First of all, I need to let you know that I am a Professional Engineer and currently licensed member of the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario. As a member, I am held to the highest standards and code of ethics. I can be held accountable for any false information or misguidance that I herein provide.
We made our decision to contract Cavallini Kitchens & Baths in April of 2012 after receiving quotes from what we believed to be three reputable companies. At the time, Cavallini had a "B" rating with the Better Business Bureau. The owner of Cavallini, Rick, explained to us that our bathroom renovation would be completed in approximately three to four weeks and the starting date was to be mid-July of 2012. Our first indication of there being a problem was that the project did not commence until mid-August, and only after a couple of calls on our part to the company.
An unusually large deposit of 50% was requested and unfortunately paid by us without question. Upon commencement of the work, another unusually large second deposit of 40% was agreed to and again unquestioned. The smoke-screen reputability of the company due to it's proximity and length of establishment, combined with a very smooth talking owner, provided the false sense of security leading to us paying this ridiculous amount of deposit.
The first two weeks of the project (the easy part including demolition) actually went very well; however, everything went downhill after that. Workers from the company failed to show up for two weeks with no communication or reasoning for their absence. After several attempts at trying to get updates over the phone, I finally paid a visit to the owner only. I was giving a song and dance story that the cabinets had been ordered, and that they would be returning to complete the project shortly.
Over the next several months, promises were made nearly daily that workers would be in 'the next day' with stuff to complete. Rick was called in by us to review the project in November and given a deficiency list. He stated that we only have about three working days left of work to complete the project; it was clear to us that this was not going to be the case. In total, nine days were worked in the period between September 2012 through March 2013.
By the end of February 2013, we still had no cabinets. We were told by Rick's brother Mike, that the cabinets were complete and would be picked up the following day. When they didn't show up, I contacted Mike who tried to explain that their truck had broken down so they could not pick them up. The following day, the cabinets could not be picked up due to the "extremely bad weather". Funny though that this conversation took place while both of us were "at work", after having successfully made it in without incident! At the expense of sounding like a broken record, the following day, I spoke with Rick personally who then told me that the cabinets were NOT ready to pick up as the corner cabinet was not yet ready. I called this bluff by calling Mike again directly and told him that he was more than welcome to bring in only the completed cabinets and that we could wait a little longer for the corner cabinet. This is when I was told that, in fact, none of the cabinets were actually ready and I was left with the impression that they had not even been ordered yet.
Breaking from the timeline of chronological events above, I'd like to touch on some of the other disappoints throughout this project. There were several problems with the accuracy of the product supplied or installed, just a few are listed here:
1. Listello wall tile (glass mosaic-like border) was installed on the wall before I could review it, and it was the incorrect style from what we had selected,
2. Toilet installed was similar but also the wrong style from what was selected, and written on the contract, as well as the trip lever was to be brushed nickel finish to match other fixtures but received bright chrome,
3. At one point, a vanity cabinet 'shell only' arrived, but was the wrong colour, did not have doors/drawers, drawer hardware was not 'soft' closing, and no consideration for mounting the sink was provided. Rick's solution was to laminate a panel over the side to change the colour.
4. Tiling of the floor had started and was going to be completed before I caught the fact that the ventilation ductwork that was to be relocated had not yet occurred,
5. Shower heads and tub plunger and drain overfill were supplied bright chrome and should have been brushed nickel.
In summary, after 28 VERY FRUSTRATING WEEKS of our 'three to four week bathroom renovation', we had no choice but to fire Cavallini Kitchens & Baths. The bathroom was still an unusable mess, with no cabinets and many other tasks left incomplete. We were out a considerable amount of money. From our experience, we highly recommend that when considering your choices for any renovation project that you always refer to the Better Business Bureau (where Cavallini currently has a failing "F" rating).
Stay clear of Cavallini Kitchens & Baths and remember, do not let ANY contractor take the majority of your money upfront!
- Approximate cost of services:
- $20,000.00