Tanya from North York

Alpha Fence built a backyard fence to give us privacy after we had our old cedar hedge removed by another company. Erik took the time to educate us about our options and propose solutions for some of the challenges, such as a sloping backyard and branches embedded within the chain link fence running at the property line. He clearly takes great pride in his work and it shows. He put up the fence in one day, with the assistance of another worker, and left the garden spotless. We are very happy with Alpha Fence and would strongly recommend them.

A cable broke on one of our 30 year old garage doors. After seeing the excellent reviews, I called Maple Leaf and got an estimate over the phone. When Steve came, I asked him to check both doors for any problems as the broken cable had clearly rusted through. He replaced all 4 cables (another one was hanging by a thread), determined the brackets were somewhat rusted but still in good enough shape, sprayed the parts with a rust inhibitor/lubricant and adjusted the doors for better closure. As I'm not yet ready to purchase new doors and openers, I appreciated his conservative approach to hopefully extend the life of my garage doors a little longer. Steve's a very pleasant and knowledgeable person who took the time to answer my questions. I would recommend Maple Leaf for your garage door repairs.

My elderly parents experienced a plumbing disaster in February 2022. On flushing the main toilet, water began pouring into the basement through the potlight. Mike scoped the pipes with a camera and found a cracked pipe above ground and tree roots in the main drain. He gave us a detailed written estimate (with handy diagram explaining the problems) for the above and below ground work. He took the time to answer all my questions. His crew came promptly to do the job, which was much appreciated as the loss of the main toilet was a major inconvenience. Once the workers accessed the pipes through the wall, it became apparent that less work above ground was required than estimated, so Mike reduced the invoice - happy surprise! My parents have not had any further plumbing problems since the repair work was completed. Mike also recommended a backwater valve and further work to remove roots in the building trap but told us it was not urgent. Owing to my parents' health issues, we put off this additional work until recently. Waterguard has now installed the backwater valve and applied for the City rebate on our behalf. I have been very satisfied with Waterguard's work and Mike's communication. I highly recommend Waterguard for residential drain services.

If you're having computer issues during COVID, I would highly recommend Amir at Supertechteam for a remote trouble-shooting and solving session. My Dad was having trouble with his Bell sympatico email - problems that neither I nor Bell could fix. The only solution was to move him to a new email account. But this was a daunting prospect as he wanted to move all his folders from his old account to his new account, with almost 10 years of saved emails. Thankfully, Amir came to the rescue. He helped us migrate the Bell account to a new email address, activated a forwarding function so new emails arriving at the old address would be automatically forwarded to the new one, and created a message to advise users of Dad's new email address. We then booked a second session with Amir to have him scan Dad's computer for malware and ensure he has adequate protection as I was concerned Dad was clicking on things he shouldn't. All of this was done remotely without exposing my elderly, immunocompromised Dad to any health risk. Amir was patient, knowledgeable, efficient and repeatedly gave us excellent guidance through the process. I would highly recommend Amir and I wouldn't hesitate to call him again.

Neo Kitchen installed new cabinets in my kitchen as well as crown mouldings and a new fireplace surround in my living room in April 2018. Michael was extremely pleasant to deal with and made a potentially stressful renovation remarkably easy. His assistant, Gaby, promptly returned my calls, provided answers to my numerous questions and helped keep everything on track. First, Michael sent someone to measure the kitchen, then he scheduled an appointment in his showroom to discuss the plans with me. At the appointment he showed me detailed 3D plans (prepared for me at no cost, unlike several other companies which charge for this service) and then made adjustments based on my comments. He provided me with a fixed price at the appointment which included both the basic cabinetry and a wealth of extras such as a pullout pantry, rollout shelves and a magic corner. I had already received several estimates from other contractors but none were as detailed, as professional or with as creative a design as Michael. His pricing was also extremely competitive and he did not "nickel and dime" on small adjustments even when I picked a more costly option. I chose not to work with an independent kitchen designer so I appreciated Michael's valuable input and, particularly, his fearlessness in speaking up (very politely!) if he thought I was making a poor choice (he was invariably right!). Michael was flexible about changing the installation date (twice!), once to accommodate my vacation plans and the second time to accommodate my general contractor. Installation was very speedy (about 3 days) for a reasonably large kitchen and Michael promptly sent workers back twice to fix minor issues (a few days after installation and, again, at the end of my project once all the other trades had finished). Having now lived with the kitchen for several months, I can attest to the high quality of the design, materials and workmanship. Renovating the fireplace was an afterthought but Michael rose to the task magnificently and worked up a design which modernized our family room while preserving our existing gas fireplace. I would highly recommend Neo kitchen for their professionalism, quality, attention to detail, value and after sales service. I am posting "before" and "after" photos so you can see the huge difference.

GTA Wiring hung a tv in our basement with sound system and installed a media shelf (provided by company) for our other tv to hold components. All prices are clearly disclosed on the website so there are no surprises. All wires were ingeniously concealed with the exception of a Roku which we added later. The technician showed up promptly and worked diligently to problem solve and complete the tasks. He left the rooms clean and tidy. I am very satisfied with the service and would use this company again.

