Lagois Design Build Renovate

We have a full house renovation to plan and execute next spring and interviewed several companies. We hoped to sign and decide in early November in order to start plans and permit applications but Lagois’ earliest on-site appointment was with Jacob on Nov. 25th. We liked Lagois and they were near the top of our list, so we were ok with a couple weeks delay for our decision and Brenda confirmed our appointment and stated specifically for both my wife and I to attend and to clear the time completely with no distractions. Due to Lagois’ request, both my wife and I booked the day off work and were eager to go through our renovation plans with Jacob. Unfortunately, Brenda called at 2:06pm on Nov. 24th to try and cancel our appointment at 9:30am the next morning because Jacob had flu symptoms. I wished Jacob well but explained to Brenda that both my wife and I took the day off of work for this appointment, since they requested our undivided attention, and asked if there were other options or staff available to keep our appointment? She said she would look into it and get right back to us. Four hours later at 6:06pm Brenda called again to say the only other person has a morning appointment already and she needed to cancel the appointment less than 16 hours away. Lagois had no immediate alternatives or options to try and ensure a timely fix for their cancellation. And it seemingly took four hours for them to confirm just one other person’s schedule. All we were left with was an unnecessary extra two week delay to start our complete home renovation, two wasted days off booked and an unprofessional last minute cancellation from a company we thought had a good reputation. Their “good luck” brush off with no attempt to turn an unfortunate negative into a positive by simply putting in any effort, combined with their seemingly complete disregard for our time made it clear to us that this is not a company to entrust with several hundreds of thousands of dollars of renovations. On the bright side, at least we found out early instead of being left in the lurch with half a home reno completed!

We were very happy that we chose Lagois to do our kitchen renovations. We were very specific about what we wanted, and they worked hard to make our dream kitchen a reality. Chris oversaw the project from start to finish. He was very pleasant to deal with. Andrew was our project manager and checked in with us frequently to confirm every detail. Sophie was the design expert and was attentive to our tastes, and was a pleasure to work with. As we live in a very old home, our project was more complex than the average kitchen reno, and Lagois was the perfect choice.

Herb and his team could not have been a better choice. The communication between me and the team was terrific. Unlike some renovations you hear about, this was stressless! They cleaned up nightly, they came when they said they would and, if there was a problem they called. The project came in on budget and the end results were amazing. This was done in a condo, neighbours can be a problem. I had NO complaints. I'd hire Herb and his team again in a heartbeat.

We were super happy with our project of front deck and stairs in downtown Ottawa. The entire team was impressive with outstanding workmanship and great attention to detail. Excellent communication with us throughout. They involved us in the process so we would be entirely happy with the result and we were! . It was truly stress free. I give this company the highest recommendation possible!

Herb and his team helped us immeasurably with the planning, design, and construction, of our new home. The entire process was lengthy and complicated but they helped us with every decision along the way and made the whole experience virtually stress free. Our house turned out beautifully, and we know we're living in an incredibly well built, high quality home, that absolutely suits us to a tee. Anyone considering a renovation or custom home should talk to Herb, but only if they want a quality job at a reasonable price done by professionals who take immense pride in their work.

We were exceptionally pleased with the Lagois team from start to finish of a major renovation to our home. A truly collaborative approach was taken every step of the way - processes ensure timely communication, attention to detail, top quality workmanship and products, professional project management, and outstanding results. Thank you Team Lagois. Paul and Brenda

Herb Lagois has done an outstanding interior and exterior renovation job on our 33 year old home. His design input provided great ideas and alternatives that met our every wish. His staff was polite, efficient and always available for any enquiries. The project was completed on schedule, on budget and more than met full scope. I certainly recommend Lagois for any Design, Build, Renovate project you may have! Jeffrey J Doll, P.Eng., PMP Past President (96-97) Greater Ottawa Home Builders Associatin

