Smart City Renovations is a highly-specialized design-oriented renovation company with full emphasis on project management and skilled workmanship. We work with hand-picked skilled subcontractors with a wide array of expertise to create unique and sought-after homes. Not all renovations add value to a home. We strategize your spending dollars to get the mos read more...
Smart City Renovations began operations in 2006 and has received 11 reviews for an overall customer rating of 4.3. The average rating for businesses providing similar services in the Toronto area is 4.4. Write a review
4.5
4.3
4.3
4.3
4.3
4.3
We will never allow businesses to pay for review alterations, editing, or removals. Published reviews have undergone strict examination to avoid fraudulent/fake review posting. Learn more.
5
My bathroom was outdated and I had been waiting to do it for some time. The issue was who to hire. You hear so many horror stories on TV about bad contractors and it puts the fear in you about moving forward. I spoke with a few people from different sources but in the end I decided to go with Dave and Doug from Smart City Reno. I wasn’t disappointed and they were great with communications and were always on time. Also their designer Kiki Phukan was fabulous and really knew her stuff. She worked with me directly so I was happy with the choices being made and constantly sent me pictures and updates so I really didn’t have to do much of anything. It was a real pleasure working with this team and I would highly recommend them to anyone who needs a bathroom remodeling done and now I understand they do kitchens and complete condo renovations. I will be considering them for the future.
5
Dave and his crew were professional and kept my home clean and tidy at the end of each work day. His interior designer, Kiki Phukan picked all the fixtures and products for me which really helped. The job took a little longer than they originally intended but I did request some extra work be done and so the time increase was fair. I was very satisfied with the work and the kitchen and bathroom look fantastic.
I would definitely recommend Smart City Renovations as a solid team of professionals that provide superior workmanship and are very conscientious and careful in your home.
5
I was referred to Kiki Phukan to design a new kitchen for me. My budget wasn’t big but she was able to come up with so many great ideas to work within my cost restrictions. I didn’t realize the kind of quality you could get for the price. She was wonderful and highly professional. I would certainly recommend her services and I was very happy with the final product she provided me.
5
We were very delighted with the results we received from the smart city renovation team. I personally really value the time I got to spend picking out my new kitchen cabinets and accessories. I went through many different options with their designer and was especially thankfull for her expert advice on what colours work with which products. It was a longer renovation than we had expected but the tradesmen kept our place neat and tidy at the end of each day and this helped my family get through this. But I have no complaints because smart city really provided us a brilliant final product. I will definitely refer them to my friends. Thanks again.
1.3
I am not going to right a detailed review as we are in the process of serving Smart City Reno for defaulting on our contract and not returning payment that was marked for the project they did not complete, however I would like to agree with the feedback provided by Brian below!
The quality was ok, but we have had to get someone else in to fix some of the finishing they missed or did incorrectly (i.e. doors which don't open because fitted incorrectly, gaps around the light fittings and electric outlets).
We paid every overrun as it came up, for which there were several due to poor budgeting. So the fact they are not returning our money ear marked for the bathroom they did not fit is without grounds.
The project dragged on because of poor/ lack of scheduling. i will acknowledge there was a two week delay incurred by us when we had to get someone in to replace the plumbing.
We had to clean up on occasions as some of the sub-contracts were refusing to start work because the area wasn't clear. One of the subcontractors actually urinated in our unconnected toilet in the basement and left it there for us. But i give credit when credit is due, and Doug did come out a clear it out (even though we did have to stop him just pouring it into the trap in the basement)
Communication? they don't know what that means!
Courtesy? not getting back to us on the money they owe us when we paid every overrun on time, and leaving all your mess in our back garden is not showing a young family any courtesy or respect.
1
BEWARE of this so called General Contractor. We hired Smart City for our renovation which included main floor and basement with new bathrooms. Doug and Kiki cancelled contract after we stressed concerns of overpayment as compared to stage of project, 7 days later they cancelled agreement and disappeared with our money. The results of their work are mind boggling as they found cheapest sub contractors and products, and so the story goes, you get what you pay for. Quality of work is not worth grading and no time to write essays of issues. These people have no regard for others and used our money for obvious self gain. Don't make the same mistake we made, Litigation is next steps against these crooks.
