Robert Koci
Mike Holmes responds
Canadian Contractor ProductNext week, in this space, watch for the first part of Rob Koci's interview with Mike Holmes, in which he responds to some of the criticisms (and compliments) he has received from CANADIAN CONTRACTOR readers.
Well, you’ve had your say about what the show Holmes Makes It Right has done to our industry and your reputation. Now the host of the show, Mike Holmes, will get a chance to answer back. Last week, I did a 30 minute interview with Mike that we will be posting over the next few weeks on canadiancontractor.ca.
I was impressed with Mike during the interview. He was very, very forthcoming while we talked, and didn’t shy away from any of the criticisms you leveled at him. I’ll confess, I didn’t directly quote some of the more personal attacks we received (like, “I wouldn’t let Mike build my doghouse!”) but I did zero in on the three objections that came up again and again; that he doesn’t have a ticket for any of the work he does, that he gets the benefit of sponsors supplying product for free and that he is destroying the reputation of the industry to fill his own pockets.
Now that we have begun a dialogue with Mike, I expect it to continue. At the end of the day, Mike considers himself one of us, and wants to make the relationship between him and the industry right. The only way that happens is if we talk, you you need to continue to send your comments. It would be very interesting if you could send comments that were specific to a particular episode of the show. Just comment on this post to continue the dialogue. In the mean time, stay tuned to this website for more from Mike.
Advertisement
Print this page
A few years ago I was lying in bed watching an episode of Mike Homes.
He a was repairing a leaking bonus room above a garage, that of course was not done right in the first place, and he was on a ladder wiring a new receptacle for a garage door opener, Then later it showed him installing the garage light fixture and installing the receptacle, there was no mention of an Electrician, permit or doing it right by a qualified tradesman, what he showed his viewers was if you need some electrical added to your house get your carpenter to do it!
I was appalled! I found an address to the show and emailed the producer.
I did receive a response which surprised me, and the response read something like this. “We only have a half hour show and have no time to mention those issues”
I had replied again and had stated that it would have been better not to show any wiring being done than wiring done by Mike himself. I have not watched his hypocritical show since!
Most qualified Electricians, qualify as a Builder, but no qualified Builders qualify as an Electrician!
Rob: The reality is, homeowners and others are allowed to do their own electrical. There is no provision in law that an electrician MUST do all electrical in the home. So, actually, Mike is perfectly right in doing what he did.
Absolutely not !
Mike would be allowed to do the wiring in his own home if he took a home owner’s permit…… not in anyone else’s home.
Don Stum PEC
Master Electrician
ps. PEC = Professional Electrical Contractor
@ Robert Koci
I do not know what jurisdiction you are in, but in the NWT it is a lawful offense to perform electrical work unless you have been approved by the Chief Electrical Inspector. It is laid out in the NWT Electrical Protection Act.
The act can be found online, but I will attach the rule pertaining to such work;
Prohibition
8. No person shall perform electrical work
(a) subject to subsection 7(2), except in
accordance with the Code; and
(b) unless he or she holds a permit issued
under section 11, 12 or 13.
Conformity with Code
7. (1) Subject to this Act, all electrical work and
equipment must conform to the standards set in the
Code, as altered or amended by regulations made
under this Act.
Exception
(2) Where, in the opinion of an inspector, the
installation or use of electrical equipment contrary to
the Code would not create a hazard to life or property,
the inspector may permit the installation or use.
S.N.W.T. 2013,c.23,s.2(2).
“qualified electrical worker” means a person
(a) who holds an electrician’s certificate
issued in the Northwest Territories,
another territory or a province, or
(b) approved by the Chief Inspector under
section 4.
Approval of qualified electrical worker
4. The Chief Inspector may, in his or her discretion,
approve as a qualified electrical worker a person who
does not hold an electrician’s certificate issued in the
Northwest Territories, another territory or a province
and may make a permit issued to the person subject to
the terms and conditions that the Chief Inspector
considers necessary. S.N.W.T. 2010,c.16,Sch.A,
s.12(4).
OFFENCE AND PUNISHMENT
Specific penalty
21. (1) Every person who contravenes section 8 or
subsection 17(1) is guilty of an offence and liable on
summary conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000.
General penalty
(2) Every person who
(a) contravenes a provision of this Act or the
regulations for which no specific
punishment is provided, or
(b) refuses or neglects to obey an order of an
inspector made under this Act,
is guilty of an offence and liable on summary
conviction to a fine not exceeding $500 and, in default
of payment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding
one month.
Limitation period
21.1. No proceedings may be instituted in respect of an
offence under this Act or the regulations later than one
year after the day on which an inspector or the Chief
Inspector became aware of the subject matter of the
proceedings. S.N.W.T. 1997,c.8,s.11(3).
If Mike Holmes or anyone else, not QUALIFIED, were to perform electrical work, they would be breaking the law, UNLESS they are approved by the chief Electrical Inspector of the NWT.
Mr Kochi, this is not an answer, especially one by a publisher of a construction magazine. It was wrong for Mike Holmes to perform electrical work, especially in somebody else’s home, period! Your magazine, to which I am glad I subscribe, should promote specificity, precision, safety, the need for high quality work performance by the trades. A jack-of-all-trades approach to construction -this is the impression I get from the performance of Mr Holmes on TV- should not be encouraged or promoted.
I am a home owner and a layperson in this… and i have no idea where others are commenting from… BUT that’s a huge point. Mike Holmes and his company is located in Canada. Is there a huge difference in what is permitted in his area in Canada than what is permitted say….. in California where I am… is it far to say…. unless you are in the area he is renovating in… you really have ZERO opinion.
I am a builder and no electrician should think he can do more than electrical. Lets make a deal, the builders build the electricians do electrical. I know basic electrical and i don’t touch it in a clients project. I have seen electricians try to do there own carpentry, no header where there should have been. Unless you have worked as a builder with someone who knows what they are doing you can’t say you can do it
Amen!! Another thing I don’t see these men trashing every other show on the network!! Must make you feel like bigger men to rip another man down, pathetic. Just remember it is a half hour show and they can’t show everything that is done in 30mins.
Have u seen some of the so called Electricians.
What are you suggesting?
I realize “Holmes Makes It Right” is making consumers aware of the pit falls of renovation work. But it seems slanted toward the extreme cases, and doesn’t balance a view there are many reliable and honest contractors out there, and this gives a false impression of the industry. In many of the cases the home owners should be made more aware they are half the equation. Did they do their due diligence in checking out the contractor they hired (references, licenses etc) did they talk to multiple companies or trades to compare one from the other, did they have a proper budget to have everything on their wish list, or did they proceed with mostly wishful thinking. Where the show takes a real dive is when it comes to the repair and final fixing of the original project. All of a sudden there’s an unlimited budget to not only do it right but over and beyond whats needed. This also gives consumers the false impression that anything and everything should be done, but where does all this extra expense get balanced out (this is never explained). This scenario is more true for the renovation business and doesn’t give the overall right impression of our industry. But I do feel Holmes should be harder on New Home Builders, because the cost driven market gives the building industry the imperative to build as cheap as possible to be able to maximize profits and this has lead to extremely cheap building practices. There are many examples of single homes and multi family complexes that need expensive repairs or are unlivable in a short period of time after construction. This is a result of a price driven market, so the consumers need to be reminded they are half the equation.
In my interview with Mike I asked him about the emphasis on bad contracting in his show. He acknowledged that good contracting doesn’t make good TV, and that’s when he softened his definition of “BAD” contractors. You’ll see the clip soon when we post it.
I totally agree with ben Kruypers, I personally seen some houses being built and am very disturded with what is going on. Where I live we just went through a 2 year building spurt and the quality is bear minimal.
Right on Ben !!
Ben,
It seems you answered your own question. Mike Holmes isn’t making the industry look bad if it has become standard to have to put in as much leg work as you have suggested. Is the industry reputation really at stake if there are so many shady contractors out there that one must do so many back checks and quotes and triangulation. It sounds as though there were so many un trustworthy contractors in the first place it has now led to this behaviour being a requirement. I agree that a homeowner must do their due diligence but to a new homeowner or the in experienced, that level of involvement on behalf of the homeowner speaks to a much greater issue already apparent within the industry. Mike Holmes is simply educating, and really spreading awareness in an industry that is already suffering from a bad reputation, not giving a false impression….
Bravo !!!!!!!!
There are MANY things that Holmes does not do .
I just watch one show where he changed the roofline and had to laminate two by eights or two by sixes would’ve done fine. Also, when you laminate, you should always use adhesive and he did not.
I admit that I have been frustrated watching ‘Holmes on Homes’ and don’t watch it often. The solutions and sometimes the projects are to me over the top and frankly not cost effective for the issues the client faced in renovating.
But I am a fan of the show in the respect of at least shedding light on the less glossy aspects of construction and design. Explaining the shoddy work they find at least causes pause for some do it yourself-ers and allows me as a designer to convince clients to allocate at least some of their budget on structural integrity and the like. When discussing the show with clients I caution them to understand that media, marketing and entertainment have been mixed in large parts to ‘the solutions’ by the end of the program.
I believe a client wants a home they can feel safe and comfortable in. Its perhaps human nature to place faith in ‘if it ‘aint broke don’t fix it’ or ‘well if its lasted this long’. Or for the handy homeowner ‘ it doesn’t look that hard’ and ‘I could do that at half the cost’. Unfortunately I feel the show sometimes brings in the contractors approach of – lets rip it all out and start from scratch and then it will be right.
The overall ignorance with the public and frankly the industries perspective is that there isn’t a middle ground or at least its sometimes very hard to find. I work with residential clients in designing the projects that they have to pay for and live with. I try to focus on the critical elements such as structural, health and safety and dance with the budget around the finish expenses in lieu of doing it right. In these times of economic there has to be a better way for the industry to work together to make it right, safe and affordable.
I applaud Mr. Holmes for the role he has taken in attempting to educate the public and ultimately taking shots from those of us who can’t appreciate the risk involved in taking the spotlight. I’ve met and worked with Mr. Koci and Mr. Holmes in Habitat for Humanity circles and give them both kudos taking a lead in the media to bring some perspective and education to the public.
You’re the first person that has suggested that Mike’s show puts too much emphasis on the “rip it out” approach to renovation. In fact, there are many times when you can fix something with a lot less drama. But again, it doesn’t make for great TV, does it?
