Newsam Construction

We hired Newsam to redo the main floor, update the floors upstairs, and a bathroom. They originally said it would be $120k and 3 months. The project cost over $230 and took 11 months. Seriously, 11 months. The project management was so bad; it was a constant struggle to get any progress out of them. The project manager Nick would tell us that somebody would be coming the next day, only for them not to show up until several days (or a week) later, and then they'd do half of what had been planned. Then they'd show up the week after that and do a quarter, of the remaining work. Then 2 weeks later for one item.... and still not be done what had been promised months earlier. They mismanaged the project at every turn. We needed to buy a new bathroom sink because the original one wouldn't work even though we'd confirmed the specs with them before buying. They didn't have the cabinetry built when the countertop people were scheduled to measure it. The siding on the sunroom was wrong and needed to be redone. They left a giant scratch in the brand new floor (though I did demand a credit on the invoice for that). That's just off the top of my head. But what really got me was how they hounded us to pay them the final payment constantly, while the project was incomplete. They were trying to tell me we needed to pay in full back in the summer, 5 months before they finally finished the project. I'm sure that if I had done that, it still wouldn't be done.

We signed with Newsam in Feb 2021 for a basement renovation that they said would be finished in 2-3 months. Here we are in Nov with a still unfinished job. 1) Cost The quote was for $74k. We added/removed a few things later and brought the total price to $69k. Towards the end of the project, without warning, Newsam asked us to pay $101k. Examples of why the costs are higher: •They stated that their quote was irrelevant (just an estimate), and they bill time and materials. This was not discussed at the start and the contract is not clear on this (e.g., it states explicitly that it is a “quote” with a “total price”) •They asked their plumber to provide a quote for some potential extra work, and instead of giving a quote, he executed the work. Newsam asked us to pay for it •They want us to pay a new higher electrical quote ($11.7k vs $7.5k) that they never asked us to approve After several slow back-and-forth exchanges, Newsam agreed that they would come fix their (18) deficiencies if we pay $85k. We are unhappy with this amount but we agreed to pay it as a compromise to have our basement renovation finished. 2) Our safety During demolition, Newsam filled our entire house (two floors on top of basement) with dust (no joke, it was like an explosion, with even clothes inside boxes two floors up from the reno were covered in dust). Despite repeated requests to address the problem, they did not install proper dust control and my wife had repeated asthma attacks. We were forced to move out to an AirBnB. 3) Work quality Mid-July, they stated that the work was complete, but we found >30 deficiencies (e.g., obvious holes in the walls, heating cable for drain not installed). Newsam and their subtrades were generally sloppy. Examples: a)Without authorization, the plumber drilled through our stone foundation to the front of the house b)The bathroom sink and faucet are not aligned. We mentioned this to Newsam before the walls were closed but they forgot to fix it c)We had to remind Newsam at least 4 times before they fixed our stairs handrail d)Newsam lost our toilet finishing caps. They claim to provide high-end services but they told us it’s just a finishing cap, it would be a hassle to find a replacement, and suggested we find it ourselves e)The electrician came on site unaware of many details that we discussed with Newsam f)Our doors still do not close properly, despite several attempts by Newsam g)Documents they sent us often had mistakes 4) Strange bill Newsam asked us to pay $2.5k, which they claimed were plumbing fees because our furnace had an original error in installation. We do not believe the plumber was on site nor that the furnace had an error in installation. We challenged this bill and Newsam waived it.

The team at Newsam Construction did a major renovation for us in 2019-2020, converting our duplex to a single family home. We absolutely loved the quality of work they executed, as well as the professionalism and experience the team brought to our project. When it came time for us to do our deck remodel, we knew who to call. In 2021, the Newsam team did an outstanding job building us a spectacular two-level deck as an extension to our home. They offered expert advice on materials and landscaping options, while staying within our budget. The carpentry and landscaping team did a fabulous job executing the build and ensured the design plan was mirrored in the finished project. Once again, the work was completed on-time and impeccably executed adding so much value and living space to our home. This project is a wonderful extension to our home, truly bringing the 'inside - out'!

From start to finish, the entire team at Newsam was a pleasure to work with. They were very professional in their approach and presented us with a thorough budget for review based on the scope of work. They also guided us though the various quotes that were tendered for each aspect of our project so we could make the best decisions based on our needs. They put together an amazing team of trades and kept us well informed as they worked through each stage of the renovation. Everyone on the team was polite and courteous, and the carpentry staff in particular kept the job-site very clean and well organized. They brought experience, creativity and innovation to our duplex conversion project, and keep our renovation on-time and on-budget. A major renovation can be a daunting task, but for us, the team at Newsam made our construction project go exceptionally smooth. We would highly recommend them.

We couldn’t be happier with the design execution and follow through. We so enjoyed working with the whole team of Newsam Construction from beginning to end! They truly know how to anticipate needs and overcome obstacles throughout the renovation process. We couldn’t be happier with the end results. A huge plus for choosing to work with Newsam and their team are the relations which they have built with their sub trades, electricians, plumbers, designers, architects are indicative to the integrity as to which Newsam Construction carries.

Job is done, however, it turned out to be much more expensive than indicated in the original quote and we had a lot of disputes which we had to settle in court.

I have worked with many contractors. This company is by far the most reliable, most honest and have a team of specialists that re second to none. Each person that came into my houser was stellar, professional, cared about my privacy and my space, protected the work area and cleaned up after, and most of all did expert work. I wouldnt work with anyone else.

Very professional, made work as plan. They made time to understand the project and constraints. Executed the work on time.

Helpful and professional, open towards discussion. Gives interesting ideas and respond to request well. Prompt at responding and delivers valuable insights.

I had newsam construction take care of facelifting my whole business and the job that they did was nothing short of amazing. Every person that was involved from plumbers to electricians and painters delivered exactly what I had asked of then and more including several great Ideas to add to my place of business. Great prices and everything was even done ahead of sceduel. Great great experience and I highly recommend then to anyone looking to takw care of any kind of construction needs

Good day, my situation is unique in that due to circumstances, I required a small plastering and painting job to be done not only well, but in short order. I cold-called Newsam Construction on a Wednesday afternoon and explained my situation. Not dissuaded by the small scope of the project, one of the nice owners arrive at my home the very same day for an estimate. That evening, I had an estimate written up and in my email inbox, which I gladly accepted. On Friday, I was given a starting date, and one of their nice painters came to pick up my paint swatches to accurately match my colours. By Monday morning, the work was being executed, and was competently finished in one day. This was as painless as it could possibly have been, the professionals matched and utilized the particular type of paint I requested, and made sure I was satisfied along the way and before leaving. They are clean and friendly, and aim to please. Who can ask for more?

A commercial tenant of mine representing a large Western Canadian company required the services of a competent professional and licensed general contractor to do trusted work without any supervision. Always courteous , respectful, and diligent, from the manager quoting, to the supervisor, to all workers, and may I add with excellent accommodating attitudes; Newsam performed all work required without incident, quickly, and intelligently. My commercial tenant, as I , were impressed and obviously more than satisfied.