Toronto 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 | 34 |
Approved | 0 | 32 |
Unverified | 0 | 1 |
Suspicious | 0 | 1 |
Overall Rating | 4.4/5 |
Complaints Received | Last 12 Months | Last 3 Years |
---|---|---|
Suppliers & Creditors | 0 | 0 |
Employees & Sub-Contractors | 0 | 0 |
Transparency | |
---|---|
Posted License Information | Available upon request |
Posted Liability Insurance | Not yet provided |
Posted Workers Compensation | Available upon request |
Company Website | Yes |
Social Media Profiles | Not yet provided |
Endorsed by Peers | Yes |
In Business Since | 2004 |
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.
Renovate By Design has been recognized for their skills and expertise by their peers in the following categories
Renovate by Design has been very professional in their dealings and after visiting their sites a few times, I found that the workmanship, organization and skill level is at an unparalleled level. The owner George always plans ahead, respects time lines and makes sure the customer is looked after from start to finish.
I have worked with Renovate by Design and found them to be upstanding with regard to integrity of work and customer service. I have an on-going working relationship with this company and find them respectful and professional to work with.
Excellent working with George and his team throughout the years. As a hvac contractor having a great relationship with the renovation design team is keen for ensuring great end results. I recommend Renovate By Design!
After 25 years in the construction industry, it is both refreshing and inspiring to familiarize myself with "Renovate By Design". George's tireless attention to detail along with his vast knowledge of present day standards and client expectations leave little purchase for chance and assumption in maintaining a lucid and creative scope of work for any project he engages in. With an impressive portfolio of accomplishments, it is a privilege to be associated with this company and look forward to any future cooperation and service I might be fortunate enough to provide. As far as I'm concerned " Renovate By Design " is a benchmark for the industry and having George as it's Keystone there is no reason for it not to remain so.
Accessibility, Alarm Systems, Architectural Design, Awnings, Basement Lowering, Bathroom Renovations, Bathtub Refinishing, Cabinetry and Millwork, Carpentry, Carpeting, Caulking, Ceiling, Chimney Cleaning, Closet and Storage, Commercial Renovations, Concrete Work, Countertops, Data Wiring, Decks, Demolition Work, Drywalling, Duct Cleaning, Electrical, Excavation Services, Fencing, Fireplaces, Floor Heating, Floor Refinishing, Flooring, Foundation Repairs, Foundations, Framing, Garage Construction, Garage Doors, General Contracting, Gutters, Handyman Services, Heating & Air Conditioning, Home Construction, Home Inspection, Home Restoration, Home Staging, Home Theaters, Hot Tubs, House Cleaning, Insulation, Interior Design, Kitchen Renovations, Land Clearing, Land Surveying, Landscaping, Lawn Care, Locksmithing, Masonry, Mold Removal, Moving Services, Non Slip Treatments, Painting, Paving, Pest Control, Plastering, Plumbing, Power Washing, Property Maintenance, Roofing, Satellite Dish, Sewer Services, Shed Construction, Siding, Skylights, Snow Removal, Solar Energy, Stonework, Structural Engineering, Stucco, Sunrooms, Tiling, Trash Removal, Tree Services, Wallpapering, Water Heating, Water Treatment, Waterproofing, Welding, Window Cleaning, Window Treatment, Windows and Doors, Wrought Iron
Renovate By Design has received complaints from their suppliers and/or creditors
Complaint: George bobrovskis have not paid to several workers and subcontractors, he is not a trusted contractor.
Reply From Renovate By DesignUnfortunately sometime workers don't work out and while i tried to give Andres the benefit of the doubt, after 3 projects with problems that cost me extra money to correct, and dissappointed customers, i had to let him go as a contract worker. I also had asked him to have WSIB coverage and was told he and his company cacho renovations had wsib. When i asked him for a copy of this at the end of the last job he refused to provide it. I checked on-line and determined that he did not have coverage. I no longer have this individual working for me. We pay all our bills and in most cases we are able to make agreements with any disgruntled worker. In this case there was too much evidence of poor workmanship and disruptive behaviour at our job sites, that i had to move on without him. He is welcome to take any action at small claims court if he wishes.
Renovate By Design is a design-build company that collaborates with our clients to design and build spaces that transform their lives.
We create "Curbside appeal for your home, both outside and inside your home" and delivering leading edge design with creative solutions to transform your home. We deliver quality workmanship, great customer service, on time and on budget every time!
Residential work has ranged from new construction, demolition and rebuild, including additions and/or interior modifications. Work has included kitchen and bathroom remodelling, basement renovations. We have done extensive renovations to a variety of residences from award winning facades to extensive renovations and remodelling of century homes. See our web site for some sampling of this work.
We use project management systems to link design to construction with emphasis on budget constraints and scheduling. Our lead carpenter stays with the project from start to finish and our owner/designer/contractor manages the job to ensure design and construction match up with our collective vision for your home.
See what people are saying about our design and build process, by going to the testimonial section of this web site or log in to our web site.
We also provide green products and services for those interested in environmentally friendly buildings. Energy efficiency, re-use and eco friendly materials, healthy environment and smart design.
We create high quality design and construction.
We use new materials in creative and inspiring ways, and only use licensed and professional sub-trades with emphasis on quality construction.
We strive to provide creative, innovative solutions for all your building needs.
416-831-9735 george
Main contact(s) | George Bobrovskis |
Listed with TrustedPros since: | 2010 |
Residential work | Yes |
Commercial work | Yes |
Warranty | we offer a 1 year warranty for our customers |
Accepts credit cards | No |
Year established | 2004 |
Offers financing | Yes |
24 Hour emergency service | Yes |
Legal structure | Sole Proprietor |
Licensing information | Licensing information available upon request |
Insurance information | Contact Renovate By Design to request insurance details. |
Check local laws pertaining to license requirements and verify license and insurance details provided by the contractor prior to hiring.
Renovate By Design has contributed 6 responses to the following questions posted in the 'Ask the Pros' forum