In response to some of the comments here I would like to point out that Mike constantly mentiones that people should do their homework. Check references, ask to see licenses & insurance coverage, don’t pay excessive amounts up front. Watch for red flags.
As far as tearing everything apart is concerend, take a recen episode of Holmes Inspection where the people had spent 80 000 dollars to have new heating & duct work installed because many areas in the house were very cold.
The ductwork was wrong, there were gaps, aluminum pipes, improper connections etc. In order to fix the problems walls had to be opened up which revealed other problems like a leak from the top bathroom, which meant more walls had to opened to determine where the leak was coming from.
The bouncy floor in the bedroom was the result of using inadequate 2×8’s for a span they were not desiogned for. There were untold plumbing & electrical problems.
Now, when it becomes neccessary to open up walls to to fix a problem & in the process you discover more problems, what do you do? In Mike’s case, because he has the means, he does what needs to be done.
That does not mean that other contractors, without Mike’s resources should do the same thing. But the least that should be done is to make a home owner aware of the problems & let them decide if they want to live with it or if they want to spend the extra money to have it fixed.
To jump on Mike that he tears everything apart & gets most of his materials from sponsors or for free so he can go over the top when it comes to the job, well, that’s a red herring.
Whether you use expensive or cheaper material, it should be installed properly.
Yes, Mike has bitched about lousy contractors for years & keeps complaining about minimum code. If we had proper laws that would proscecute shoddy contractors instead of terming it a civil matter, forcing people to live with the rip-off.
Judging by some of the scathing & insulting posts on any number of contractor forums, mostly by people who have never met Mike or really know him it would seem Mike has managed to pull the wool over peoples head for 10 years. Does anybody honestly believe that he would’ve lasted that long if he was a grand standing faker?
That’s a lot of Baloney as far as I’m concerned. I think a lot of it is more based on envy and/or jealousy. Any of those critics would jump at the chance that Mike had if it came their way.
Whatever he has achieved so far he has worked damned hard for it and is still doing it.
Disclaimer: I was (unpaid) senior moderator of the Holmes Forum for nearly 10 years & know Mike better than all these naysayers.
Jundee
THANK YOU!! WAS GETTING TIRED OF THOSE POINTING FINGERS. YOU SAID IT ALL BEAUTIFULLY!!
We could care less about “Great TV” we just want Truth,honest TV
When you say ‘we,’ I don’t think you’re the spokesperson for the majority of people who watch Mike Holmes TV shows. As for your ‘Great TV’ remark, if you don’t have great TV, people won’t watch it. Haven’t seen any episodes where Mike is untruthful or dishonest.
Then stop watching “reality tv” because reality tv is mostly staged and orchestrated situations. Granted there are some good lessons to be learned from Mike Holmes show, but except it for what tv is, entertainment. If your looking for truth and facts on tv then stick to watching documentaries and not reality tv.
A few years ago, Mike did a segment on an addition to a home which had a Hi-Velocity System (manufactured by Energy Saving Products Ltd.) spec’d and installed. At the beginning of the segment, he made it clear that the original design to the home had been changed considerably, however the changes were never submitted to the HVAC design department. As a result, not only was the Hi-Velocity System undersized for the application, it was also installed poorly. As the manufacturer of the Hi-Velocity System, we would have looked forward to the opportunity to comment on the install and even take the necessary steps to correct the errors. Although Mike corrected the deficiencies, an alternate manufacturer’s equipment was used, leaving viewers with the false impression that the original equipment was substandard.
That’s a big deal. I imagine i must have been very frustrating to watch. I’ll ask him about that one.
First I will give you my back ground and experiance , I am Alberta trained SAIT Journeyman Plumber/ Red Seal , Class 1 Gasfitter , Building Superintendant with a Building opperator A Certificate . I was self-employed 20yrs. as a subcontractor and also with my own Business . At present I am retired beause of Economic and Heath problems , hopping to be able to go back and do some work later this summer .
With regards to Mike Holms , I like to watch his show , BUT there are things that I question . Watching his show there are always things he dose that I learn from , inreguards to renovations , as that is what I did as a service plmbg/gasfitter , as there are differant ways of doing things and staying with in code and there where things that I did that I was better at than Mike !! The down side and I think this has been mentioned a few times is the tearing out and starting over ? Cupboards smashing and throughing into dumster , why not be careful and take things out and reuse or give to some of the recycle places , same with 2×4’s and other lumber , recycle is good for the environment , people use recycle .
Mike is very big on himself , nothing wrong with self confidence , BUT , Mike is more on doing it his way . With Mike not being a trades person , I guess thats where I would question some of his dog- matic- ness . Going to trade school there are things that you learn , little things , that you won’t learn out side of school , the school stuff is your foundation , from there you then start your learning , but you have got to have your basics . I had a chance to skipp first year plumbing school , I’m glad I didn’t , because I learned things that I needed to know for later on . Any ways I keep watching !
Merv Snyder
Schooling is great but you learn the teachers ways a lot of the time. Some teachers are not greatest information. Text books, depends who writes them as well. Mike Holmes has written books, would it be ok if he were to write the text books for the schools? Life lessons are better learning tools than some CEO sitting in an expensive office with letters behind his name FROM SCHOOLS but cannot build an outhouse. I am prime example with education but not a lot of experiences. Mike Holmes goes over and above ,he is someone I would rather have than those that are building just in code these days. At least Mike will have built century homes one day these others will be lucky if there builds last 10 years. Mike has earned respect. Nothing wrong with perfection.
Hi there.It seems to me that all i have been reading is mostly part negative on mike Holmes.People are forgetting that he is just like us but with more heart. He has volunteered his time into helping people that are less fortunate as well helping those who are in need.Yes he has a segments on television and i have learned alot from his show. I am a single mother and never held a hammer or used a screw driver before i watched this show. Now i have put a sub floor in my basement and i am currently building a room and i am very proud of what my daughter and i have accomplished on our own.This, i give thanks to Mike and his shows and maybe every segment can’t have every step in it as they are timed, but check his sights as i also follow them.So Cheers to you Mike keep up the fantastic work.
Deborah
I was wondering if Mr. Holmes and his crew will be heading to High River Alberta. The devastion there has been compared to New Orleans. I would love to see him help a family there. My son is currently there doing clean up and he tells me everyday how sad it is that people have lost so much. Yesterday while do cleanup he found a award. He gaive it to the home owner , she broke down and cried. My heart goes out to these people and it would be great if Mike and the crew could help a couple of Families. Single parents or an elderly couple? Thanks kate
Kate,
Mike went to High River & promised to do something to help the people there.
Not part of the industry, but I feel all of you folks are unfair to Mike. It’s a television show, of course it needs to tug on heartstrings and show the extreme cases. No one wants to watch a show where he just removes poor window installs and fixes them.
Of course we, the public are ignorant of a lot of things, it’s in every industry though. Q8 years in the automotive industry has taught me more than most. You won’t believe how many people think I’m trying to fleece them when I tell them about what they actually need done on their vehicles.
I just think you folks are being too hard on Mike and not realizing that there are a ton of bad contractors who take a lot of money for poor work. Mike and his team fix it.
Harold:
I appreciate your comment. If you are a good contractor doing good work, you tend to think everyone else thinks like you do. The fact is, there ARE a lot of very bad contractors out there. Another way to look at Mike is to realize that when he highlights bad contracting, it makes the good guys look a lot better by comparison.
I was just wondering , how are the reno’s funded.
This topic has come up & answered many times over the years and in a nutshell the answer is that homeowners pay from 10% to 20% & the show funds the rest.
But that’s a bit of an oversimplication. The way it works is that the network HGTV
(Home & Garden TV Canada) earns advertising revenue which is high when a show is very successful & the Holmes shows have been the most successful of all the shows aired by that network. So the higher the revenue, the more they can spend on the show which the Holmes Group produces.
Apart from the revenue Mike receives from HGTV for the current shows, he also earns royalties for each of the previously shows that are aired in a lot of countries around the world. This can add up to thousands of episodes, past & current, that air every day. Even if the royalties are small, the volume adds up.
In addition Mike has other income from his books, newspaper articles, commercials, endorsments etc. so he is able to do a job that may be more expensive than first anticipated, depending on what he finds. If people are totally broke & can’t afford even the 10 or 20%, he’ll wave that. It also allows him to use more expensive material or add stuff like new appliances etc. if he wants to. Stuff that the owner didn’t even expect.
The frequent complaints from some contractors that Mike goes over the top with expensive materials is a red herring. If he wants to do it & can afford it that does not negate his opinion that no matter what material you use, it should be code compliant, be the correct item for the job & be installed properly.
Sure, some homeowners are unreasonable in their expectations & expect that you do a first class job for peanuts. I know for a fact that on some episodes the owners made some demands for Mike that were unreasonable. In every instance they received a firm NO.
I have to ask. How do you know all this?
I was the first & longest serving moderator of the Mike Holmes Fan Forum (nearly 10 years) and met Mike shortly after he started his show.
Over the years I got to know not only Mike pretty well but also members of his family, his crew, his office staff, some of his longest serving contractors. I was on a jobsite during the first year, as well as had my 70th birthday party at their office with all their staff. I met all the key people in his operation & was present at his charity events like M&M and supported his various charity events when I couldn’t attend.
He knew he could trust me because I never ask for or expected anything except when he & his staff gave me signed pictures & books he had written.
So I think I can safely say I know him better than most of the critics that sound off about him.
I don’t know a thing about Holmes or much about his highly acclaimed and very successful TV series. However, as I am a carpenter (Journeyman, Canadian Standards) I have to let you know I have some concerns. One of those was raised just now on an episode of Holmes Makes It Right. He was disparaging the unknown door installer who had been involved in a recent renovation on the home he was working on. He went on at great length about the “stupidity” of anyone who would hang a door with the hinge pins on the exterior side, and actually went to the extent of ripping out that brand new door and having it replaced with a unit with “normal” hinging. He wondered “whether the door was put in backwards or whether it was the house that was backwards”. However it’s quite possible neither was the case.
Mike never once mentioned the very common and popular practice of hanging doors in “reverse” or “outswing” orientation, particularly where an inswing door would compromise available interior space in smaller rooms, etc. The hinges used are termed “NRP” (which stands for “non-removable pins”) and are available almost anywhere. As well as that nearly all exterior doors on public buildings are either sliding or outswing – inswing doors become a hazard in emergencies where the crush of panicked occupants trying to exit could be disastrous.