Thanks Brian. As you can see we have a pretty stellar record here at TrustedPros but I guess slander comes easily for some people who can't except the truth of their predicament. For the record, I certainly don't agree with your accusations and outright deny the intent you imply. I do feel badly that the project had to end the way it did however. We were growing fond of you guys although we were aware of your elusive behavior and reluctance to make payments from the beginning. I don't think your a bad guy at all and somehow I think no-one will ever know what your situation really is. You are very clever. You definitely have your wife fooled. My trades guys are loyal to me and very experienced with people like you so they mentioned that you had been talking to them trying to get them to work with you instead of me. They mentioned the details of your conversations that you were basically stabbing me in the back and that their belief as is mine is that you ran out of money to pay for the renovations. You could have just been honest with me. But, that is why I put a clause I have never put into my contract before that I can terminate the contract if you did not pay for the work within a certain time frame. You signed it. It is the only reason for the termination and you know it. I am well within my rights and not only did you not pay on time but you cancelled a previous cheque on me while I was out buying more supplies for your job! I think you and I both know who had criminal intentions here. Somehow I don't think Krista will ever know the truth.
I think it is funny you want to take this to court. You know they will scrutinize you too right? Then all your secrets will come out. Also no-one "disappeared" with your money...you didn't even pay so how could we? I did send you an email with an opportunity to rectify this situation but I didn't get a response regarding working things out. instead all I have been getting are threats. I would say to the point of harassment, Brian.
And this email and your fake one (from Kate Dupont??) are just more harassment. I actually think your ego can't handle that we saw you coming and protected ourselves.
You know it is really sad because we could have easily finished this project for you and all your games and misdirection are only going to screw you and your family. What a waste Brian.
I really hope you guys can pull it off but quit blaming me and move on please.
5
We hired smart city reno to do our main floor of our condo. We had been thinking about this reno for a long time and it was a very hard decision to figure out who to hire. With everything you hear these days it is hard to trust just any renovator but we mulled it over for some time and decided this company looked like the best choice. In the end we were so relieved they turned out to be way better than I expected. So I am very happy to write this review and recommend Smart City Renovations. They redid our entire main floor of the condo with pot lights and fabulous new flooring, painted, gutted out all kinds of cabinets and made a cool alcove for my fridge and table and then came up with a custom design for a new kitchen that wrapped around our front window and even made room for my wine fridge and a shelf for my dog's food bowl.
Plus they did flooring down the stairs and put in a whole new bannister going upstairs. My wife would say the real classy addition was the wallpaper accent wall. They have a great website with all kinds of contemporary products to choose from and we ordered wallpaper for the main room and the bathroom. All in all the whole thing surpassed our expectations. Thanks for all the efforts of your great team guys!
5
Dave and his team took on the project of painting my new home for me. My daughter's room was a real challenge because I wanted 6 bright coloured stripes on one wall and then purple and pink and yellow on the other 3 walls. Plus my son's room was currently red and I asked the painters to make it green. I had hoped I had found the right company to handle all this and I was extremely relieved when they turned out to be seasoned professionals. They finished the rest of the main living area and kitchen in a nice neutral off-white and transformed the place based on my colour scheme. Not to mention I started moving all my stuff in early and they had to work around all the confusion and mess. They were tidy and efficient and did everything with a smile. I would definitely trust this crew to handle any other projects I have in the future. If you need professional painting done without any hassles, I would highly recommend SMART CITY RENOVATIONS
5
We hired Smart City Renovations to restore our flooded basement. The walls had mold behind them, the bare concrete floors were uneven and in rough shape and the post that was holding up the ceiling was not really holding up the ceiling after all. Not sure how we managed in this situation but was relieved to receive a very reasonable quote from Smart City Reno to restore the whole space. Also my husband had a dream to have a wet bar for his buddies in the basement and the company built us a very cool and customized bar with a tiled top and room for the bar fridge and a very stylish sink on the side. I was worried about the bumpy floors so they suggested a very plush and contemporary carpet which looks great and feels amazing to walk on. The bathroom had a strange bulkhead in it and a shelf that made it difficult to lean over to get to the sink. They altered everything and cut a custom head space with some down lighting which completely transformed the room and made all the functionality come together. I was very happy to work with their designer as well. She really understood what I wanted and had incredible ideas on how to bring the whole renovation together with very unique products and awesome colour choices.
All in all, the whole team was a pleasure to work with and I trusted them in my house and they were fabulous with my dog. I would recommend them without hesitation.
Erin V
5
I just want to say we love our new Kitchen! Smart City Renovations rocks! You guys asked me for a testimonial so here it is! But truthfully my wife and I are thrilled with the new Thermofoil kitchen.
Everyone loves it actually even the dog. Now the rest of the rooms in the house are being neglected. I guess we'll have to get you to do those rooms next - LOL!