What a wonderful experience! Herb Lagois and team completed a basement renovation which included a bathroom, pantry, and laundry room. From start to finish the highest level of professionalism was evident. They listened to suggestions and implemented them or made alternative suggestions. Throughout the process, Tom, the project overseer, was meticulous in his own work as well as ensuring that other contractors did their work properly, which included a daily cleanup. He would often return at the end of the day when workers had left to check the work performed and immediately fixed anything that wasn't up to par. Sophie helped me chose everything such as flooring and cupboards, and often attended meetings with me to ensure proper measurements were being utilized. Herb Lagois did a wonderful job of drawing up plans that incorporated our wish list. We will definitely be back.

Lagois carried out an extensive renovation/addition on our 1942 built home. Their performance in all aspects of the project was excellent: including initial demolition, design and rebuild. Their selection of trades was first class in workmanship. Their project management provided excellent communications and quick reaction on any issues raised. Lagois were recommended to us because we wanted a no-hassle project. They delivered.

We had Lagois do an extensive interior renovation for us in 2008. When we were ready to tackle an exterior renovation in 2014 we went straight back to Lagois. We did not consider another designer/contractor since we had been so pleased with the quality results and focus on customer service in the first project. We knew from experience that Lagois truly wants to make the customer happy as they are always ready to listen to any concerns and find a solution. We had considered building a custom home, but are very happy that we made a decision to buy an existing house with good bones on a dream lot. We made it our own by working with a quality renovator. We now have a modern updated home inside and out!! The first project included gutting and rebuilding the kitchen, main bath and ensuite. A new interior wall with transom window was added to create an office, hardwood floors were laid throughout the house, a stone treatment was added to the fireplace along with custom maple shelving and mantle, patio doors were replaced, a bedroom was opened up to create a light-filled study and the stairs and railings were redone. When the project was complete we had a custom interior that met our standards for both quality and style. The second project addressed the exterior of our home. Due to the original design of our roof we had problems with ice dams and the management of rain water above our front entrance. The problem was so bad that the walkway was unsafe and water was getting into our basement. Along with these practical considerations we wanted to update the exterior of our home to match the interior and our style preferences. A peak was added to the roof over the front door and the extreme slope of the roof altered by extending the height of our foyer wall. The original skylight was removed and more light was introduced to the foyer by adding a row of windows at the top of the foyer wall and replacing the front door with a model that included full length glass. The brick pillars on the porch were redone in the Craftsman style, the entire roof was replaced in a new colour, the eavestrough was replaced with a larger size to accommodate the volume of water and the soffits and eaves were replaced in a matching modern colour. We are extremely pleased with the result and we now have the curb appeal that we envisioned when we purchased our home. When we drive up we feel the exterior reflects us and compliments the interior of the home that we love so much. The Lagois Team One of the keys to a project's success is communication. The project managers on these jobs, Chris and Tom, kept us in the loop regarding the progress and planned activities and were always there to listen and act upon our questions and concerns. When they ran into a challenge or surprise during the project they would call right away to ask for our input and politely push for our decision to keep things on schedule. They presented recommendations and alternatives when such a situation arose and included any financial implications up front to assist us in our decision making. The material ordering was managed efficiently. The majority arrived in a timely fashion and the schedule was effectively juggled if there were material delays. Any problems with the received material were quickly addressed. The size of the sink originally ordered for the main bathroom had to be changed and Lagois was able to get the replacement sink quickly due to their excellent relationships with their suppliers. We were allowed to complete certain aspects of the project that we felt comfortable doing ourselves like demolition, painting and sealing tiles. We were worked into the schedule and Lagois ensured that we knew when things had to be done so that the overall schedule was not impacted. Lagois was willing to provide advice on the aspects of the project that we were completing ourselves. We felt as though Chris and Tom treated our projects with the respect that they would give to renovations at their own homes. They were both personable, pleasant to deal with and were a calming influence during the stress and excitement of our renovations. No detail was too small for their attention...right down to hunting for a transition solution between a hardwood and cork floor that would meet our approval. On the first project there was a buckle showing in the original drywall of our 2 storey foyer. We were going to address it at another time, but Chris thought that it would be detrimental to the overall effect of the renovation. He worked out a budget that we were happy with and we agree that the end result was worth it. He was also right about removing some of the popcorn ceilings adjacent to areas that we were renovating. The tile in the front foyer was replaced in the second project and this installation allowed us to witness Lagois' commitment to customer satisfaction first hand. We had asked for tight grout lines and Tom had the tiler remove and reset tiles when he was not satisfied with the width of the grout lines. Tom was also concerned about the level of the tiles and had the tiler start over after using a floor levelling product. Herb Lagois himself was key to the success of the projects. He listens carefully to the customers wants/needs in the design phase and ensures that he and his team rework the design until the customer is satisfied. On the first project we initially hired Lagois to do only the design, but we eventually chose them to implement the design since we were so impressed with the company during the design phase. When we were ready to start the second project, Lagois had a new integrated design and build process that we chose to use. Herb visits the site during the construction phase and he conducts a sit down interview with the client at the end of the project to get feedback on the entire experience. His top down focus on customer satisfaction and quality is apparent. We moved out of our home for the first renovation project, but lived at home during the second project. The job site was tidy, broom swept and organized regardless of our presence. The site box and safety information were always in plain view. Plastic sheets were hung, stairs and floor surfaces were covered and the schedule planned to minimize the risk of damage to existing and new materials. A final component to the success of the Lagois experience is a jack-of-all-trades named Jim. He completes all final details and rectifies any concerns that the customer may have. He also does the final clean-up and the pride he takes in his work is always evident. He even helped us solve a dryer venting problem! We would surely employ the Lagois team again.