Viewers never did get the chance to closely inspect the “stupid” job, to see whether or not the door had been designed and installed as an outswing assembly. Hopefully the homeowner didn’t shell out over a thousand dollars for nothing, (and possibly end up with a room cramped for space ‘to boot’).
I look forward to hearing back from you or Mike, or a representative of the show to clarify.
If Mike Holmes wants to be like one of us, meaning an upfront and honest General Contractor working every day to build and maintain our clients’ trust and good relationship, then I suggest he quit using his national media presence to push his unproven claim that he is ‘Canada’s Most Trusted Contractor’. Your saying it doesn’t make it true, Mike, just as bad contractors making false claims give you a platform for a TV show.
Another wrong assumption. Mike never coined that phrase. It was Reader’s Digest.
The Canadian Parliament also named him a “Builder with a social conscience”.
Mike sparks a lot of comment. I know him personally, and I can tell you he has and always will have the heart of a contractor. It’s been said a million times before, do believe everything you see on TV. Everyone likes to shoot down the big guy, but he comes by his “names” honestly, in my opinion. We’ve been critical of him for sure in the pages of Canadian Contractor, and we have allowed our readers to sound off about him and how he characterizes contractors as bad, but I think he has done good contractors more good than harm. He certainly has elevated the standards of many contractors that would not have felt the pressure to be better otherwise.
Thanks for the biased responses.
I’ve spoken with numerous and varied professionals in my industry, since, and the consensus is that as actual working construction experts we cannot be taking someone like Mike Holmes too seriously. After all, he is simply a television entertainer with no grounding in reality. It’s our responsibility to truthfully educate our clients, without personal or financial prejudice, regarding their specific needs and criteria. Thank you for creating the opportunity for me to realize the difference, Mr. Koci.
By the way, Robert, I have always respected and enjoyed your voice and your work in construction journalism. I would caution you as a fellow professional as to those you make your bed with as stars do rise and fall, leaving their pawns in humility.
I need to add one last item. Has Mike ever paid back the people that subscribed to his magazine that went under?
The answer is no. He lost 1/2 million dollars on that deal. Of course in hindsight he, or his advisors, should have done a better job checking out who they were dealing with.
I am in the process of buying my first home!!!! Unfortunately, it needs a lot of work. My husband is disabled and unable to do most of what needs to be done. I have four grandchildren that live with me and our current house is WAY too small for us all, but as much as I watch his show, the more I realize I need HELP!!! I just cant afford it. Ive even resorted to checking out salvaged materials to do some of this work, but we live in East BF Oklahoma, with not many neighbors. I Would GREATLY appreciate any advise or referrals to any agency’s that could assist us. I just want to make the house pass FHA standards so we can move in and buy it!!! Thanks for your time and consideration, Lisa Watson- Scrivner
I think Mike is a God send for ALOT of people, and would LOVE to have his help. Hes very compassionate and informative, and I record ALL his shows. Would Love to see him in Oklahoma!!!
How many people did this guy screw going bankrupt quite a few i bet . Did it for my wife what a frickin hypocrite. 4/5th of the people paid for what they got and ok it because of money and the viewers just don’t get that information. Yes there’s lots of fly by night contractors out there you pay for what you get. Get referrals. Most the people watching this show don’t have the slightest idea about building codes or renovating.and rely on everything this hypocrite says.Your giving a bad name to good contractors.
Mike Holmes if your so great pay everybody back with interest you screwed going bankrupt you phony. Until then shut up your annoying.
And you are insulting.
Can you give us the details of how Mr. Holmes treated your wife unfairly? Also, can you provide references for the allegation that ‘4/5 of the people paid for what they got?’ You seem to be very angry judging from this invective-laced tirade. Have you been inconvenienced by Mr. Holmes personally? I think you and many others who don’t like Mr. Holmes, are put off by his confidence, which some characterize as excessive. Anyway, ‘screwed,’ ‘hypocrite,’ ‘phony,’ and ‘shut up’ don’t belong in a civilized debate.
We all think we are the best at what we do. I have been one that I will bring in the trades to do what they advertise they do best but I or one of my crew have to fix what the licenced professionals has screwed up. Mike has made a difference but much like the Canadian government he has forgot who has helped him get where he is today. I can remember one of his early shows when he was driving a beat up red Dakota towing a home made trailer, he was beefing up the floor joist in a home, years later he done a show condemning what someone had done while trying to beef up the floor structure forgetting that some people have watched most of his shows. I guest most honest people will try to correct their own mistakes even Mike. I have stayed small for a reason, I like the personal contact I have with my customers and if I make a mistake I fix it without building a new home. Mike, thanks for making a difference but in my experience it is the guys that have the paperwork are the problem. I have helped different people learn the basics in different trades, it was up to them to keep an open mind and learn the skill but because there isn’t enough skilled personnel to verify the knowledge of the new tradesmen but there are people slipping through that shouldn’t be licenced. Mike’s dad and Mike carried the label Handyman, I am not sure if Mike was embarrassed with that label and that is why he started out condemning us but lately he has stepped back. Paperwork is important CONTRACTS protects the home owner as well as the contractor and I believe in it, and Mike I am a registered Canadian Handyman.
As a viewer of Mike Holmes shows. I have yet to see how a contract or insurance has helped a homeowner. And how does shelling out thousands of dollars prior to the job being started protect the homeowner from getting their money’s worth?
When contractors grab the money and walk away, without completing the job, why are contractors not being arrested for felony grand theft?
In today’s high tech world forging licenses should be a piece of cake. So no trust there. Mike Holmes started his show off by saying. “Our countries need boys and girls to take an interest in the trades, there is a huge shortage of experienced trades.
If anyone takes the time to look at the distruction of Mexico Beach, FL. Please note the one house that is still standing (built to withstand a Hurricane 5). Then take a good look at the brand new homes around it, you know, the ones that are shredded into kindling.
Which house would you want?
Laws have to change to protect all of us. Mike Homes might be doing more then he needs to on a television program, but at least he’s trying. Which leads me to question why other contractors and trades aren’t. Sandy
Dear Sir,
Right now a friend of mine is having major construction issues with the so called people that are suppose to be certified. A home that was to be finished by the end of last year is still going on.
The so called construction team is putting up stuff which is not approved by anyone. Then when the owner comes to check it out nothing is anywhere where it should be.
This crew does not even know what a p.o. is for. These people just installed a what was suppose to be a beautiful staircase with huge splits in it. The owner inquired about the cracks ans splits in it and they said it would be handled. Well, it wasn’t they decided to put up the one they had built and tell the owner there it was handled. Yay end up in the hospital ok as the staircase is still there and very unsafe to be around.
My friend was in the construction business until there was unfortunately a very bad explosion and she was badly hurt by it.
They never write anything in hard copy form they only text when they feel it is convenient to do so. Unfortunately there seems to be major problems in communication skills. Even when the owner and the construction crew have a discussion and set out when jobs are to be finished by and the construction crew never gets the timetable right.
Please can anyone out there lend us a hand on how to get this handled the right way.
There are so many problems with this job that I would end up writing you a book.
Sincerely
Eddie Smith eddiesmith60@yahoo.com
Mike.
My Daughter and son in law who are like everybody else it seems are struggling. Their problem is after deciding to redo a Deck out back that was rotten and unsafe for my granddaughter, with the help of family they dismantled the existing deck to find that no ledger plate was installed attaching the deck to the house The contractor had continued the kitchen floor joists 12 feet outside of course some have rotten away and one in particular seems to have penetrated inside the house completely rotten with signs of rodents, now the family are trying to pitch in but only my son has experience in construction but is away in the air force. Mike is this now or ever been Code ? and what would be the best way to proceed, The local contractors are all to busy and not interested in the job. now my Daughter and husband live in Vaudreuille/Dorion Quebec any suggestion would be greatly appreciated Thank You
Mr. Holmes:
After the Katrina storm I’ve written to you twice, for help with making my house right. After the storm, most money was stolen and through the years I managed a little savings. I interviewed well over a dozen licensed contractors and within minutes and some longer, I realized they were all suspicious of being honest and only wanted to use just contractor grade materials and charge custom grade prices. I again, I chose the wrong contractor, 2013, but I refuse to go away accepting the shoddy work. I have to and must make this house right, as I worked hard for it and I’m not a young woman. Please contact me urgently, 504-813-3715, there is much more that I have left out. I cannot attend to my health properly until my house is livable.
Sincerely,
Cathy Vappie
Cathy: I am not sure we can help you get in touch with Mike Holmes. I believe he has a website with contact information there that would be more useful to you. Try this: http://makeitright.ca/contact-us
Cathy, you should contact the MakeItRight Organization in New Orleans. They continue to build and have access to contractors across the area. Also calling your local Carpenters Union and/or Trade Schools will give you access to hundreds of people who can help you rebuild.
Here is a website with contact info, and you can also check for them on facebook. Mike Holmes from Toronto is NOT part of this. His work in NOLA is done, as he got his TV show you may have seen.
makeitright.org
im just wondering does the owner of the house pay for the work or is it paid by the sponsers
thank you I await your reply
just came across your show on Netflix, then came to the website .seems people are complaining about the way he just rips out & replaces . I watched the episode that had a 3 season room on second floor with concrete bottom porch , I thought it would come down , but he wanted to save the wood & rebuild , looked great .but this is a reality show , drama of bad builds sell , also nice to see how to do it right. Way to go Mike!
Finally somebody applauding Mike’s work. He is awesome, no doubt about it. Keep up the good work, Mike.
If the positives are scarce, then maybe there’s a reason so many people are saying negative things about him.
Why is there no web sites or anywhere to report at risk homes prior to a buyer getting health inspector-engineer by luck of the draw find these flaws in homes?
I have had a hellish landlord when she wanted to sell, had already snuck in home to repair and hide structural cracks in foundation, aleaks from skylight, outside vinyl siding tacked on…. lso many other risks of a fairly new home, cover up any issues that would prevent a buyer from looking. I reported as much I could to have this all referenced however environmental health does not address – they said call an engineer.
The landlord got me out of the house – had to honor our end of lease and house is now sale and all is bandaided and hidden until new buyer ends up with this nightmare of a home.