I have used Sam's plumbing services in the past, posted a positive review on this site and recommended him to others but unfortunately my more recent experience was less satisfactory. I've debated whether or not to write this review but as I rely heavily on Homestars for honest reviews I think it's only fair that I share my experience. In February I called Sam to repair a toilet that was running on. He replaced the flapper and valve. Within an hour of his leaving, the toilet was running on worse than before. I called him. He was apologetic and said he would come back the next day with another flapper. I shut off the water valve overnight because the toilet was so noisy. As promised, Sam came back the next day and put a different flapper in. All was well for 3 months and then the flapper failed again for no apparent reason. This time I hired another plumber to fix it. Given this experience, I would no longer recommend this company.

I had two plumbing issues: 1) a toilet that was running on and 2) I needed access to the pipe leading to my humidifier which had been inadvertently sealed off during a basement reno. Alex gave me a 2 hour window and showed up promptly within the appointment time. He changed the flapper on the toilet. This toilet had been repaired by another plumber only 3 months ago but the part Alex used looks much more solid. He needed to cut into the drywall to access the humidifier pipe and then replace a section of the pipe with a new valve as it began leaking when turned on. He informed me of the extra cost before proceeding and kept me fully apprised of his scope of work. As I won't be using the humidifier until the Fall, I was happy to learn that he guarantees his work for a full year. I will use Award Plus again should I have future plumbing needs.

I have been a customer of Hometurf since 2010. I previously used an organic weed control company when my children were little and ultimately found my lawn overrun with weeds. Things improved after I switched to Hometurf even though the Ontario government brought in new regulations limiting the chemicals that can be used. Hometurf does a good job of keeping my lawn fertilized and the weeds under control. It isn't realistic to aspire to a weed free lawn these days as all lawncare companies are (justifiably) limited in the chemicals they can apply and I get a lot of contamination from neighbouring lawns whose owners don't use a lawncare company. I believe their prices are competitive with other companies and they don't try to sell you on additional services unless truly needed e.g. grubs. One word of caution though is that they automatically renew the services each year unless you explicitly cancel which I find rather exploitative and can't understand why the government doesn't change this practice through consumer legislation. Overall I am happy with their service and the results they achieve.

Very good experience with Fixit Canada. I had been saving up a diverse list of small repairs around the home for some time. When I called Fixit Canada, Lesley took the time to go through my list, item by item, clarifying the scope of each request and making helpful suggestions. She then sent me an email confirming the list we had discussed. Andrew appeared promptly on the appointed day. He was polite, prepared (had appropriate supplies such as screws, plaster, tools with him) and efficiently moved through my list. I booked a day as my list included patching some large holes in the ceiling where I used to have potlights, planing some doors, hanging a new mailbox and flower hook, fixing an exterior vent cover, replacing a toilet seat that required bolt cutters and a few other small repairs. Andrew was very pleasant and competent and clearly takes pride in his work. I felt the rates ($85/hr) were reasonable compared to the competition. Really glad to have found a dependable handyman service for the small jobs.

I am very pleased with the roller blinds I purchased from Sky for two bedrooms (room darkening) and two bathrooms (mildew resistant). Ben came for a home visit to advise on my options and was patient and flexible as I mulled over the decisions. The installer, Pavel, did a good job and tidied up after himself. The quality of the blinds appears excellent for the price, with the hardware being comparable to my Hunter Douglas blinds elsewhere in the house. The whole process was easy and pleasant. Check out the photos below.

Our unfinished basement started letting in water in 2009. We called a number of waterproofing companies for estimates. All of them proposed digging outside and their quotes were in the thousands of dollars depending on how many feet of digging they recommended. Then my husband found Clarke. They said we had a crack in the wall that they could fix from the inside with their special injectable method. I was sceptical as their method and quote was so different from the others. We decided it was worth a try. Since then, we have had no water leakage in that part of the basement, and a number of years ago we finished the basement completely. I am writing this review to let you know that their method works and, if you have unfinished walls, is much less expensive than digging outside.

The bake element on my GE oven fizzled last week. I called a few of the highly rated companies on Homestars for a quote to replace it. It's not a high end appliance and I am planning to renovate my kitchen shortly so I didn't want to spend a lot of money repairing it. Peter returned my call promptly even though it was a Saturday. He then convinced me it was an easy fix I could do myself if I was prepared to source the part in Toronto. He kindly proceeded to give me all the information I needed so I gave it a try. And with a few minor setbacks (as I'm no professional at this) succeeded! How astonishingly generous of him. It's rare to find such honesty and helpfulness. Modern Appliance will be the first company I call the next time I need appliance repair. Thanks so much Peter.

I've been using What a View to clean my windows and gutters for many years now. They come when they say they will and do a great job. Never any problems. They're also stellar guys and their pricing is fair.