Lagois helped us design and execute a major household renovation, involving the tear down of an existing addition, the installation of a new 1-storey addition (plus full basement foundation underneath) and structural changes to integrate the addition with the existing house; it also included resolution of a major plumbing issue in another part of the house. Project size between $200K-$300K. We were extremely pleased with the entire process, from quoting through to the final walk-through. Herb and his team (Sophie, Chris, Tom, Andrew, Jim - and more!) were super to deal with. They listened to our ideas, asked thoughtful questions, and were receptive to our responses, even when we might not have gone with their suggestion. There were no major problems; and all minor problems were addressed promptly. All my questions were answered within 24 hours - often sooner. Someone was available on site pretty well every day and we had weekly meetings to address decisions that needed to be made. The final project was delivered 2 weeks early and almost exactly on budget. Any additional costs were because of changes we added. Post-renovation follow-up has been wonderful. It has been 5 months since our reno was completed and we have not had any concerns. Friends who are engineers and architects have commented positively on the quality of the design and workmanship when visiting our home. I would recommend Lagois to anyone seeking to undertake a major renovation. I have heard horror stories from several friends about other projects and am glad to say that I not only got my dream kitchen and home, but that I got it almost stress-free throughout the entire 6 months of work! There were many thoughtful touches added by their team that I hadn't even considered.

Lagois worked with us in designing a 600 square foot extension over our two-car garage and then in supervising the contracting and construction. It was carefully designed to match key features in our 2-story home, such as matching the semi-circular window in the entrance to the house. Thus it looks like the extension was always a part of our house. It may end up as an art studio in the future but is currently rented as an apartment. Thus it has a full bathroom and kitchen, the kitchen, dining room and bedroom sections laid out in an open concept. The unit incorporates in-floor heating powered by the unit's water heater and thus solves the problem of being built over an unheated garage. There is also air conditioning and tenants are very comfortable. Tenants have their own private entrance via an outside staircase, hidden from the entrance to our house. Thus they are not bothered by us and we are not bothered by them. There is also an inside entrance to the unit from the second story of our house, which is blocked off until it becomes an art studio some day.