MatthewB

We started off by getting a free estimate done. It was very helpful to have a knowledgeable person walk you through your entire property explaining any issues or responding to any questions you have. Based on the discussion, we ended up getting a quote to have work done on only a couple trees. No oversell on frivolous or useless services. We then proceeded to have David from Beswick came out to our house to trim two overgrown Japanese Maples that had been neglected for over 4 years by the previous owner of our place. He also properly cut back a severed branch on one of our large trees that had been improperly removed sometime in the past. The work was excellent, and full explanations to all my dumb questions were readily provided. I'll definitely be using them again in the future for any required work and highly recommend them for any tree related services.

When you deal with Buds, you're rolling the dice. They are capable of good service, but you don't always get it - and they don't care if you do or not. Buyer beware. I had some good experiences with this company last summer - spending several thousand to upgrade to a saltwater pool and install a new filter system. These jobs were fine, I even wrote a good review to recommend them. This summer was a completely different story. I had Buds open my pool again this year and it was lacking. The unprofessional crew swore constantly, left their equipment piled inside my flower gardens (ruining new plants), and didn't do half of what they were paid to do. Leaves were thrown onto the patio or stuffed down behind my retaining wall - even though leaf bags were provided less than 10 feet away. They used chemicals that were over and above the typical service, without asking me if I wanted them. They improperly installed jets/plugs on the pool. The list goes on. I wrote a detailed email to the service manager citing my concerns, including photos of the equipment left on top of my flowers and leaves scattered everywhere. The response I got was "Sorry, we use university students to keep costs down, and that their training is lacking because it's seasonal work and they were just getting started." When I asked about the extra chemicals added and charged for, they told me it was my fault and that I should have said something to stop the crew from doing it - because I had previously talked to them to point out where my container was. It wasn't brought up by the crew, it's just apparently my responsibility to stop them from doing EXTRA that results in more fees. No adjustment was made to my bill, not even for the extra chemicals that weren't part of the agreed service that their crew mistakenly added. Long story short, you might get good service... and you might not. They'll still charge you a ton of money either way. I didn't mind paying it when it was a job well done, but I most certainly do mind when it's for the second rate service and response I received this summer. Buyer beware when you deal with Buds.

We had our furnace stop working seemingly at random in the middle of January. Not fun! We called Shiptons as they were highly rated on Google and the first company to come up in Hamilton when you search furnace. Technician (#1) came out, ran a "diagnostic" and said the thermostat was the problem, quoting us $400 to fix it. It was a peaksaver thermostat, so we called them directly asking them to replace it rather than purchasing one through Shiptons. Peaksaver came and replaced the thermostat for free. The problem continued - furnace would randomly shut off. I called back not happy and asked for a more senior technician who could help figure out what the problem is. Technician (#2) came out, thought it might be the door switch and wired around it. Said they would order the door switch and come replace if it wiring around it proved stable (which it did). Technician (#2) came back out to install the door switch, only to find out that the door switch was never ordered, and he didn't have what was required to do the fix. Wasted service call. Door switch is ordered in. Next service call is two new technicians. Technician #3 looks at the furnace and begins to tell me all the things wrong with it. Selanoid valve not working for humidifier. Improperly sloped piping. Leaking gas valve. (NONE of this was mentioned during the initial diagnostic done by tech #1) I had noticed the air had been dry so I decided to replace the selanoid valve. They looked at each other and decided $100 was a good price for it. (no reference to anything) Technician #4 installs the door switch (roughly $12 part) that was previously diagnosed as an issue, and then proceeds to charge me $195 for "overall inspection" (which one would think was part of the original diagnostic fee I've already paid) and replacement of the door switch. Technicians #3 and #4 even acknowledge they are one of the priciest in the area as I let them know I didn't feel that was a very reasonable price for the service that was rendered. I asked Technician #3 how I could add more warmth to my basement because we noted it was cold and we spend a lot of time down there, perhaps through another vent to the room. He told me what was currently there was sufficient for the space. I just told him there was a problem with not having enough heat, how can the response be that what is there is sufficient? Technician #2 seemed to diagnose my problem. So the 2 stars are for him. Four technicians, four visits, and I'm still not sure where I'm really at with the furnace. Not recommended.

GNI was great from start to finish. The in-home estimate from Bill was an educational experience. I contacted them about the attic insulation, but we went through the entire house to make sure any weak areas or cold spots could potentially be addressed. This knowledge also was clearly demonstrated when we discussed what the attic required. The timing of our discussion was when R50 was still considered code, but Bill was aware of upcoming changes to R60, so that was the option we pursued. The two lads that came to do the work were on-time, courteous, and very careful with their work. They carefully wrapped our banister that their equipment would be resting on top of, covered all of the paths they would be using with drop sheets, and were very careful exiting the house after the job (while covered in insulation) to minimize any impact on the house or its occupants. The changes in temperature stability were quickly noticeable and I'd highly recommend GNI to make sure your home is running the way it should be. Thanks GNI!

We wanted a porch enclosure to help deal with our escape artist cats. We had a very tricky roof to work with and a number of companies would not even consider the job because of the roof. Alex came all the way from Toronto to Hamilton to make sure they could do the job before quoting - and for them it was no problem. You could really get a sense of the experience Alex had just by talking about the project with him. The installer, Jim, was just as great. It's not very often you see people as exceptionally good at their craft as these guys. The most telling compliment about this porch enclosure is that people think it was always part of the house. I had a contractor in to do some work before and after the installation and they couldn't even fathom it wasn't there the first time. The enclosure greatly enhances the appearance of our front entry, and the utility of having the extra doors and the wind/rain break is just amazing. To top it all off, they did this for us in the middle of February. Amazing!! Thanks again Alex and Jim!

Firemen movers are a cut above the rest. I've had several different movers in recent years with some questionable results - but right from the start you could notice a difference with Firemen Movers. The four lads sent to deal with our stuff were on time, polite, had a great attitude(the move was in the middle of snowy December), and most importantly: were very careful and protective of our possessions while moving. Everything was carefully wrapped in blankets and plastic wrap, and not a single piece was damaged during the move from North York to Hamilton. I would happily recommend Firemen movers for any job big or small. I hope I don't have to move again soon, but if I do, I know who I'm going to call!

Kevin and Tracy were fantastic to work with. They replaced our nightmare of an old, overloaded panel with a thing of beauty - the end result is neat, organized, and safe panel - it is very clear that they take great pride in their work and won't rest until the job is completed properly. Kevin also had a fantastic suggestion to retrofit some of our energy-heavy (65w) pot lights with 7 watt LED units which ultimately was inexpensive and made a vast improvement in the quality of lighting in our home. They answered all of my silly questions (as I spent most of the time bugging them and trying to learn) and explained everything in very understandable terms. We can rest safely knowing everything is in good working order throughout the house after their thorough inspection, and will definitely be calling them back when it's time to renovate the basement! We couldn't recommend them any higher for any of your electrical needs.

We recently had Vito come to inspect a house we were about to purchase conditional on inspection. He was punctual, polite, and very knowledgeable in all aspects of the home. He was very thorough in his review, documenting and explaining all areas of concern or potential concern for the future. Throughout the inspection I was just full of annoying first-time home buyer questions, and Vito was not only able to answer them all, but did so in a friendly and supportive manner that encouraged me to participate and be part of the inspection for a better understanding of our prospective house. The thermal scanning was a great service as well, as our house had skylights, and it helped to confirm their condition. You're making an excellent choice when you call Vito! Highly recommended!