About five years ago, I moved into my current house. It required some significant renovations, including a new kitchen and two washrooms.
At the time, I learned that many general contractors only want to take on the big jobs, which are jobs that will cost over $100,000. They also tend to brush you off if they feel your job isn’t worth their time. Fortunately, I was recommended to a contractor by the name of Armindo Rego, who was willing to take on smaller jobs, like the one I had.
The second thing that I learned about general contractors is that when you take them on a tour of your house, pointing out the things that need fixing or renovating, they will just nod or grunt their assertions before discussing a price quote. They may know what they’re doing, but it doesn’t fill me with a lot of confidence when they don’t take any notes and carry on with the task by memory. However, when Armindo showed up, the first thing I noticed was that he carried with him a little book, a pencil and a measuring tape. When we finally got down to the tour, Armindo looked like an eager student in a lecture when I showed him the tasks I needed done. He wrote down everything I said, made his own measurements, and asked questions to clarify everything that I wanted.
In addition to taking on smaller jobs and taking specific notes about the work, Armindo offered a great price, so I hired him. To make matters even better, he and his crew did a wonderful job.
After our first and main project was completed, Armindo demonstrated that he cared more about his clients than the bottom line when he helped me out as more of a friend than a contractor. In particular, my wife and I wanted to add a backyard deck and stairs to go with the newly renovated house, but really couldn’t afford it. I asked Armindo if he could show myself and a handy friend how to do the work, but instead he sent an out-of-work colleague of his over to my house to get things started. His colleague told me to “leave it with him” and by the time I got home, the majority of the work was complete. Top top that off, Armindo came over to work alongside his friend to build a flashy set of stairs so that the deck would look that much better. I certainly expected to pay Armindo’s colleague a few bucks for his time, but suffice to say that for those few bucks, a couple of burgers and a few beers got me quite the deal.
In more recent times, I needed some drywall plastered and painted. It was a very small job, but I didn’t feel comfortable doing it on my own so I called up Armindo. Despite his busy schedule, he and his son showed up over their lunch break a couple of days later. Unlike many workers who would just run in and out, Armindo and his son put down tarps and drop cloths over the floor so that nothing would get dirty, and when they needed to move furniture out of the room, they made sure to move it back exactly as how they found it. With the exception of my walls looking great, it was as if they were never there.
Another thing that I like about Armindo is how he acquires materials for the job that needs to be done. Traditionally, a general contractor will simply add a markup to the original bill if they need any supplies, while Armindo tells you which stores you can buy them from most cost effectively. By eliminating himself as the middleman, he allows you to purchase the materials and save money on the job.
Armindo is everything you want in a general contractor. Clean, tidy, quick, creative when offering design ideas, and very reasonably priced. His philosophy of putting the customer first and letting the money take care of itself always makes it a pleasure when he comes to do work for me, and I highly recommend his services to anyone who has construction jobs- small or large.
Armindo Rego
416-565-6707