After going through three contractors which put in two skylights after covering over a deck off our upstairs bedroom and having trouble the last three years , our senior years are stressed. mike’s work looks pretty good compared what we are living with.
We are in Prince Rupert B.C. If your in the northern area, we could really use decent contractors.
Thanks.
Jean
Gee, I am a general contractor AND an electrician, so why doesn’t everybody just take a breath and stop all this territorial stuff! Each trade should respect each other!
Hi Mr. Holms,
I love your show you do great work helping people. But I was watching today and you were doing a kitchen remodel the cabnets all looked oak, and on other shows of your’s cabinets look very good ,and you throw them all away. I would for some of those cabinets and I’m sure other people would to.
Thank You
Judy
I would love you to come and inspect our home.we watch your show faithfully
My wife and I would like Mike Holmes to inspect our home too. We own an architectural designed home that was built in 1926. We purchased the home in 1992 and worked on it for three years before moving in. We have a ceramic glazed tile roof that has been repaired by some local contractors that really don’t know how to repair it correctly. Trouble is in our rural area , there’s not anyone close to repair it. We are also having trouble with moisture destroying some plaster. It appears to me that the problem is in the copper gutters where they are attached to the brick. We need someone like Mike that we can trust to tell us how to remedy the problem.
We know you are a very busy man, but we are in desperate need of your advice. We are 80 year old Seniors…we had our long asphalt driveway sealed this week. We have since learned the contractor used Coal-Tar sealant…the smell was bad for three days, we couldn’t even open our windows. We were surprised to learn, after reading on the Internet, that this product is carcinogenic. We are very concerned for ourselves, our well and for our 4 year old Grandchild. Is there anything you would recommend doing to this driveway to make it ‘safe’ again.
I have read that covering it with asphalt would solve the problem. Do you agree? Thank you…can’t tell you how worried we are about this… Hope you can help.
Hi Don: We are not Mike Holmes, but if you would email us at spayne@canadiancontractor.ca, we will take this conversation off the forum and try to help you out. Anyone with experience in driveway paving who wants to weight in, same email and we will report the final conclusion here for all to see.
I would like to say Mike has a tendency to dabble in areas he doesn’t have skills in. An episode of Holmes on Holmes were he cuts a concrete floor with a concrete saw. Mike doesn’t even know how to work it if he did he wouldn’t be cutting backwards. What Mike is doing is dangerous seems to me he wants to look like he knows what he is doing at all times. There is another instance were Mike tells home owners they need to use 3/4 crush around there weepers this is a major no no it’s 3/4 clear, if home owners used crushed like he says they would end up with peeking basements for sure. several other instances from watch his show I have noticed poor workmanship. I’ve been in construction since I was a young boy to like Mike, but I don’t pretend to know everything. I know Mike has made a great living from this show but any real contractor would tell you he’s a phony. I can question his work because in a lot of instance I am a professional at what he claims to know.
I have worked with contract builders for several years and see many of the issues Mike addresses. I appreciate and admire his courage to challenge and fix poor workmanship. Trades should pride themselves in excellent workmanship and I am certain Mike would approve of being put out of business.
As I always see his electrician is on the job. I cant remember his name but is a master electrician and looks over the work. It’s fine.
Good Evening Mike and fellow workers. My story is just so long to even to start to explain. Long of the short, dad has recently been in hospital and then transferred to chronic care. He’s an amputee of one leg (below knee) at the age of approx 2006. As of today, he’s been transferred from hospital to chronic care, and will go to Long \term Care soon. He’s only had 2 jobs in his life, one at Silverwood’s Dairy, and the the Mississauga Transit until his severe heart attack at the age of approx 58 years old. Was on Home care for 3-4 years for his diabetic complications. I have a older sister, and a younger brother who don’t contribute too much. My siblings haven’t talked in 8 years, and now most recent, my sister and I have had no communication since dad’s been sick this time. I actually resigned from manager at a Veterinary Hospital a while back to care for dad at home. Mom and I are in a bad state. Our home is 42 yrs old and is falling apart. MOM AND DAD still have a mortgage and line of credit owing, so if we were to sell we’d lose a lot. Mom is 69 yrs old. I’ve been unemployed for some time to care for dad. Our house has a leak from a window well at the side of the house, which drains though the old window, and always gets the last 3 basement stairs sopping wet. Apparently, my brother-in-law, who’s in construction has sai there is black mold all down the side of the wall that leads to the basement. He’s always said he would repair it, but never has. Im very nervous cause mom mother and i still live here. Dad has a pension, but will go the Long Term Care soon. Mom doesnt get a penion and cries daily, cause the only chance in hell to survive, is to sell their house It hurts me Mr. Holmes cause my parents mean the world to me. My siblings are very welathy and have made it very clear they will not help them in anyway. What are the chances you and your team could offer any assistance? With myself being financially unstable, we won’t be here much longer. Dad has cried hearing us talk about it, and mom has become a different man. I have no where to turn, so I thought I’d at least try to see if you were able to help renovate certain things in this home, hopefully with a reasonable price, or even pro-bono. I’d appreciate some answer as to whether you and your team can help mom and I. And if not, you and your staff do an amazing job on your show!!! Thought it wouldn’t hurt in asking cause the worst answer could be you weren’t able to help. Either way, i’, just so embarrassed that I’ve come down to this.
Any respose would be sincerely appreciated. xoxoxoxox
Many Thanks,
K. Menary
Cheers
Just watched a recent episode where “Mikes” electrical guy once again shows on tv that he is incompetent and why ESA isn’t going after this crap is wild. He lays conduit 18″ down in ground. Perfect ! But then he lays the caution tape right on top of the conduit OMG. This was the owner I believe as well! Here’s some advice to him! You put the tape halfway between the conduit and top of grade so there’s a chance that the tape will do its job by letting whom ever is digging possibly in that area down the road they will hit the tape first before letting them know there’s electrical below! Not right on top which does absolutely nothing!
Please HELP i have a sister and her husband is disabled, on child in high school and she just recently had a heart attack a few weeks ago. I believe if i dont get some help the home may have to be torn down eventually. I am looking into some grants and wondered if there was any chance of suggestions or even HELP. It breaks my heart to see this for her. Please contact me 519-372-5681 We live in Chesley, Ontario, Canada there is one part where the roof is not good. Hoping to hear back from someone. THANK YOU THANK YOU IN ADVANCE
Is this what we have set our energy to? Beating up on poor Mike Holmes? People it is a TV show….. Remember entertainment? If the show was about view the 90% of homes that he didn’t find a project in it wouldn’t make for enjoyable viewing. Rather than beat up on Mike Holmes, consider the intelligence level of the viewing public and just how stupid they must be if they form the opinion that the bulk of contractors are crooked and or incompetent. Mikes ok. I love his build big or go home approach and brand of entertainment. If we need to beat on anybody it should be Shell Busey (no wait…. I have gotten a lot of work fixing problems made worse by Shell’s suggestions. He really is all smoke, mirrors, and caulking)
I never met Mike, only through his TV show personality.
Lets face the facts, he is building a TV show not a construction business.
I like to see Mike Holmes compete in todays renovation market and establish his market share with-out the sponsorship of freebies and finding customers that will pay to get the job done right.
Mr Holmes paints the homeowner as a victim
when in fact , after you watch an episode of his show ,
and you really do some thinking.
You will come realize, the same common pattern with almost everyone of his shows
From the absence of vapor barriers , to the omissions of plumbing vents etc:
It becomes quite obvious that very crucial mandatory municipal inspections have not been carried out on these homes
This brings me to one thought only …collusion , between the homeowner and the contractor .
No permit , no inspection process……,and you can almost bet on it ……no HST paid , or collected .
An unfair advantage over legitimate contractors .
Therefore putting the homeowner and the substandard contractor in collusion for crime .
My point being , culpability lies primarily on the homeowner, Bill c 124 requires that , The only party that is exempt from requiring a B.C.I.N
( building construction identification number ) Is the homeowner .
But oddly enough , that is never mentioned on his( Mike Holmes) show ……..of which he most obviously draws a handsome income from .
realistic ? or good t.v.?
I have no idea why a lot of the public has been led to believe that true and certified proven builders is not an acquired profession and are paid too handsomely .
Well, I notice you didn’t like my comment: “I made a comment to a renovator about Mike Holmes, and he laughed and said that Mike will tear the whole house apart just to repair a broken light switch. I get the feeling that Mike and Damon just bark their orders and don’t actually do any of the grunt work. I have stopped watching the “show”.”
Whatever.
I love watching Mike Holmes!! I don’t understand why idiot people would be so negative!! Their idiots for sure!! I was just wondering who foots the total bill for the repairs!! I’ll keep watching and those that don’t like it, just stop watching and keep your ugly opinions to yourselves, SIMPLE!
Thanks
Mel
Oh AND who cares WHO did the wiring!!! ITS A SHOW AND IM SURE ITS BEEN PROPERLY DONE. DID ANYONE EVEN ASK IF HE WAS AN ELECTRICIAN??
Regardless of Whether Mike Holmes gets supplies or not. He does the job right and corrects the mistakes done by others. The looks on the faces of the people when the work is done correctly is priceless!
I love watching Mike work on his show. I wish I had Mike Holmes working on my house. In my area there is a lot of construction but difficult to get a good contractor to come in and do projects on a smaller scale. My husband never wanted to put any real money or work into our house and now it shows. Now we are getting much older and trying to put money away for retirement which is fast approaching nor do we have the stamina or experience to do the work ourselves. How can I get Mike to come to Nebraska!
Mike
You doing a great job
Love your show
Love your thinking
You can come and do my home in Woodbury CT USA anytime
My home was from watt I see how you do it horrible and it’s only 20 years old
Great job Mike
This show really shows us what crap many contractors do and makes us aware of the pitfalls of renovation. If you bypass this nit picking and look at what we can learn then the show is use full and contributes to the general public knowledge. Mike has worked hard for years to really make that point and educate.
I would love to see a program where the “rip-off” artists contractors are taken to court and dealt with the way they should be rather than just walking away with “stolen” money!!
Hi,Would like to know your opinion about Icynene insulation.My wife has some asthma and is worried that it would make it worst because it is a chemical.We were accepted for a grant to have it done by MJM energy from Darthmouth Nova Scotia Canada.Hope you can pet Her mind at ease before we do it.Old house witha rock foundation.
