Robert in Toronto

Greg is a true professional who brings decades of experience and knowledge to every task, a perfectionist who delivers more than he promises. He upgraded our kitchen cabinetry with carefully selected, perfectly matched maple veneer panels. The result is gorgeous. He expertly installed a new range hood and exhaust, replaced drawer rails, upgraded hinges and more. He's generous with his time, fair with his pricing, and undaunted by the myriad of unanticipated problems that arise with a major upgrade to a wonky old Victorian home. Very highly recommended.

Mike and his team are thoroughly professional and it shows in the results. Our railings and glass look amazing. Prices are fair, quality is high, installers were respectful and conscientious. Highly recommended.

We have a small leak in a flat roof covered by a deck. It's very hard to diagnose without taking off the deck, but Sam came and pointed out a couple of places with missing caulk that might be responsible for the leak. He gave me detailed instructions and even gave me a tube of caulk--all for no charge. He went to a lot of trouble without earning a cent, but he certainly earned my trust. If the caulk doesn't fix it, I'm calling Sam back to do whatever's necessary--including taking off the deck.

Let me add my voice to the universal acclaim Barkley Hunt and his crew have earned. If only all contractors were as knowledgeable, conscientious, and just plain decent as Barkley. Our Victorian house, built in 1882, had a facade covered by several coats of paint, under which lay the original bricks, many of them damaged. It wasn’t until Barkley began stripping the paint, however, that we realized how badly damaged the underlying bricks were. The only way to finish the restoration was to rebuild the façade using new matching bricks where the originals could not be saved. This raised the price of the job by 60%, but when you see the finished work, it feels like a bargain. There’s absolutely no doubt the resale value of our home increased by much more than what we paid. In addition, the Hunt Heritage team refinished the original wood lintels and sills, created an ornamental Victorian-character bargeboard, and painted all the woodwork. The result looks absolutely stunning. Throughout the process, Barkley explained every step and fulfilled our every request. Like practically everyone else here, I recommend Hunt Heritage without reservation.

Our furnace died because of a failed venter motor. Unfortunately, I called Belyea. It took the technician under 5 minutes to diagnose the problem (which cost me $200, Belyea's standard, nonrefundable "diagnostic fee"). To actually replace the motor, he quoted another $857. I had the work done by Reliable Home Comfort for about half that ($489), which is within the range ($400-$600) other companies quoted me over the phone. Unless you enjoy being gouged, avoid this company.

Darryl was knowledgeable, pleasant to deal with and very thorough. He replaced the seized venter motor and cleaned and inspected the furnace at a very fair price (I had phoned around). I wouldn't hesitate to use Reliable again.

Easy to deal with, professional, friendly and efficient. Very thorough prep process, including removing the failed glaze of a competitor, removing tub hardware and protecting floor and walls. After 48 hours curing time we have a beautifully refinished tub. Unlike the hard epoxy finish used by their (more expensive) competition, The Tub Guys' polymer material flexes rather than cracks as the tub expands and contracts. It should last a very long time.

The problem: a leak in a flat roof with a deck on top. The bigger problem: no roofer wanted to touch it. Most of the top-rated roofers on Homestars wouldn't even come and look. "We won't touch a deck," "We don't do repairs," "Take the deck off, then call back," were typical responses. Academia's Gord Bailey DID come and look, and in a matter of minutes he had not only deduced the exact location of the leak, but proposed a solution that didn't involve removing any part of the deck: an industrial-strength elastomeric sealant. It worked perfectly and cost a fraction of what it could have. One more thing: another roofer told me "We don't warranty patches," whereas Gord said, "If it still leaks, call me and I'll come by and add more sealant." Top marks, Academia.