Pla Ni T Builders

PLANiT was great to work with. From the initial consultation through to the completion of our garage, they were professional and friendly. They were prompt, skilled and competitively priced. They also provided customer support after the work was done.

PLANiT made every step of the process easy for us - from quoting to financing to planning to construction and finally to follow up. They were highly accessible whenever we had questions and they followed through on their promises.

We would recommend PLANiT to anyone looking to build a garage.

PLANiT Builders staff were very accommodating from the estimator (Michael), to completion of the draftings/drawings (Jeremy), site supervisor (Johnny) and construction supervisor (Beau). Everyone at PLANiT was great to deal with. The problem was with some of their tradespeople and outside support staff.

The interior designer (not PLANiT) who came to the house only has a limited number of flooring options with her. So once I found out the original flooring wouldn't work with our subfloor we had to go to where they pick the flooring and pay the difference which weren't happy with. Some construction messes were left, oil on the driveway from their vehicles, trim nails not filled in where sometimes Johnny or Beau had to come back once or twice to remedy the fixes was a little annoying. My personal gripe was the toilet I said I wanted from the beginning was not installed, then told it was in the warehouse, then told it'd take a month to get in, so do you want this other one instead.... At that point I just wanted the job to be done so I could just use the basement, so I conceded.

A few extras I got on top of the standard stuff were the subfloor, pot lights, flat ceiling, hot tub plugin, sound insulation in the ceiling of the media room, solid doors for the offices all turned out fine. Now do I think 516 feet of living space should cost this much? Not really, but I got what I wanted for the most part, PLANiT staff were as accommodating and as nice as they could be, and I don't have friends in construction. So I knew I wouldn't be able to get a better deal anywhere else without sacrificing workmanship or possibly being screwed over by some fly-by-night. In that respect having Beau was a godsend as many times he personally called contractors back to fix work that I would have never noticed was wrong. And for that I'd like to thank him and Johnny who also helped him out. I should also note that communication was excellent with Johnny and Beau and they told me why things were happening and the timeframe in a very expedient manner.

After tens of thousands of dollars, 2 site managers and 4 months of waiting for the final details to be completed, we are happy with the workmanship of the basement and completely disappointed with the customer service we received. Takes days and multiple phone calls to get anything done. Still waiting for final clean up which was promised 4 months ago. You will get a great basement because of the great trades they employee but you will be left with a serious headache with the painful process.