Thanks Hector Comeau
Hi Hector…I found this on the internet….
http://www.green-energy-efficient-homes.com/icynene-insulation-pros-and-cons.html
It makes no mention of any negative chemical effects. You might look further if you wish….JB
Thanks for the reply John.My only concern was the health issue.We are going to have it done on top of the foundation and it’s going to stay exposed.
I am surprised by some of the hate comments about Mike Holmes. I am a consumer; I love his show. Sometimes he seems to go a bit overboard with his passionate criticism of dishonest contractors but many consumers have been burned. Consumers know that more than 99% of contractors are honest hard working businesses. Mike’s shows help to educate the consumer of what to look for and to not always go for the lowest bid since many other factors are so much more important in a renovation. Knowledge is good but this doesn’t mean consumers are not going to need the services of good professional contractors. Knowledge is power in identifying the less than professional contractors who smear the reputations of the rest. Yes, I would love to have his crew renovate my place partly because it would be paid for by advertising so I would have the best of the best products for free.
Who pays for all the repairs Mike does on all these homes.
Does Mike Home Have Any Ticket In Building Construction???
I wish there would be more Mike Holmes, especially in Regina Sk., Canada.
I have been dealing with renos in basement and bathroom downstairs for the past 3 years. It seems these contractors want to grab the money start, and then scram before the jobs are completed. Last job in 2014 left me pennyless, going thru the court system which that didn’t help, then out more money than expected. And last, the job was more of a mess to re-reno and the fellow walked away with my money. All I needed was a 400 sq ft woman cave finished. Now again a bathroom reno same senerio. Wow, why isn’t Mike here, so in need of him in these tough economic times. These so called contractors, plumbers, and carpenters have been getting away with these scams for years. No court system even helps. When will the judicial system make it right. Concerned and extremely exhausted home owner. Thx
I am a 70 year old great grandma and I love watching Holmes on Homes!!! I love how Mike explaines how things should be done and that his crew takes pride in not only doing their best work every time but almost always goes above and beyond! I am facinated by seeing the new technology used in building, and making homes more efficient and safer! Thank you for your committment to educating people on finding reputable contractors and helping people out of desperate situations!
We recently started up with satellite TV again after years of not having it. We happened to catch about 4 hours worth of the new “Mike does it right.” Have always loved watching his shows and learn so much. I am so impressed that there is a good merciful person out there that is willing to help people like the ones he helps. We recently inherited a house that we are finding issues with but neither my husband or I are handy people. I am disabled and he does road construction – truck driver. One of the episodes last night showed what pine tree roots do. We have a crack in our foundation and it is where the pine trees are and there is a shrub there to. We have to put an egress window in as it is a bedroom so I am nervous as to what is going to be found. My husband and I agree the pines are going to have to go but they are huge and provide so much shade for the house in summer, anyway appreciate the show and all Mike does for hurting people.
how does mike holmes and his crew get paid?
is it a foundation?
Who chooses the houses that you renovate?
You’re not talking to Mike Holmes here, Gene, you are posting on CANADIAN CONTRACTOR. Anyone know how the Holmes house selection process works?
Please say hello to Mike for me it’s been a long time,please ask him if he would like to participate in a WEST VS EAST in a home Reno. challenge our housing market here has gone through the roof and I’m an advocate of more Reno and less tear DOWN. I’ll arrange all required in the west and Mike the east,sound like fun , YOU BET.
Mike Holmes is one of a kind real person. To many fly by nighters in construction. Mike helps people that have been taken and returns some sanitity in there life’s. To bad we don’t have more Mike Holmes in the world.
Wow. Such hate from ppl.
Mike Holmes is a great guy.
He does not complain about every contractor. He complains only about those who are scammed and wants people to check out contractors before they hire them.
He never bashes good contractors and even says hi there are great ones out there.
I just am trying to figure out, when people lost everything because they’ll were ripped off, who is paying for all of this work?
We need you in the states mike. Love the show watch it all the time. Come to florida
Mike,
What roofing is on the 5 year old house you had to replace the exterior. I need to replace my roof 20 years old. I like the look of that house with the gable roof. It looks like a metal roof
Thanks Carl
337-298-7104
I think what he does and his approach is right on the mark. If others are threatened by this then that is their problem not his. I believe he is creating an awareness for the general public on how to search for proper licenced, bonded and experienced contractors so you know the job will be done right. This by itself is a great thing.
I would love to have Mike take a crack at some of the stuff in my house. I’ve lived here for 29 years and I’ve had a lot of things done by recommended friends of friends. Some I’ve seen, that has been shown on his shows as wrong. All of it works but I’m not sure how safe we are…I think he’s great, to bad he’s not in Florida….
I would love to have Mike take a crack at some of the stuff in my house. I’ve lived here for 29 years and I’ve had a lot of things done by recommended friends of friends. Some I’ve seen, that has been shown on his shows as wrong. All of it works but I’m not sure how safe we are…I think he’s great, to bad he’s not in Florida….
If it was done right the first time it wouldn’t have to be done a second time. I’ve had my share of experiences with jack leg carpenters!
Hi Mike..I am a 65 year old grandmom who watches your program as often as I can. I have lived in my house for 25 years. It’s a two bedroom bungalow type home with bathroom on first floor. (Bedrooms upstairs) .Previous owner extended living room about 10 feet to make living space bigger.The problem is that he built a deck on top of living room extension that is cement !!! We have had various contractors out to “figure out ” where or how water is getting in…” replaced living room ceiling three times ..my husband and I are on social security now and I am so afraid that this cement deck is going to come crashing through my living room..we never use the deck ( off of front bedroom) we even had a rubber roof put on deck..now I am starting to see mold on living room ceiling….any advice you could give us would be greatly appreciated..
Hello, I love to watch Mike Holmes, show; does Mike help the homeowners sue their former contractors? I guess if homeowners did sue, the tv show of the rebuilding of their house would help them win their case!
Do you ever contact the contractor and ask ‘why?’
what percentage of home repairs on Mike makes it right is paid by the homeowner?
You know, I pulled this up because it showed the question I want answered “Who pays for the renovations that Mike does without ever consulting with his clients.” I just want a straight answer – what’s the deal – just bait to get people to click on this?
Virginia please see my reply below, I put it in the wrong place..
If the contractor didn’t flub the job in the first place Holmes wouldn’t have to make it right , contractors stop half doing your job, You’re the one that are making Mike a Holmes Rich….I wish he would come to my house. ….I Love your show! !!!
I see this man and his crew as absolute life savers. I had to walk away from a condo that the association (hmo) would not rectify. I now live in a fifth wheel. I really wish we had somebody like him here in the US. Keep up the great work, you are amazing. I just wish you would name the unsavory contractors, and let us know if there was ANY reimbursement or consequential action taken against these Con People. They’re obviously masters of their craft.
Virginia Lloyd, This was answered way up there, just scroll… someone wrote that 10-20℅ is paid by the homeowner if they can afford it. If they cannot, the fee in whole or part is waived. Endorsements and advertising help pay for the repairs. It was also mentioned that if Mike decides he wants to toss in a perk like a pool table, he does it. It’s nice they don’t have to pay twice for the same renovation.
IT warms my heart to see someone helping others, I live for that. But the wonderful show you have created brings me to tears almost every episode. I only hope that in time any contractors that are dishonest will be brought to justice for stressing out honest hardworking people. In short I love the show and what Holmes and his crew dose for unsuspecting homeowners. You will be in my prayers and on my dvr. Your friend Dean.
Robert Koci…or is it crotchety! Asses like you should not have a newspaper …do what Mike does then shoot your mouth off! Verbal Diarrhea,!!
Hi Margie! I can’t quite discern the POINT of your post here. Can you try again?
Mike Holmes is one of the very few that will go the extra mile to make sure the job is done RIGHT, even when it is easier to take a short cut to finish the job. Trust me I have been there and done that and even have the T-Shirt upstairs. I would love to have Mike Holmes do the job on my 1886 Victorian, The reason there are NO Mike Holmes anywhere even close to where I am at. And, I wouldn’t know where to find one.
I love Mike Holmes and being 71yrs. Old I know where he is coming from and appreciate every thing he says and shows us how to make it right. I have had a lot of things done and seen the Mickey Mouse things done. I do a lot of my own fixing in my old double wide mobile. I wish I knew when I was young how much I love trying to be a carpenter. Keep up the grate work Mike.
It doesn’t matter who pays for the product it’s how you price the job for what product it takes to make it right. Cheaper prices isn’t always better.
It’s been said that 80% of contractors are incompetent or crooked, or both. If you want to know why homeowners are leery of contractors, check these out:
http://www.yvanhaince.com/
http://liensliesandlitigation.com/
Mike Holmes has done a great job exposing the joke of the home inspector industry in Canada. Working with realtors, many home inspectors main mission was not to “Blow the Deal” leaving would be homeowners with a house that was full of defects. I spoke to an Ontario home inspector about his qualifcations. His answer, ” I worked for a guy and took the course”. Big deal. One guy from a well known franchise in the GTA told me my eavestrough needed to be moved away from the house to avoid damage to the foundation. They went into an underground piping system that went into a pond in the subdivision. He was told to never set foot in my house again.
I am not a contractor but a homeowner. I for one applaud Mike for his show. If all you contractors take exception to his show than your either doing something wrong or its sour grapes. The best way to see his show end is police yourselves and get rid of all the garbage in your ranks!
Mike Holmes is a Knight in Shinning armor. Meaning he helps people who either can not get help to fix the problem that they have or a contractor has screwed them over Mike comes in and Makes it Right.
He is great at helping people and doesn’t want anything in return. That is what makes him A KNIGHT IN SHINNING ARMOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How about the contractor’s side of how the client’s lied, missed informed ,held back important information!!
Many times over Mike’s client’s move out and store furniture , plus in storages.
Mike why not try and do all the job with client’s living there and all there belongings in the house.
Bids and estaments!!!!! You( Mike)
Your self on every job say ( ohhh shit) we need to do more work here than you originally thougt!!!!!
Every Job you say (ohhh shit) we need to do more work than you (Mike) thought!!!!
In contractor’s words ( I need more money)!!!!!
Client’s always say no we signed a contract!!!!!
