Trico Homes Inc

My wife and I wanted to purchase a home in Cochrane (2008) and move out there. It just so happened that Trico was building a multi-family complex in Heritage Hills called Laredo Place. We did as much research as possible on Trico, investigating BBB reviews/complaints and whatever resources we could get our hands on. We were impressed by the reviews, so we were confident we were making a good choice.

We moved in 2009, and were among the first residents of the complex. That being said, there was still a lot of construction going on and we expected that. The plans for the neighbourhood and complex were very appealing for a young family such as ours. As construction finished, Trico came through and made repairs from construction damage, kudos to them. Since the project completion, however, things went downhill. We have a walkout den that we found to be extremely cold. Rather than fix insulation or address the problem (cheap windows, no insulation), Trico installed baseboard heaters in the basements which puts our electricity bills sky high in winter. We've had frost building up on our baseboards in the main entrance hallways, and this was due to poor siding and siding wrap. The issue was never fixed, especially after our one year inspection came and went. This also led to leaking and water in the crawl space.

We found out the we were not the only people who have had problems. Other people had leaking basements from improper grading and leaking roofs. Apparently, the original roofing was not built to code, and in our Chinook winds, shingles would blow off and roofs would leak. The roof was replaced again last summer (2012), and after inspection, it was found AGAIN that the roof was not done to code. Trico has apparently tried to walk away from this, but our condo board is supposedly trying to get them to fix this.

As Trico handed over the "control" of the property to our property managers, Asset West, at that meeting Trico sat there and as soon as 7:30 came, the representative literally ran out the door, refusing to answer any questions. That says a lot.

Also the landscaping was never done correctly. As I've mentioned before, poor grading led to many residents having leaks in their basements and water pooling. To top it off, their idea of drainage was to put a giant rock pit in the back to collect water. This has about 30 degree slopes all around into a pit of rocks. This is a HUGE hazard to any children (such as my own) getting hurt.

The sprinkler system that was supposed to make things grow was not done once, nor twice, but three times and it still DOES NOT WORK. The landscaping was done, then torn up to install sprinklers that didn't work, and then that was done again, then torn up again. Finally, they just gave up and hacked it together after a year of mess. Now it is a wreck.

I could go on and on, but I would rather just display my disappointment at the quality of our home and townhouse complex. I've given 1 star for the sake that Trico has had good reviews in the past, however that does not apply to our place. If you are looking to see what a multi-family development SHOULD NOT look like, drive West on Highway 1A, past 22 in Cochrane and look at the townhomes on the north side of the highway. That is a forgotten complex that Trico has walked away from. I live there every day and have to deal with poor workmanship and unfinished landscaping.

We have been extremely happy with our new Trico home and with the Trico team members that we have worked with. They truly our a class act, the inspector found things in the final walk through that were so infinitesimally small we would not have noticed; however, every 1 was touched up. They also had representatives from Construction and Service walk through the home with us which we found very impressive as it is not truly necessary. The Gift Basket was a surprise and we were given a Samsung Tablet that we were not aware of was part of the purchase. The quality of the house itself was unparalleled in our experience; everything was done above what it has to be. If there were any downsides, it has nothing to do with the Trico Staff or the quality of the house; it was to do with the Trico Leisure Centre. We had thought that we automatically qualified for the 1 year membership but then found out afterwards that we had to declare our interest and have it included in our contract. When we discussed after the fact we were given a 50% off coupon.

Thanks Trico
Jim and Sheila Hanna

I was very satisfied with Trico homes' services.
you're build my house almost my ideal concept..
this is my dream house.
and I'm excepting good warranty too.
thanks for your great job....^^*

From day one Trico has provided us with outstanding customer service. We love our first home and the process was made easy by the incredible and professional staff.
The home warranty program is also been a great experience. They want things to be perfect in our new home and work very hard to make it happen.
Thank you Trico in Heritage Hills for the great experience and our beautiful new home!

I have to say all the people we have worked with from Trico have gone above and beyond is making sure everything in our new villa was in perfect condition. Holly and Victor were truly amazing - they combed through the place and found every little nick or scratch and made sure it was repaired. Brandon your painter had no problem repainting entire walls or fixing the smallest little touch up. The gift basket of practical and useable products was thoughtfully put together and sincerely appreciated! Although Trico may have had a bit of a slow start to this project and some front end delays your clients should know that the end result has made the wait WELL WORTH IT! You have delivered a quality product - your team of people are caring and professional and go above board to make sure final inspection exceeds the clients expectations. We know we will enjoy this villa for many years and will always find it a comfortable place to call home.