I wish I had taken a 'before' picture to show the difference Jim's work has made to the look of our garage. I hired Reach Restoration to fix a few crumbling bricks at the base of our garage. It was a small job. In fact, so small that another contractor (also highly recommended on Homestars) tried to convince me to fix various hairline masonry cracks in the house as well, to make it worth his while. Fortunately, Jim gave me an honest assessment, and explained to me clearly in non-technical terms why I didn't need to fix those hairline cracks right now. Jim also took the time to explain why the garage bricks had failed, what he proposed to do, and its limitations. Although his estimator had quoted $400 for the job (in line with other estimates I got), when Jim came to do the work he immediately told me he didn't think it would take that long and the bill would be lower. He ended up charging me $250 plus tax instead. Although Jim's honesty is impressive, his knowledge and skill are equally admirable. He patiently answered all my questions despite the fact that it was a very small job and took the utmost care to give me an affordable fix. Fortunately I did not need extensive masonry work, but if I did I would feel 100% secure entrusting my house to Jim, as he does not suggest you do unnecessary repairs and he takes the utmost pride in his work. I would highly recommend Reach Restoration.

I am so glad I chose Carpet Selections to replace the carpeting on my house's second storey. The job entailed almost 2000 sq ft of carpeting to cover four bedrooms, a large landing and a staircase. My experience began with a no pressure home visit by Perry Chasson. I told him I was thinking of a nylon plush carpet in a single colour because of the relatively open layout between the rooms. He was not pushy at all and gave me helpful guidance when I asked. Perry showed me a few sample books, gave me a rough estimate of cost to see if it was in my budget, took measurements and then provided me with an all inclusive price in writing, including removal of the old carpet and moving the furniture. I had already had a few quotes and I can tell you his price was fair. Next, Leo came by to figure out the best placement for the carpet to minimize seams. On the installation date, Perry dropped by several times to check in with his three experienced installers who worked for almost 12 hours to complete the job. Removing a 25 year old carpet and installing a new one is a very messy and dusty job but the installers were polite, efficient and did their best to keep the site clean. I am very happy with how things turned out as you can see from the photos below. Perry takes great pride in his work and the results speak for themselves. I highly recommend Carpet Selections if you're in the market for fresh carpeting.

I called A Perfect Pick because the plate around our front door latch was loose (too much door slamming!) and it was making it difficult to close the door smoothly. John arrived promptly at the agreed upon time. He fixed the loose plate in a jiffy, tightening up the door knob as well. He then took a close look at our double doors and observed that one of them was off kilter and hitting the other at the top. Ah ha, that accounts for all the door slamming. He tightened up all the door hinges so now the friction is minimal. Great detective work and excellent attention to detail! I'm really glad I called a door expert instead of a handyman as John was knowledgeable, efficient and, most importantly, effective. I am confident he has saved me a bigger repair or replacement bill in the future.

Sam fixed two toilets that were running on and unclogged our slow draining shower. One toilet required parts, which Sam made sure to bring with him. He was efficient, courteous and careful. He also insisted on fitting me in on a busy weekend although there was no urgency to my call. I am thrilled with his work and would not hesitate to recommend him or call him again for my plumbing needs.

I agree with all the other reviewers below about the excellence of Miguel's work. I hired him to raise a kitchen cabinet to make room for a new and taller fridge. Unfortunately for me, the old fridge is surrounded by cabinetry, and raising the cabinet over the fridge means it is no longer aligned with the cabinets on either side. It seemed like a tricky job to me but Miguel did it with ease and perfectly cut the moulding on top so the difference in alignment is barely noticeable. I am very happy with his efficiency and attention to detail and would not hesitate to recommend him.

We realized our 2005 Lennox central air conditioner was not working after switching it on the first hot day of summer. I made an appointment with Culzac a few days later. The technician showed up punctually and quickly diagnosed a dead capacitator. He had the part on hand and proceeded to replace it after explaining the problem to me. He then checked the furnace and hosed down the exterior of the a/c unit to remove dust and leaves. In fact, he did a whole bunch of things at no extra charge to ensure our system would work efficiently, and listed them clearly on the invoice so I would know the scope of his work. Our a/c is working really well now. I would not hesitate to call Culzac again.

Mark and his team showed up punctually to remove our old GE dishwasher and install a new Bosch. They did a great job for a fair price and the new dishwasher works very well. I would not hesitate to call Mark again or recommend his services to others.

I called this company in January 2013 after the openers for both of our automatic garage doors stopped working. Steve talked me through the problems on the phone, enabling me to fix one of the doors myself. He diagnosed a broken sensor on the other door. A few days later, I made an appointment for him to replace the broken sensor. He arrived at the scheduled time, replaced the sensor, tuned up both doors and also replaced a broken bulb socket, all for the price he originally quoted me over the phone for the broken sensor. He was exceptionally capable, personable and took real pride in the quality of his work. I would highly recommend him and I will definitely use this company again.