We have just completed a basement development engagement with Planit. While happy with the final product due in large part to how we designed the final space, we are extremely disappointed with Planit Builders. Based on our experience we would not recommend them as a contractor.
As background you need to understand that Planit does not have any trades working within their organization. All trades and contractors including but not limited to plumbing, electrical, insulation, drywall and painting are all third party. The only Planit staff onsite are the project manager and maybe a labourer who may show up to do some clean up.
Our space was new development and not a renovation as our home was built in 2009 and we had the basement partially developed. The space is 1,500 square feet but the project was limited to a large multi-use space, a bathroom and two additional rooms (home office and a crafts room) for 1050 square feet. The utility and storage space was not developed.
We researched and interviewed a number of contractors in the fall of 2013 and had requested proposals from three. One of our objectives was to begin the work by the first of January and have it completed by end of March. As mentioned above it was new development but the exterior walls were framed and insulated and we arranged to have another contractor do the floor which was finished concrete throughout the space.
Planit was the most expensive but they explained to us in the sales process that the premium we were going to pay would provide us with higher quality and allow the project to be completed in the three month timeline. We discussed this at length with the Planit sales representative and the timeline was discussed and confirmed repeatedly. In addition he arranged a meeting with the on-sire project manager and they again confirmed the timeline. We discussed that we would own responsibility to do the finished concrete floor (and the hardwood stairs leading to basement) and they confirmed that was built into the plan. They were very confident they could have project completed in eight weeks and use the additional four weeks for clean-up and small fixes but they remained strong on the commitment to have project done for end of March.
We signed the contract in October 2013 and Planit began the permit and plan phase. On January 3rd they gave us access to Builder Trend which is a communication tool they use with their clients. The project schedule reflected the commitment to have project completed by end of March (in fact three weeks sooner) as well reflected the time we would need for flooring.
A three month project took six months to complete. Weeks would go by with no trades ever showing up on site and some weeks where one trade would show for a few hours and that would be it. In trying to address delays with Planit they were very quick to blame the trades or promise that ”someone will be there this week” which in many cases proved to be false. When we asked the delays be addressed by the project manager and then escalated our concern to Planit management they were quick to push back and even pointing to us as source of delay even though that was not the case as demonstrated by their own project plans. We did add one week where we had some wiring done for alarm systems etc., but this did not contribute to the 3 month delay.
At project completion we asked Planit to provide some consideration for the delay but they refused to address the issue. We feel they misled us and did so in order to secure the contract.
There were other issues which we noticed and discussed with Planit but did not get resolved to our satisfaction. We have a home office so it was not unusual to have someone at home while the work was to be done so we got to see more of the work than perhaps would be common.
• The schedule that was posted in Builder Trend after the first 4 weeks no longer was accurate. Trades, deliveries and inspections that were scheduled typically did not align with what was in Builder Trend.
• Planit provides a clipboard with a copy of the most recent plans, building permits and a sign in sheet for the contractors. The only trades that used it was the contractor that framed and perhaps one of the plumbers in the first week but never after that. The clipboard seemed to be stashed where it was hard to find even on one occasion in amidst a pile of garbage.
• Permits were not posted on the front of the house as per requirement. This was mentioned by a city inspector and even commented on by Planit management but never done.
• Planit claimed to have well developed long-term relationships and commitments with the suppliers and trades. However we learned that Planit subcontractors in some cases then contracted out the work which may have contributed to issues for the project. We had trades and suppliers tell us they were new to Planit or unhappy and considering not working with them in the future.
• Clean up was an ongoing issue for some reason as we found we had to call for Planit to come by and clear garbage from basement or from the yard; it did not seem to be part of the plan. On a number of occasions we had to clean up. Contractors would leave remains from meals in the basement. When we asked about clean up Planit told us it was the sub-contractors responsibility.
• The drywall sub-contractors piled up all of the unused material and their garbage outside on of the windows. It was a large pile and remained there for more than four weeks in the elements (repeated snow and rain). We are still cleaning up drywall material from around the house.
• Planit promised to put up poly doors to keep dust from migrating through the house but did not use them until the end of the project.
• The ceiling contractors transferred the knock-down ceiling material they used throughout the entry way of our home, tracked into an upstairs bathroom and spilled it on the doorstep. Outside there were plaster footprints on the front stairs and sidewalk as well our front door was covered with handprints. We called Planit to clean it up but they did a poor job which we had to correct ourselves and we still require to power wash our walkway to remove it.
• On numerous occasions we found our front door left unlocked after contractors left for the day as well they would leave basement windows open.
• We had trades show up late in the day at supper time or early evening asking if it would be alright to work.
• Trades people would show up on site without understanding what they were to do. On a couple of occasions they did not have a copy of the plan or they had an outdated plan
• We found the rates that Planit uses to do upgrades is many times above what it costs from other market sources. They were keen on charging top dollar well beyond the retail cost for items such as sinks and or fixtures.
We did our best to repeatedly discuss issues with Planit and seek their assistance in correcting gaps in their service and promises however we found that their strategy was to deflect any responsibility or ownership of the issues.
As mentioned we would not recommend Planit as a contractor.