I picked to buy my first home with Trico Homes and from day one of having all the papers signed it has been a nightmare. I didnt think much of it at the beginning because this was my first home and didnt know the ins and outs of purchasing a home. I should have clued into the signs but failed to see them.

The sales staff at first appeared to be knowledgable about the construction. But as time went on things just turned worse. I had post dated cheques for the down payment that were suppose to take out monthly. First cheque trico takes out the wrong cheque and I wake up to an NSF charge in my account. Notified the sales staff and they reacted like it was nothing but it was to me. They told me trico will cover the NSF fees. A month goes by with me hounding them once a week as to when I would be covered for the fees they finally took care of it. Then I was told the possession day was going to be the end of july and it ended up not happening till oct. So I move in several things were wrong. Poor dry wall installation , paint looked like it was done by a kid off the streets, upgraded cabinet doors were all scratched and countertops throughout the home were bubbling.

After noticing the lack of quality that was put in my first home I was told it would all be fixed on the 60 day walk through.Just had the 60 day walkthrough and still I sit here with not everything fixed.

On top of all this my monthly utilities have been around the $350 mark for a 1200 square foot townhouse that is wedged between two other townhouses. I thought it was pretty high since I am never home. So I phone enmax and question my meter and they say it is fine. A few months go buy and I start turning the heat down , terrified to turn a light on , and unplugging things. Then I go in the power box and see labels on switches. One was labeled 'water tree heater' I start to wonder what this does and I contact trico they tell me its to heat my block but they say asset west will reimburse me $20 - $30 a month for having this 'water tree heater '.I contact them and they say trico will ... im left wondering what this thing is and no one can tell me so I decide to check under the stairs where this thing is located and covered so you cant get access to under the stairs. I find out that under my stairs that there is a wall space heater under there to keep that area warm for the water main is .. also this heater is set to the max that it can be at. So now I know why my enmax bill was so high. So I contact trico and asset west and they just continue to say they are not responsible for reimbursement. .

So im left to this day with so much frustration and un satisfaction. Ill never buy a trico home again nor will I ever recommend them to anyone. Think twice before building with them.

***Nicole
In response to you saying clayton is more then happy to come out and fix any remaining issues. Leah from trico has emailed me and said they will not do any repairs that I will have to go through Alberta home warranty program even though our warranty does not end till oct 2013. These are issues that were addressed to the warranty team back in November and have failed to fix 2 weeks ago when they did repairs. So we will see how well trico lives up what you say in this response to my review of trico.

When my wife and I first started with TriCo we went into the deal a little apprehensive. Never having built a new home, we had no knowledge of how to read blueprints or ensure verbal agreements landed on paper, we naturally had trust issues. But all I can say is TriCo will listen and meet your needs. The Philanthropy and empathy that they advertise is truth. One thing I love about them is the amazing and consistent customer service you get no matter what showhome you enter. Even if you haven't built in certain area, every showhome rep has their arms open and welcoming.

TriCo ensures to build a superior product, which is expected, and paid for. But what you don't expect is the relationship that is built and trust that is honoured ! and that you can not pay for.

Customer service was amazing - they always made sure we were happy with our final product and followed up efficiently on any issues that needed fixing! Service was prompt and wonderful - I was told horror stories about what to expect with after move in repairs, but we had no issues! Everything was prompt and amazingly clean.

I love the finishings in this condo. Came with granite countertops, laminate flooring, 9 ft ceilings, and an option to upgrade my cabinetry which was already awesome for its use of space. Great storage in this unit, for the size. Also love the underground parking with underground visitor parking. Problem is i think the neighbours downstairs can hear us sometimes. Good thing I'm on the top floor. Upgrades are really pricey though. I only added extra bar lights and extended the cabinet height. Everything else was included in the price. If I wanted the upgraded package it was a crazy amount... and not really nicer than their base model, which is already majorly upgraded compared to other condos out there.

I selected Trico for the value in the features of the home for the price. I had heard some past negative feedback in the past so I was originally a bit skeptical that with value, came lower quality. This is our third home we built and I will be honest, the final product totally exceded my expectations both in standard construction quality and specs. I am not a contractor but I do know my way around building new homes and renos having built with 2 different past builders and one basement contractor. The trades were certainly worth the price we paid for our location and square footage. I was very impressed with the possession team and post possession service team. ALL OF THEM were super courteous and responsive to the service calls. After two prior homes builts with different builders, TRICO by far listened and didn't try to down play anything. My door was dented, they replaced it. The garage door panel didn't line up by 1/4 inch, they replaced it. No need at all for me to pressure them. They even placed a few plumbing perks that I wasn't even aware was part of the deal which I am sure other builders would have charged. Overall, I was very happy!