You your self would have to walk off that (Job)!!!!!!
It’s sad you get paid with ohhh shit’s!!!!
All other contractor’s lose family, there homes, go to living on the streets!!!!
Shame, shame on you for not telling the contractor’s Pitt falls too…..
It’s been said – by a reputable source – that 80% of reno contractors are either incompetent or dishonest (or possibly both). Contractors are starting to follow the US practice of filing fraudulent liens, which can cost you upwards of $20,000 to get rid of. Here are some details and a general survival guide for homeowners (and a cautionary note for contractors).
http://liensliesandlitigation.com/
I adore Mike and his crew!! Has Mike ever worked with renters? We rent in a 4 plex in Chatham Ontario, and it has so many health and structural problems, too many to list, how can i get help when the owner doesn’t understand English? ?? Plz help us??
I just wish Mike Holmes will come visit me and show me how bad these jealous idiots say he is I would love the opportunity to judge for myself. And compare home to some of the dumb people that can’t handle his popularity
Hi Mike,
Why is my house full of flies all winter? I have tried everything to get rid of them and they are still there? It is driving me crazy!
This isn’t “Mike,” this is Canadian Contractor magazine. What type of flies are you talking about? House flies? Or tiny little fruit flies? Or something else?
We are changing the exterior of our house from Stucco (not in great shape, water seeping and rot). We are considering a bit of stone in the front, the rest of the house will be sided. Our question is should we use Canexcel or Maibec? We live in Ottawa, we get a lot of snow, freezing rain, and lately a lot of rain. We want something that will be trouble free and maintenance free for a long time.
Thank you.
TO MIKE HOLMES .I HAD A WOODEN FLOOR INSTALLED FROM HOME DEPO BECAUSE I WANTED THE PROTECTION THAT THE ADVERDICE TO THER COSTEMERS IF YOU SIGN WITH US WE WILL STAND BEHIND OUR WORK. SO WE HAD A FLOOR INSTALLED IN 2014 AND ARE STILL FIGHTING IT OUT WITH THEM THE FLOOR HAS LOOSE BOARDTS SQUEELS OVER 75% OF OUR FLOOR THEY HAVE COME IN NUMERASE TIME FROMTHE TOP TROUBLE SHOOTER MR. BANNON TO ENDLESS OTHERS AND THE RESOLTS ARE THE SAME WE ARE OLDER PEOPEL 80JEARS AND GET THE FEELING THE JUST WANT TO AUTLAST US I EVEN SAID THAT I WILL HAVE THE FLOOR REPLACSD BY ANOTHER CONTRACTER AND IF THE FLOOR THA NOT SQUEEL JOU PAY FOR IT IF IT DOES WE PAY FOR IT AND NOT MENTION IT ANY MORE SINCE THEY SAY IT IS OUR PROBLEM WHAT HAVE THE GOT TO LOOSE WE ARE GETTING SO FRUSTRATED AND HAVE SO MANY ARGUMENTS AT OUR AGE INSTADE OFF ENJOYING THE FEW YEARS WE HAVE WE ARE BEING WHAT WE FEEL PUSHED ARAUND BY THE BIG CO. PLEASE PLEASE HELP US . THANK YOU GISBERT &GERTRUD STEYER .519-759-5668.
I watch Mike Holmes every time I can catch him on our satelite network. My problem is that we hired someone to do some work for us, and it seems that everytime we voice our disapproval of what they have done, their fixes are making it worse. Is there anyway you can help us? We have no money left for this project.
I really enjoy watching Mike fix things that others mess up.
My husband works part-time- and I work full-time but don’t make very really really hard we don’t even live paycheck-to-paycheck it’s it’s hard if we do very seldom I need a lot of work done in my house and I can’t afford it really I can’t I need all the floor and done I need every room redone of all the Kraken and everything I need the back of the house I think lifted I need my washer dryer out of the kitchen put into a room over self I need it I have two bedrooms I wish I had three but if I could at least make the master bedroom way bigger what it is I’d be happy I just need a lot of work by my inside of my garage needs finishing around the edge of the top the garage needs finishing I need a new door on the small door on the garage I need everything if you know of anybody that can help me please please let me know I cannot afford to pay I’m hoping there’s a company that they get paid for helping people out cuz I cannot afford it and I need so much done so much thank you if you can get back with me at 1 815-274-3885 my name is Brenda only call me if you can help me I live in Braidwood Illinois on call me if you can help me with all this because honest-to-god I cannot afford to pay if you have to be paid do not call me thank you God bless
Contractors have been hired to work on the restoration/renovation of an old cement block home that was left abandoned for six years. Apparently the last tenants had shut of the heat and the pipes froze and burst. It has also been discovered that there were and are multiple leaks in the roof.
There is extensive black mold evident on the drywall, etc. Now on a random check of worksite, I found that the team was putting “mud” on top of the black mold and were beginning to prime. I feel this is extremely dangerous (spent about six hours there and face became red and puffy, chest burning, throat gravely and IBS symptoms).
Can one be effected that quickly by mold exposure and what is the safest way to correct the problem?
Neighbors nearby told me they felt the house should have been torn down (that was before committing to it). I was told that the proper inspections where made to this place too, but didn’t ask to see the reports. I know I have been too trusting and should have dug further into the history of the property.
I would appreciate your professional opinion and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Sincerely,
A. Oliphant
I dont care if someone has a license as long as they do the best job, some of the people I’ve hired who had licenses were far worse than those without licenses.
Why is Mike going to 500,000 plus homes? Why is Mike and the crew not concentrating on old homes that are really in need of fixing based on being built so many years ago, ie; electrical, plumbing, heating? Our home is 114 years old and under renos. We do watch home Reno shows but are tired of seeing homes that people have bought almost brand new and have Mike go in to “fix it”. Help the people who really need help!
Too much time is wasted on the crew fooling around. People are watching to see the repairs , not the crew goofing off. Why would you think people want to watch you learning to ride a horse? That should be a totally different show. I believe Canadian taxpayer money is helping to pay for this production. Stop wasting taxpayers’ money!
This crew works long hard hours. Sometimes without a day off. They do get breaks. And it’s up to the cameraman and the producers to show us what we see on tv. I doubt seriously that you Canadian tax dollars have anything to do with this show except for helping itself to it’s share of profits. Next time your trying to make a true statement make sure you have documentation to back it up.
Quiltinladie@yahoo.com
Mike,
I recently bought my retirement home at lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. After hiring an inspector. I find out basement leaks. Cost me $14000 to repair. I only have limited amount of money to finish repairs. Now find I need new septic system. Along with Windows doors siding roofing and concrete repairs. At wits end on how to fix my retirement home without spending every last penny I have left.
I love my location. But never expected it to be so much work. I am a single older woman.
Any help greatly appreciated.
Karmen
I wish Mike Holmes was close to my area here in Biloxi, Mississippi. I watch the show a lot to learn what to look for in my own home. There is still more improvements I’d like to do to my home but like everyone else it takes money. I’d loved to have Mike check out my home but I know I’m a bit to far away. So I will have to keep watching his show form home. Thanks for a great show. Please have a show on how to keep backyard from washing away.
S2: E14. I was wondering if the contractor was taken to court and did the couple get any of their money back? Thank you.
My wife has early onset. We’ve been dealing with it for approx 10 years. She is now 55. I moved her into a home in Hamilton 3 years ago. I need help. My son is in military and my daughter is under the pregnancy watch. I need help with my house for safety. If you could help. Please help.
I love Mike’s show. Have only owned 2 homes in my life, both “manufactureds.” This show has explained a LOT of issues I should know about next time I buy. But i wonder who PAYS for some of the horrendous expences shown? Mike just “repaired” a basement that cost more than either of my home PURCHASES! Admittedly we live in a much less expensive locale in the inland Pacific northwest but . . .
Feel certain that some folks are offended by things he discloses, but bad work is bad and needs to be outed. Thank you, Mike! 🙂
Who pays for the repairs on the homes that are inspected by Mike Holmes?
I would like to know how to find out some of the products that Mr. Holmes uses particulary the lighting outside in one of his episodes. The solar lights. My husband watches all types of working outside and inside remodeling. I always say he is a “Manly Man” LOL. I would like to locate the lights that I am looking for as a surprise. The lights were in an episode of where the gentleman had a fedish for shoes, and someone crashed into their home while he was going side. I know this isnt much to go on. I caught the middle of this epispode. Sorry….. Regards, Maria Scott
Wish Mike was in the USA. I have learned so much about what to expect. He is so knowledgeable. He deserves whatever money the networks pay him. I wish he would help me. If he can’t come to me, I would love to send pictures and gear his suggestions
I’d like to know why my review regarding mike on the national post an the 6 signs that your contractor is a chum storey was removed…. I expressed my deepest opinions of how commits and statements used effect small business owners like me…. how can that be in anyway a concern to have it removed.. A very hard thing to answer when it’s opinion is of truth I assume . Very defamation comments suggesting a bad contractor will ask for a large deposit, when I in fact ask because of being ripped off to many times or fired at near completions …
Or that if a contractor can start tomorrow he’s available for a reason suggestion…..
Maybe a job was cancelled or late to start like gas happened on numerous occasions to me… does that place me in the category
Thomas, not sure what happened. Sorry if we erroneously removed a good post. I don’t recall the circumstances. Can you repost any comments you recall?
Hi Mike, would u consider building /contracting a new house in Colorado Springs CO?
I love ur knowledge and how u treat ur clients.
One of the things that bothers me about Mike is that he never chastises the homeowners for taking on projects for less money because that’s all they have.
As a contractor, I have given hundreds of estimates where I was not awarded the job because the client said it was too much, only to find out that they had it done by someone else (for half the price) and are not satisfied with the workmanship or finish.
I have done many basements, and the average 800-1000 square foot, unfinished basement usually costs in the area of $40k – when you include: fully finished spaces (with framing, insulation and vapor barrier), finished ceiling (drywall or suspended), multiple separations, hallways, doors & hardware, bathroom rough-in (only), full-code electrical with dedicated circuits and average lighting fixtures, a sub-floor and finished floor (be it wood, laminate and/or carpeting), and multiple paint colors with contrasting trim. Done CORRECTLY with all NEW materials.
For every contractor like myself who wouldn’t do it for $20k, there are 10 who would. And THOSE are the ones who give the industry a bad name.