We have just completed the basement in our home; the first real full scale construction project that we have undertaken. We chose to go with PLANit based on the ease of organizing all aspects of the project and the fact that costs are "carried by them until completion". My criticism of this experience is on several aspects of the office personnel, and the way things are handled with everything not on site. We had issues with drawings, design, finish selections and a couple issues around payment during and at the end of our job. The pitch at the sales consult was true to a point, until we were already signed, locked in and approving adders in the middle of the job, then the "we carry all costs until completion" became a grey area. The cost of some upgrades and the reasons that PLANit provides seem ridiculous also, but i guess they know you must really want something if your asking for it. The aspect of miscommunication and the slow responsiveness from the office side made things at times very frustrating. On the overall project side of things however it was a very good experience; helped by the fact that we had Joe Parker as our site supervisor. Anytime I needed to send Joe a note, he would quickly respond no matter what time of day. He was able to identify issues with his trades and schedule as best he could to keep them all on track even though our project hit a few hurdles. Projects are bound to hit issues as we all know, and Joe did what he could to steer us through it going above and beyond at times to accommodate; all the while being being open and forthright with all the details. Electrical is a main part of any reno, and the ones we got assigned on our job were the biggest issue by far, barely making first inspection, and requiring a second to make sure everyone was satisfied, really causing the overall schedule to shift, and requiring us the homeowner to accommodate numerous evenings and weekends to keep everything down the line on track. Joe was there to deal with them, and setup everyone else who worked out quite smoothly. The trades were clean, and respected our home, cleaning up almost daily; also parked on the road and not on our driveway which was appreciated as several trade vehicles leaked oil. We look forward to utilizing our new space, and appreciate all the work that went into it, after all is said and done the space is what we wanted.

I used Planit Builders to do a full basement renovation in 2010. Please carefuly read these reviews which all give a rating of 10. They all sound very similar in grammar. There is another review dated Nov 9/10 by Jennifer which includes a picture of MY basement. EXCEPT, I am not Jennifer, nor is anyone in my family. Apparantly whoever this Jennifer is, loves MY basement. Whoever posted that review with a picture of my basement, is obviously not the true owner, and obviously the review cannot be true based on that fact. Please be cautious of these reviews!!

I would like to share my story and experience with Planit Builders. From beginning to end we had a wonderful experience. It was such a relief to know that we could sit back and relax and be confident that the job we had envisioned would be done to our standards. All the different trades that came in our home were very kind, sociable and respectful. I run a dayhome in my house and was worried how the children would take to different workers coming and going. The overall experience for all of us was amazing. My dayhome children and my own were treated kindly and cared for by the workers. Even our site supervisor would come by with water toys for all the kids to play with on sunny days. It has been a successful experience in so many ways. I never felt stressed out, as I had full confidence in the men working with Planit Builders to provide their knowledge and quality of work. Coming out of this, the children in my home and myself made some wonderful friends along the way. I must add that we were very grateful to have had Joe Parker (site supervisor) in our home working with us on our project. He is straight forth, reliable, and honest. Any time I needed to get a hold of Joe regarding our renovations he promptly called back or came to house. There was never a problem with miscommunication as Joe made sure to be consistent. Our basement was completed 1 month ahead of schedule and certainly put a smile on my families faces. Every night I sit downstairs and take in the beauty that Planit Builders has given our home. Thank you so very much. Dayna Coole

You cannot get anymore professional service and quality of workmanship than Plan-it builders. Headache free service right from the first visit to provide the quote until completion. Cleanest workers I've ever dealt with. Cleaned up every night. Finished the basement on schedule as promised and almost two years later, we have not had to call them back to do any repairs. Best ever. Don't even bother with anyone else. We found Plan-it to be $15 cheaper per square foot than the next closest bid and having read the reviews on this website, we would not have been as satisfied if we had used someone else. Sonny and his team are incredible. Definitely recommended.

When we came to Planit Builders it was because a previous garage builder never showed up, and we're incredibly rude. Planit builders was more expensive but worth it.

Their communication and planning is incredible. I've never worked with a contracting company as professional as Planit builders. Despite our garage plan having a number of "extras" none were missed, and the final product is strong and looks great. Their use of 16" studs added to the strength of our garage (previously builder quoted 24" studs). In addition they gave us a schedule and delivered on it despite adverse weather.

Even the one problem that happened was rectified promptly.

Again, having just had our house built, fence done, and our landscaping done (all jobs I am satisfied with) Planit builders has been the best. I gladly recommend them.

Recently had my basement developed by PLANit. They did a good job. Was a bit worried since my orginal site Manager changed jobs in the middle of my project but PLANit sent a new one the next day. Have to say I was very impressed with how organized this company was. Everything was completly seemless. I thought I was going to have to make sure the little things were done right but they actually had to keep telling me to expect more as they critized and inpected their own work. That's peace of mind.