The Conscious Builder Inc.

We were thoroughly disappointed in our experience with this organization. We hired “The Conscious Builder” (TCB) (previously “Cornelis Grey Construction”) to renovate our family home for our 3 young girls and ourselves, expecting a high quality of workmanship. As the work progressed, we began raising a range of issues to the foreman and the owner. Months into the work, we asked some third party trades to come on site to give their views on a few issues. In our opinion, they validated our concerns, and we shared this information with TCB. Then, having already been paid approx. $289k, TCB claimed the job was at substantial completion, final payments were due (i.e. substantial completion, followed by lien holdback; totalling approx. $61k), and they would stop all work if we didn’t pay. Because of the amount of outstanding work/deficiencies we thought remained, we didn’t pay the final payments. TCB abandoned the project (Nov 2014), placed a lien against our home, and sued us. We hired a dozen trades to fix and finish the work (more defects were discovered in the process), and launched a counterclaim. We were further disillusioned with TCB during the lengthy litigation (2015-2017). Although we weren’t successful in all of our claims, a Superior Court Judge ruled in our favour and determined that the cost of completing the work that should have been done under the contract was $116k (e.g. approx. 36k for roofs/roof structure, 10k for wall/floor framing, 10k for paint/drywall, 8k for insulation/vapour barrier, 6k for exterior doors/windows, 5k for interior doors/trim, 4k for kitchen, 8k for foundation/piers). In our opinion, key statements from the Court decision included that “there were persisting and ongoing deficiencies of both a major and minor nature not all of which the contractor was prepared to recognize or rectify”, the “contractor should have known he was wrong in asserting that substantial completion had been achieved and demanding release of the holdback in the face of significant deficiencies”, and the “contractor was negligent and careless in performance of the work and was not justified in abandoning the job.” However, the full Court reasons for decision (released February 2018) can be found online through the Canadian Legal Information Institute. Finally, we were very frustrated with TCB's actions in 2018 following the Court's decision.

We have worked with the Conscious Builder team for many years. They are a great group of people that are very passionate in their beliefs of providing high end work with energy efficient and sustainable materials. We look forward to continuing to work with them.

My project was an energy retrofit, which brought the home from R8 insulation to R28++. The quality of workmanship and attention to detail was exemplary. Follow-ups were timely, and everything was done properly. Neighbours also commented on the excellent work done. All members of the team work together, and they know what they're doing. The house looks awesome and requires much less energy to heat. Win-win for me and the climate! :)

The Conscious Builder designed and remodelled our kitchen, dining room and living room to an open concept area. We had no idea what we wanted or what could be done with this space. Our 1000 square foot home wouldn’t allow any room for our everyday appliances or entertaining our family and friends. The Conscious Builder assessed our living space and came back with several alternatives. Our choice was made and they reconstructed this area into an amazing living space. It was completed on time and on budget. To this day, we are so grateful to have a beautiful home that we love to entertain in with our family and friends. Since then we have referred many people to the Conscious Builder. August 2019

The Conscious Builder was instrumental in building a successful passive house for my family. I am reminded everyday of their workmanship, commitment and attention to detail. Casey (owner) cares about his clients and their projects. He demonstrated, on many occasions, a willingness to collaborate with us and the other trades towards a successful project. It was a pleasure working with the entire Conscious Builder team.

My Crew And I have been doing framing for the conscious builder and it has been a great experience as a subcontractor. The Conscious builder crew are a great bunch of guys to work with. They are knowledgeable, pay a lot of attention to detail and are very qualified in their field of work. My crew really enjoys being on their job sites because it is always a good atmosphere. I highly recommend The conscious builder for any type of renovation or new build

We have a minimalist condo where we had The Conscious Builder build a custom made loft bed. We didn’t know how we will accomplish it but Casey’s team solved all our problems throughout the project: From design to finish, we had the best experience. We still have visitors to our condo comment on the quality and ingenuity of the workmanship. Our favorite part of the project is that the wood and other materials were sourced locally. We would not hesitate to go back to The Conscious Builder for other renovations.

After over 35 years in our home, we decided that it was time for a refresh! We hired The Conscious Builder to completely gut and remodel our kitchen and refinish and paint every surface on our main floor – living room, dining room, hall, powder room, and family room. Popcorn ceilings were removed, crown mouldings and new baseboards installed, doors widened, hardwood floors sanded and refinished, and stair railing and lighting updated. Our small kitchen went from a space with minimal counter and storage space to multiple workstations and ample place for everything. We are thrilled with both the reno process and the final result – on budget, on time, and even beyond our high expectations. Working with the on-site manager, Richard, was a pleasure with his professional and positive attitude, constant communication, precise scheduling, and high standards. The work crew cleaned up after each day and we even had use of our range throughout the entire 10 weeks. Although, as with most renos, we experienced some surprises, none were insurmountable but were solved in a timely, calm, and efficient manner. We always felt that our reno was treated as if it was their own home. We would highly recommend this company.