That said, when 3 or 4 contractors estimate the job at around $40k and the potential customer says they want it done for $20k (because it’s “all we have and we want it done right away”), who is really at fault when the job is botched and they need to call Holmsie in to re-do it for them?
As much as I believe it should be done right, is the onus completely on the contractors for doing it for $20k because it’s all they are willing to pay?
I personally, always tell them to wait until they have saved enough to do it right, but there’s almost always an excuse.
I think Mike’s show has educated home owners about good construction and has made very public the problem with many if not most contracting companies that home owners have been dealing with and had no recourse with when the contractors left the homeowners with shoddy workmanship and empty bank accounts. I want to know where he gets his money to fix all these problem homes? And how does a homeowner protect himself from shoddy dishonest contractors in the first place?
You know if the original contractor had plated the outside AND inside of this 370 square foot home in GOLD plates then it would properly dissappate heat on the exterior and the SOLID GOLD PLATES would have kept the heat and cool on the inside. I’m sure Mike Holmes could save the 370 square foot home for the low price of $970,000.00. The gold is fire and mold resistant.
I’m watching the 2 part episode, “Another Storey”, in which a couple in out $170,000 in a year and the second storey addition is in danger of collapsing. I’m wondering if there is ever a time when a prior contractor gets in some legal trouble as a result of the show. I would certainly hope so!!
I believe as a Contractor Mike has helped educate the home owner and shed light on some of the unscrupulous contractors out there.
At first i was one of those Who The F@#$% does he think he is.
As time passes i like the fact he educates the owner and sheds light on how to build smarter and more efficient.
I like now that he finally tells people what the actual cost are for his renovations.
However i still need to say to some clients this is not Mike Holmes it doesn’t happen in an half hour these things take time.
One other fact that Mike should highlight is that in most cases the owner can be the main reason for some issues.
They are the ones who picked the cheapest quote or purchased there own fixtures from the big retail discount store.
Then wonder why their contractor will not return their calls when it breaks down.
I worked along side my father until his passing 10yrs ago this month and inherited the Stress as well as the good times of this Business.
No matter the TV show or host somebody will always think their better.
So i ‘am one of the minority i guess that applauds Mikes Efforts.
Thank you
Need help remodeling my home no one has updated the wiring, sheetrock instead of plaster thru out the home and no new insulation update since 1927.
HELP!!!!! Can you come and do our house?
KRISTY
We aren’t Mike Holmes agents, sorry. No affiliation with him.
Can you have Mike Holmes contact me in regards to make it right From a purchased home that revealed issues or I could possible use ideas to convert a single family home to a small updated ranch style here in Amherst ny on my existing property, foundation. Email me
We aren’t Mike Holmes’ agents, sorry. No affiliation with him.
I just want to thank Mike and his family and friends…do it properly the first time, like my dear departed dad would have said, or not at all and hire a real contractor. Mike, if you have any suggestions to fix thin, hairline cracks in ceramic tile in kitchen floor, send a suggestion to my husband, he will not replace the tile…a “professional” installed it, but went off the radar, and it was not done so long ago as to warrant a total tear out. Terry can be sms’d at 615.347.3058…he is at dentist now…our business email is Schooltimetn@yahoo.com. Thanks…a long, longsuffering sweet and patient wife.
As i come from Australia
And 75 years old, I cannot thank Mike for what is doing, As he makes me so happy that there are people like him in this troubled world, he is a god on earth,
Thank you Mike
I get a laugh out of people that build decks and just use any crop product out there there’s only one product that should be used and that product is Sikkens it is the best product out there for outside decks if you want it’ll look good any other product you might as well pour gasoline on your deck and burn it
Charlie, you are really passionate about Sikkens! “Any other product you might as well pour gasoline on your deck and burn it!”
In the episode that aired on 7/31/18, Mike used a product to cover the cement blocks in the basement to prevent mold. I believe it used some form of silicone, rubber or flexible material that was an all in one product to paint basement blocks to prevent mold. What is the product and can I get it in the US or online?. Tx Debbie Czech
Djczech@msn.com
I am dealing with a contractor who is conning us. In the very beginning he offered us a huge tax break if we paid cash. I said, “No”! Certified cheque or nothing. Later when I wasn’t home he and his father came here and talked her into paying cash. I walked in the door just after she’d paid him and he was gone before I knew what had happened.
So, he’s got 3 grand. First day, shows 2 hours, wasted some time and left. Yesterday he was only an hour late for he took a 4 hour lunch, left early.
Today he worked though he was an hour late and when he’s about to leave he said, “I’ve under priced the foam and the flooring. Says he needs $1500.00 more in Cash.
I can’t afford to eat the cash but I will to get rid of this man and his crew.
I thoroughly enjoy Mike Holmes. His out look on life , His relationship with his daughter and son, and his crew. One question remains. His wife. Never mentioned in shows or interviews. Why?
If I had unlimited funding I would find a way to donate so that Holmes makes it right or Holmes and Holmes was a permanent fixture in the lives of ordinary people that need it, not just on tv. Everyone has done things that can be portrayed in a shady light in the media but not everyone has done something to give back and “make it right”.
Mike Holmes and family restores my faith in humanity. Now that’s a great man and Son.
I would like Mike Homes Senior and Junior to design and build my home.
My dream home is a single level open floor plan. I want it to be as open of a floor plan as possible with as much natural light as possible.
Two Master bedrooms each with its own master bathroom. I am not looking for a really big house just 1500 square feet.
I really like exposed brick and cement done well is exquisite. Stone, wood, and all natural mediums are great as they add natural beauty, texture, and coziness to any home.
I would say that my taste is something like “French Industrial”/”Rustic Elegant”.
A bonus is to design a soap studio into it somehow as my passion is making handmade soap and cosmetics.
It is a dream to have them build my dream home.
I appreciate their attention to detail and their unwavering tenacity to do it right the first time.
Kind regards,
Tina
I have always enjoyed watching Mike and his crew helping people. And now I thoroughly enjoy watching him with MJ and Sherry, too. My only question is where does the funding come from?
Do you remember the episode I will build you a Mercedes?
I think that “ builder “ is here in Peachland bc back at it and worse than before
Our family really are in a slump our house over hundred year old or older and there so much wrong we desperately need help with it my kids have never been able to have a friend over nite because of our house make me up set we just can’t financially afford new bathroom new floors electric is so old nothing works but few outlets. I really hope to here back from you thanks my family and I live in campbellford Ontario
Mike knows what he is doing. However he is the master of demolition, everything he sees needs to be ripped out, costing clients exorborant amounts of money. He’s often right, things aren’t up to code, water damage, but clients are on limited budgets.
I have a saying in construction. You can have fast, good, cheap, but only two of the three. Mike provides all three. His sponsors foot the bill, but most clients do not have pockets that deep and only need a problem solved.
An example: a customer wanted drainage installed in a commercial parking lot. The building had extensive water damage, a warped roof, and the parking lot was reverse grade, the paver paved over the drainage solution originally installed, so water was running into the underground parkade, driving the tenants nuts.
He wanted it done on the cheap, so I proposed a cheap solution, PVC pipe in a series of trenches to a pre-existing storm drain. We jackhammered through 4-6″ of ashphault to put in the pipes. Unfortunately, despite my urging that he leave the plastic over the concrete for as long as possible, he pulled it all off, put ashphault over top of my concrete (to match the color), blocked the drains, and even cut the screens off the drains (so they will inevitably get plugged, which they already have). He then said that the concrete we poured in sheeting rain was substandard and that it was our fault.
When he showed me pictures, it was certainly not concrete I was called back to repair due to rainwater – it was ashphault. When I asked him about this, he cancelled the job. A quick call to a few fellow pros confirmed my suspicion. Concrete won’t bind to ashphault, especially if it’s fresh concrete; and this guy knew about neither.
The moral of my story here is that when the customer gets involved, things usually go very, very wrong. They need to be advised of what is happening, cost overruns and the reason for them, etc., but once the customer gets involved in a job it goes sideways most of the time. They screw it up, you take the blame. If it goes well, they nickel and dime you on the bill.
Ugh.
More a comment than complaint, your logo has an ‘American’ screw head ‘Phillips’ vs ‘Canadian’ ‘Robertson’
Cheryl, thanks for your comment. Phillips screwheads area about as widespread in Canada as anywhere else in the Western World.
Unfortunatly..most homeowners shop for the bargain basement deal..and most homeowners wouldnt have a clue as to what is a proper code..or above code most homeowner have no concept of straight square and plumb..and the miss or mrs only can see the finished bling ..and have zero concept of a top of the line foundation or what a professionly completed mechanical job would even entail or would take on the appearence of a totally proud licensed installer..that views his completed work as total professionalism and a work of art..for which he/she spent the hours of training for..Unfortunately that most renovations are done without any permits and allows the butchers to take over that we ….the skilled artists of our trades ..have to compete with ..i am a proud licensed Plumber and my work ethic and appearence of my completed work ..is truly correct and usually above code..unfortunatly that the money we as trades ppl pay out to the colleges and universities ..goes unpoliced to put the butchers out of the industry
Mike Holmes, I know you mostly work in Canada, but I could use a miracle right now. My house flooded back in October of 2018, over 3 inches of water went thru the house. I had a friend who did contract work and let him do the repairs, now I’m having to clean up after him. Everything was “finished “ in his eyes, but in mine it looked like a disaster. I am having to clean grout off my backsplash and I’m going to have to use something to fill in gaps where there is no tile or Sheetrock. I’m so discouraged I don’t know what to do. Instead of putting stuff back the way they found it, it was just shoved around and messed up, there is even paint splashed on my flooring that they put down and didn’t clean up. I so wished you could come do a make it right session for me. I am really desperate.