I will certainly be telling my friends about you guys (already have been) hopefully they won't all order the same kitchen because ours looks so unique!
Okay too many exclamation marks but it was an absolute pleasure working with you guys and we can't say enough great stuff about you. If anyone is thinking of renovating their kitchen or their whole house for that matter, theirs is a phone number you do not want to lose.
Smart City Renovations has a TrustScore™ of 3.0. The average TrustScore™ for other businesses providing similar services in Toronto and the surrounding areas is 3.1. 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 | 12 |
| Approved | 0 | 11 |
| Unverified | 0 | 1 |
| Suspicious | 0 | 0 |
| Overall Rating | 4.3/5 |
| Complaints Received | Last 12 Months | Last 3 Years |
|---|---|---|
| Suppliers & Creditors | 0 | 0 |
| Employees & Sub-Contractors | 0 | 0 |
| Transparency | |
|---|---|
| Posted License Information |
N/A
|
| 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 | 2006 |
| Member of TrustedPros Since | 2014 |
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.
Time to renovate the hub of your home. But where do you go, how do you get started? You don't need a kitchen, you need a vision and a plan and someone who can get you the right product, understand your needs and make it all come together and look gorgeous! ...and yes, we create smart and gorgeous!
Get the smartest basement reno your friends have ever seen!. We create whole new basement concepts and can transform bare concrete floors & walls to a completely finished space. Want it simple, contemporary or modern? Your basement will be gorgeous. Nov+Dec is 20% off but book it soon!
Planning your addition and selecting the right contractor can be tough. We make the process easy with state of the art software that allows our clients to access all their project information via computer, phone or ipad. Our designer works with you to make sure your dream addition becomes a reality.
How do you find the right designer? Look no further. You will get to work with someone who has unsurpassed skills, knowledge of the future, a fantastic disposition, a pleasure to work with and someone who will work with your ideas and desires and make them a reality. Our work speaks for itself.
Bathrooms are functional, clean and can be dreamy and an oasis to pamper yourself in. Change your bath space with a complete transformation that will bring new life and comfort into your home. We can advise you on what products may be the best fit for your bath reno needs. Now booking for December.
Smart City Renovations has received employee and/or sub-contractor complaints
Complaint: This company is established by Kiki Phukan and Doug Cook. The couple (from Ajax) previously ran failed staging company and interior design company before making the transition to renovations. Neither is a licensed contractor, and neither has any experience in construction whatsoever, not even knowing the difference between a drywall screw and a self-tapping metal screw (which Doug asks subcontractors to use on drywall!). They use all kinds of wrong products in their projects, cut corners to save a buck whenever they can, and more often than not they compromise the safety and structure of your home. On the first project I worked with Doug he decided not to insulate one of the basement walls without telling the customer. On the second project, he decided to compromise the floor joists and a load bearing exterior wall in order to run his plumbing, again without notifying the customer (two elderly couple) about the structural risk created.
Doug conveniently goes by a fake name (Dave Struthers) to protect himself from lawsuits by his unpaid subcontractors he hires on Kijiji (including me). They have run under business names such as: Reveer Canada, Smart City Reno, Smart City Painting, and Milestone Renovation (all within two years). By the time you discover the damage they have left behind, they would be operating under a different business name, using different phone numbers, and Doug would be calling himself Dillion.
Smart City Renovations is a highly-specialized design-oriented renovation company with full emphasis on project management and skilled workmanship. We work with hand-picked skilled subcontractors with a wide array of expertise to create unique and sought-after homes. Not all renovations add value to a home. We strategize your spending dollars to get the most impact and ROI from every renovation you do for your home.
Our team includes Interior Designers, Project Managers and many skilled tradespeople such as master electricians, licensed plumbers, flooring installers, tilers, finishing carpenters etc.
| Main contact(s) | Dave Struthers , Doug Cook |
| Listed with TrustedPros since: | 2014 |
| Residential work | Yes |
| Commercial work | No |
| Warranty | Warranty details not yet provided |
| Accepts credit cards | Yes |
| Year established | 2006 |
| Offers financing | No |
| 24 Hour emergency service | No |
| Legal structure | Partnership |
| Licensing information | Business does not require a trade license |
| Insurance information | Contact Smart City Renovations to request insurance details. |
Check local laws pertaining to license requirements and verify license and insurance details provided by the contractor prior to hiring.
Smart City Renovations has contributed 3 responses to the following questions posted in the 'Ask the Pros' forum
