Weenen General Contracting Limited

We met with Owen to finish a whole home reno with an addition at the back for approx. $630k under a proposal they submitted. Adam was our project manager. Weenen has some friendly site staff and promotes its ability to use its own staff to keep projects moving when there are delays from sub-contractors.

We indicated we needed a standard contract, and the CCDC 5B was recommended to us as a common contract in the construction industry. However, after everyone signed, Weenen refused to share the project budget or the actual project expenses as provided for under the contract. (The proposal didnt list all budget items). After some pressure, they provided a budget and then some receipts a few weeks later.

When we looked at the receipts, the actual cost of many items was thousands less than what they were intending to charge us on their budget (basement slab, excavation, framing, plumbing, stairs, roofing, etc.). There seemed to be a pattern of inflating the value on budget items above their actual value, so we ended up removing ~$100k in items such as kitchen, insulation, and HVAC since we found much lower bids than Weenen provided, bringing our budget down to approx. $517k. Weenen still maintained their management fee at $150k, which was 30% of the budget by that time, and never provided an explanation for why it was so high.

Despite this high fee, Weenen provided very little administrative support on the project. They refused to send in any of our rebate paperwork, did not produce any notes from our meetings, and did not provide budget updates. We asked them for work schedules which they eventually produced but didnt finish many items as scheduled. While Owen and Adam were nice at first, this quickly changed. Adam became surly and rude to us and other site staff and Owen became aggressive on phone calls.

After months of fighting for financial info and running over schedule, we asked them for a plan to improve. They responded by blaming us for every issue we listed and added that they were not bound by the contract they signed. We terminated and proceeded to finish the house ourselves.

We gutted our house and dug our basement almost 3 feet in the spring/summer of 2010. Because David and Joe are so organized, the whole 5 and half month job was almost painless - it was completed in a timely manner and within budget. We never once had to chase anyone down for anything. True professionals who understand how to run a business properly and how to treat their clients. Even our neighbours commented on how polite and tidy the crew were during the course of the job. I would have no hesitation recommending these guys to anyone and if we were to take on any sort of reno job in the future, big or small, these are the guys I would hire.

Total renovation of three bedroom house. Two projects, four years apart. Gutted to the rafters, new wiring, roof partially removed and rooms expanded. New kitchen, flooring...not much that wasn't done. Excellent quality - in fact, after another five years, house inspection came out with flying colours. We would only use Weenen if we did it again in Toronto. We acknowledge we pay Weenen more than some other competitiors but it's worth it. If it isn't done right the first time, they fix it. A number of our friends have used them, and even family, and all were happy with the results.

Fast service, excellent clean-up, extremely professional and up-to-date tradesmen....Project manager showed up every day - no down-payment requested - polite, professional and everything up to code - can't say enough about this company - they are my official contractor for just about everything that has to be done in my home with the exception of repairing appliances.

These guys are pros. They outline the budget completely. They involve you in all decisions. They take care of you by cleaning up everyday inside and out and by making life without a kitchen as comfortable as possible. Their project manager is in touch daily. They do not demand money up front. You pay as the project is completed in installments, so you will never be out of pocket for work not completed. I can't say enough. A quality, well-established company.