Gilbert Contracting & Renovations Ltd

Customer reviews

This business has 15 Google reviews. We show up to five of them below - read the full listing on Google before deciding.

Estoril

Apr 25, 2025

Thank you Ben, Sacha, and the rest of the team from Gilbert Renovations. Excellent work on our new bedroom and bathroom in our basement. Everything was done quickly, workmanship was amazing, and we will be calling on you again in the future.

Kyle Brand

Mar 6, 2025

A pleasure to work with. Every member of Ben's team that worked with us deserves praise. We needed some structural improvements, and found Gilbert Contracting & Renovations were the perfect fit to do the job. For future renovations we will be calling them again.

Galen McCue

Feb 27, 2025

Gilbert Contracting & Renovations Ltd exceeded my expectations on all fronts. Ben met with us promptly after our initial inquiries for a bathroom renovation. He provided a quote very quickly and took the time to come visit us again to walk us through what his plans were. Once we signed the contract, his team quickly took action. We were provided with a full project workbook at a very reasonable cost, assisted with making selections on our finishes and then the magic happened. His team completed the task on time with very little disruption to our everyday life. We will certainly be using Gilbert Contracting & Renovations Ltd for any future projects.

Melissa Sharp

Feb 25, 2025

My husband and I hired Ben Gilbert for renovations in our loft - we had a bathroom make over. His crew was highly organized, clean and took great care and pride in their work. Great group of guys, will certainly hire them again!

Sherry Gosselin

Sep 3, 2024

My husband and I hired Ben and his crew to build a garage and a complete renovation of our home. The garage was built the year prior and went without any problems. However our experience with the house renovations was not such a great one. Let me say this Dan, Matthew, Curtis and Kirk were an absolute pleasure to deal with. On the other hand we had a lack of communication with Ben who rarely showed up on site, only if there was a problem. We had to leave our home for originally 3 months and Ben knew our timeline that we had to be back in our home by and yet the time turned out to be 5 months . There were days we had no crew on site and we would have to contact Ben to find out when his crew would be back on many occasions. Every time we showed any upset or frustration due to lack of communication he became defensive with excuses. When in fact all we wanted was answers and to have open communication throughout our renovations. With frustration we'd ask when work would resume and we're told "we weren't his only Customer". Work was completed September 1st last year but we have deficiencies that we reported months ago through text with pictures and he has refused to fix them. We had one of his crew here one day and not all was completed, as there is a list. We have tried to deal with these issues with the owner and being frustrated as we are, we felt that we should share our experience.

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Before you hire a renovation contractor in Ontario

No. Renovation contractors are not licensed in Ontario - but the sub-trades they hire may be, and the permits are the real accountability mechanism.

Written contract with a defined scope

Should include a fixed price or a clearly capped cost-plus arrangement, a payment schedule tied to milestones, a start and substantial completion date, a change order process, and what happens if either party walks away.

General liability insurance and WSIB clearance

Two million minimum. Confirm the policy covers the type and value of your project - some policies exclude structural work.

Building permit, pulled by the contractor

Insist the contractor pulls it in their name, not yours. A permit in your name makes you the constructor and shifts liability onto you. This is a genuinely important detail that many homeowners agree to without realising.

Verify with: Your municipal building department.

Licensed sub-trades for regulated work

Your renovator need not be licensed, but the electrician and plumber must be. Ask who they are and verify them independently.

Questions worth asking

Will you pull the building permit in your company name?
Can I see the written scope, and does it list specific products and models rather than allowances?
What is the payment schedule, and is it tied to milestones rather than dates?
How are change orders priced and approved - in writing, before the work happens?
Who are your electrician and plumber, and can I verify their licences?

Read the full renovation contractors hiring guide