Attn: Porteous-Hardcastle

I was referred to Porteous Hardcastle in 2015 by my lawyer who had contracted the firm previously for other projects and subsequently by the architect I had chosen for the project.  Both were emphatic that I contact the firm.

This was a big project for me. It involved two additions to a Heritage designated property and a complete renovation of the existing four thousand square foot building to create approximately 8000 square feet of usable space. The project also required Site Plan Approval.   Obtaining the Site Plan approval proved exceedingly difficult but Porteous was there to assist wherever they could throughout the process and finally we were able to obtain the final okay from the municipality.

We did receive a hard estimate from Porteous and they stuck to the numbers throughout the project where the project scope did not change. In a complicated build-out which is Designated Heritage there is a requirement of great flexibility on behalf of the general contractor as issues are bound to  arise with regularity. My concern at the outset was that whomever we employed for the project would view these as gouging opportunities. Porteous Hardcastle never took advantage of the change items required, nor my naiveté, for profiteering and the opportunity was certainly there for them to do so.  At my request Porteous even arranged a meeting of key sub-contractors to re-work their quotes mid-build in a successful effort to mitigate costs. This was done willingly and at no small time cost to the firm and provided a significant windfall on costs for me.

Porteous managed this project from exterior landscaping through to high end finishes throughout and brought in a raft of excellent, on time and on budget contractors through their network.  On the rare occasion when a sub-contractor underperformed, Porteous remedied the situation long in advance of my even noticing the deficiency.

Early on in the build, Rob Vokes, the project manager, told me that we were in a marriage and that the relationship would never end.  This has proven to be true as Rob will periodically check in at site post completion and provide maintenance advice and suggestions. Truthfully Rob has more concern about the ongoing integrity of the building than I do. Post completion we have required several modifications to the workspace to suit evolving needs. Many of these changes are very minor in nature and even though there is very little, if any, profit in these modifications, Porteous Hardcastle is always willing and avid to make certain our needs are taken care of.