An exceptional contractor

Chimney rebuild and brick restoration Our house, which was built in 1911, was sorely in need of a host of repairs. It needed a new chimney, some deteriorating bricks needed to be replaced, the concrete at the base along the side of the house was cracked.

Jim came out, quoted the job himself and everything was done as described and for the price we had discussed. He was a true professional from beginning to end. He called when he couldn't come as scheduled because of rain, and showed up as soon as the weather cooperated. During the course of the job, he kept us well informed of its progress. We were amazed at how quickly they completed the project. The crew were all very pleasant and left behind a clean work site. It is obvious that Jim and his crew take pride in their work. Thank you Jim, for giving us good value and high quality workmanship. We will highly recommend you to our friends.

Jim is a gentleman and a craftsman.

Repair/replace mortar on flagstone stairs and exterior brick wall. I chose CHR because of the reviews on this website and I wasn't disappointed. Jim was the only one of the mortar/bricklaying companies listed on this website who returned my call for an estimate; this fact immediately sets Jim apart from so many trades/contractors in Toronto. I got lucky since Jim was able to complete my small job owing to a good weather day and his having a brief hiatus before starting a large project. Jim gave a clear, professional explanation and estimate of what he would do and why. He was also very considerate about keeping me informed as to when he would arrive and return. Jim's personable manner was a reflection of a craftsman who takes pride in his work and in the way he treats people. I do not hesitate to recommend Jim.

Reliable and Honest

exterior stairs We called to get an estimate to replace exterior slate stairs. Jim was very busy but came out to do a quote. I was concerned about safety so he fit us in and came to do a temporary repair to get us through the winter. He will be back in the spring and is hopeful that he can save us some money by rebuilding what is there rather than replacing everything.

Transformed our house from tired to fresh

Pointing and repair in the Danforth Our house was built in 1931, and it was showing its age: a few bricks were missing; the entire east wall (and half of the front) had amateurish pointing in white mortar and gray caulking; caulking strips were left from a removed porch enclosure; and the whole house was dirty. It looked awful! Jim and his crew transformed it from tired to fresh. Jim impressed us from the beginning with his knowledge, courtesy, and energy. He really cares! He and his crew worked hard and on time; they cleaned up; and they were sociable and friendly to neighbors. Now our house looks clean, well-maintained, bright, and attractive. The project came in on time and on budget. Jim and his crew are as much artists as tradesmen. We can't recommend them highly enough.

Exceeded My Expectations

Masonry Repair and Caulking Whenever I see the tradespeople on home improvement shows I wonder "where do they get these smart, courteous, skilled, and trustworthy trades?" Many of the ones I've encountered just do a quick and dirty job and then hope the homeowner doesn't notice or complain. Well, I lucked out and found one of the first type when I hired Jim from CHR to do some masonry repair and caulking for my mom's home and my own. The jobs were done right, on time, and on budget. He even took care of some small areas that he noticed needed repair but were not part of the original work order, no charge. The next time I need any masonry work done, Jim's my guy.

Best Contracter ever

Annex Grind Out and Brick Cleaning Jim and his crew are fanastic. The job was to completely grind out and re-morter 2 sides of the house, tuck & point the third, and chem clean my brinks. And what a job - all our neighbours complement us non-stop on how good our house looks now. Best of all, Jim is the best contractor we have had ever. He shows up when says he will, he completes the work on-time, his crew was top-notch polite, and the neighbours were never inconvenienced. Moreover, he gave us frequent updates, informed and consulted on the choices we had to make...AND...he looked after the small details - and that is the difference between good and great!

Courteous, friendly and impeccable workmanship

Restoration of the brickwork We were going to replace the tiles on our front entrance stairs and porch, but in the process we found out that the brick post on both side of the stairs were damage. We had to repair these damages before the tile works can be done.
Jim from CHR came to the rescue. He managed to work around his busy schedule, he was book solid till the end of summer, in order to accommodate us and work on our brick post even if that means working on weekend.
We decided to go with Jim’s company because he impressed us on his first visit with his vast knowledge in restoration and how he explain the extent of the damage and what works needed to be done and very reasonable pricing quote.
What impressed us the most is their professionalism and fine workmanship. Jim attention to detail was impeccable. Jim and his crew were very courteous during the course of the job and keep the workspace tidy and clean at the end of every job.
The result is impressive brickwork.

CHR - great work on glass block installation

Basement glass block windows Our house was built in the mid-1950's and it was time to replace the basement windows with glass block for privacy and security. Jim and his crew were timely (showed up when they said they would), efficient (no extended "breaks") and neat (lots of sheets, cleaned up afterwards).

I was also impressed with Jim's attention to detail in choosing the blocks to fit our windows and the overall appearance when finished.

Exceptional Workmanship

Tuck pointing and basement window infill Our home was built in 1912 and was in need of extensive tuck pointing. Considering the age of our home, and the damage that could be caused by poor pointing work, we obtained quotes from 3 different contractors. Because of his professionalism and apparent commitment to quality work, we decided to go with Jim from CHR – he and his crew did not disappoint. What sets them apart is their appreciation for fine workmanship, combined with extensive knowledge of older homes and their unique requirements. The result is masonry work which is almost indistinguishable from the original, and with which we couldn’t be more pleased. Not only is the finished product outstanding, but the process was painless - Jim was punctual kept the worksite very tidy and completed the job efficiently. We would recommend CHR without hesitation.

Trustworthy and reliable masonry work

Parapet wall restoration While re-doing the flat roof on my century home, it was discovered that the parapet wall was crumbling. The roof work could not be completed until the wall was repaired. Jim was very responsive and quick to recognize the urgency of my situation. His estimate was very resonable and thoroughly explained. His crew was onsite and working in a very reasonable space of time. They worked quickly and efficiently, did an excellent job, and cleaned up the yard (and the neighbour's yard too!) until it was spotless. Very impressive work. Thank you, guys...