My daughter and her husband bought a house in Bouctouche,NB last October and the house was built in 1964,the basement is concrete blocks and maybe in 1964 there is probably no drain tiles that’s my guess.The basement got and 1 bedroom apartment and the water coming in the living room and kitchen and were the furnace is when it rains so the best way to fix it next spring is to dig the outside of the concrete wall and what is the best way to fix it. Thanks
How much does it cost to have Mike Holmes come and checkout my home. I know we have electrical issues, the previous owners had a flood but we were assured that they were all fixed. I just want to be sure we won’t have an electrical fire.
addressed to mike holmes
we have a major issue with Mike always putting blame on previous contractors, and then doing things that are not necessary himself for a project, sure each person or company may have a fault to a point and there is some bad ones out there, but it is not every job he is on, there have been jobs where you could see something was done right and he still criticized them, instead of always blaming another man or company why not just admitting the dang truth you were not there you do not know what you find it could be done right and faulted or could be done wrong, and when you do not know about something for certain you should not speak about it, you should let the professional who knows about it speak about it to determine if right or wrong.
this is truly annoying you knock any contractor you can but yet you make more mistakes then you are finding yourself, it does not matter if you make mistakes what matters the most in your experience to always blame another person on public tv looks bad for the industry and yourself.
We entered into ORAL contract to renovate our house -main floor for CAD 14,000 (Interior changes)and basement(from unfinished to finished) for CAD 20,000 to a unregistered person based on friend’s recommendation with a condition that we will start the work on main floor first and then if I like we can continue with basement . There was no written agreement but only a mutual friend who is my colleague and also his accountant.
Initial period to complete the main floor was 10-15 days. Not only he did not finish the work in the 5.5 months (During which we missed our festivals and also my wife had to live at that construction site at the time when she was going her cancer treatment) but also the work done is not satisfactory. Yet I paid him in FULL for the main floor as agreed in cash (as not able to bear any headache of dealing with him every day and taking a lesson from such instance).
After learning the lesson in hard way, I refused him for my basement renovation and told him that I would rather pay more money to someone else but won’t give the basement to him.
And now he is threatening me to sue me if I don’t get the basement renovation done through him, under the pretest that he gave me reasonable quote (compared to market which is in fact not as it is well at par with market standards) for the main floor in expectation that I will do the basement renovation through him where he could earn some money.
He gave me below options:
1. Give him more money to cover the fictitious loss made based on reasonable quote.
2. He will sue me for breach of contract.
3. Get the basement renovation done through him
Now, after the unfished and unsatisfactory work I don’t want to give him my basement renovation work and neither am I paying him extra penny than agreed for such work and harassment. And in this regards I need your advice in case if he sue me.
Mike Holmes Sr. isn’t even a licenced Carpenter. Junior maybe but not Mike Sr.
My cousin is one of mikes guys, and has been for many years, and I’ll tell you one thing about Mike , he loves his family, he loves his friends and co workers fiercely and he is one, if not the best and most trustworthy contractor in Canada, if not the world. So for all the haters. Give it a rest and stop trying to ruin a great mans reputation because you have nothing better to do. He doesn’t deserve it.
I’ve been trying to get into my home for many years. I wish for a ‘Mike Holmes’ crew and supplies on a weekly basis. :). I do lots of research on the many projects I’ve tackled and, from what I’ve seen he does (or someone does) make it right! If you (Mike) and your crew ever come to the beautiful state of PA you can work on my house/property anytime.
Some of the comments on here blow me away. Do some of you actually believe that his show is directed at bad contractors to make them better? No! This show is directed at the general homeowner to familiarize themselves with some basic building principles and codes. You certainly don’t have to be a master carpenter to expose some of the crap builds that are going on.
My boyfriend and I have been caught in a crooked contractors web, as one article I read states, a robber can go into a convenience store and steel $100 the cops take them to jail they go to court he is deemed to have a charge on his record, and as in our case, our contractor had a contract and a plan with us,, did not follow the contract or plan numerous times, we have so many breeches from them I lost count, we were paid to date we would not renew the expired contract, and in September they slapped a $102,000 lien on our house with no notice no invoice it is now April we still have not been presented with an invoice, $30,000 later in legal fees which includes a $3500 quantity survey we still have not been heard by the judge yet, a fixed price contract, proof with a quantity survey that we don’t owe them anything, its been two years we still don’t have a home our house is still not at lock up, we have been paying for 2 places, living out of boxes, I cannot help my kids, have missed 2 Christmas dinners with my children and grandchildren,, we have had to keep working because our dream of retiring after the house was built has yet to happen, We have binders full of proof they have blind sided us lied to us, etc, I feel they are trying to “My words” embezzle another $102,000 from us when we have already paid almost $90,000 for a “not at lock up house” and the total fixed price is $307,000 plus GST,,, Why do we have to pay so much in legal fee’s to prove we are being robbed!! I now lost my home base business 2 years ago I had a great clientele waiting for me to re open, now my dream business of Rocks and Crystals, Concrete figures, is still in a storage locker, BC laws are not fair, Contractors break contracts on purpose because home owners need Thousands of dollars to prove they are being ripped off, if they don’t the contractor gets the interest in your property and walks off with extra money in there pocket from an improper lien, what a return for our builder if we could not protect ourselves, they would get $102,000, leaving the home owner with nothing, Not allot of homeowners can protect themselves from improper liens as they have most money tied up in the house, but lucky for us, My boyfriend had some money from the sale of his house and I as well not much but enough to hopefully get our case heard by a judge but those that don’t just have to walk away and let them take there money. Our house is now full of mold,,, an active birds nest, water damage from the hole left in the roof, its been a night mare and extremely stressfull, this house is located on Gabriola Island the company is not a small company and they are not from Gabriola Island we thought getting a big name company would be safer but instead we now feel they have over 40 years experience on how to perfect the lien system to there benefit. Mike Homes please help all we wanted was a house and to retire. This company has horrible e-mails to us. No PR what so ever, Once they took our $49,000 deposit we meant nothing they talked down to us very rude to us, they dont care what is on the plans, they took from July 31st 2017 from deposit date to Dec 4rth 2017 to submit permits that was a huge red flag, and it just got worse and worse and worse One month after it was suppose to be complete it was not even at lock up. they gave us invoices for what ever they felt like, one was not even for our place, they stopped building when they ordered us to pay a $9800.00 extra concrete invoice because they stated they used more concrete then they were suppose to. On a fixed price contract, they wasted time building with OSB when we clearly stated Plywood as on the specification list we approved. another 5 weeks wasted because of that. I am 57 years old, we want our lives back. we just want a house and to retire. Please help change these lien laws, Why does the system allow liens that are not proven to be valid allowed to be placed on your house, Home owners need a better way to deal with this that does not cost $30,000 before a judge can hear your side. Our lawyer assures us he will take our information to the judge in early May 2019 for this improper lien. then what, its been 2 years, how much longer? I would never recommend building with these BC Lien laws in place, they are extremely unfair for the honest home owner and I believe another avenue to protect the home owner should be investigated to help those who are being scammed. I will continue to keep this updated on the progress of the legal system regarding this, and the outcome. but like most home owners we need our funds for the legal system lawyers, so funds for the house and saving the house is not possible. Not fair ,,,,,
I have noticed that the general publics perception of contractors as lazy and doing shoddy work seems to have increased alongside the popularity of Mike’s show.
Might be coincidence, but if I was a betting man I’d say I doubt it.
Not everyone CAN DO IT RIGHT. We wish we could. What’s the best way to do it if we can’t afford your kind of quality.
Mike Holmes DOES show contractors who do things right, and he can be seen complimenting the individual whose company name are often in their clothing. Not JUST a negative show…and geeez…if there were not bad contractors, there would not be a show. Agree that the cost aspect is not reality, wish they would really price it out in a real way but this seems to be the flaw in almost all the home renovation shows.
Hi, Mike: I love watching your show, I truly admire your work and generous kindness you share, helping people and leaving them smile!!!
Long story short, I live w/my disabled brother in our parent’s home, built in the 50’s, never updated! We need help, electric, never could run an AC nor use the bathroom sink, there is none! Anything you could do would greatly be appreciated, I know you are busy. “Thank you again for all you do and then some…” God Bless, Joani Kolar (Hey, we share the same birthday month!)
Well, I this discussion off-topic?
There is absolutely no electrical permit necessary for the Installation PERIOD.
Only a permit to cut a hole, without cutting yourself 😉
…by the way since there is the fire scare running around for 3D printers (which really does not happen that often at all) I am going to put one like this over my 3D Printers, just in case 😉
AWESOME Product
For all the disgruntled building tradesmen…. Do your jobs right! Then Mike will have nothing to say. Personally having tradesmen in my family… I’ve witnessed the shortcuts and shoddy work in the name of profit.
Well I’m a fifty year in the business union electrician, I have worked all types of construction there is. Out of all these remodeling shows on tv Mike Holmes knows what and how things should be done. I watch a lot of these programs and most are just that tv shows for ratings
Well enough said thanks for reading
I can tell you that if I had the money to do over the screw up at our house I would get on my knees and BEG him to come to Alabama and help us with the things that are wrong with our kitchen remodel. My husband has Parkinson’s and can’t do much and actually knows absolutely nothing about electricity and the problems we are having, like one light goes off and comes back on if you move the can of the can lights.
We watch his shows and even enjoy reruns . Linda Boudreaux
Thomasville, Alabama USA
Why does Mike Holmes think that he is the only one that does things right and nobody else knows anything
Iam someone that has been used and my home is in big need of correct improvements . My problem is I have exhausted all our money. Husband has alzhimers and I try the best I can to get some things fixed. Just dont have the money. I have spent our savings on improvements that r literally crap jobs.
Do Holmes and Holmes make it right come to Alabama?
Alabama? What do you mean, Brenda?
I bought a house built in 1961 with an AS-IS inground pool. No pool company will touch it, stating it’s too far out of code and they don’t want the responsibility. I want to fill it in to get rid of it. What kind of company should I be looking for to do the work?
Does he do home repairs for an old age pensioner widow?
That doesn’t have any finances another than an old-age
I’m Aboriginal, l live -off-reserve, please contact me through my email ,thank you
Who pays when the team tears apart a home and changes up the homeowners’ design because it seems every time the house has to be destroyed?
Who pays for the materials and labor that Mike uses on rescues for the homeowners seen on T? Also are any of these homes in United States?
what i don’t understand is who goes after bad contractors and bad insurance carriers who do fault practice towards customers
It concerns me that Mike lets the homeowner off the hook so much. The customer also can be a big part of the problem along with bad contractors.. How many times do customers accept a low quote without checking references? They think they can save money by hiring unqualified tradesmen and not bothering to obtain permits when required. How about exposing some of the bad homeowners that in many cases are the initial cause of the problems. Contractors are trying to make a living on tight profit margins and need better representation Mike. JUST SAYING……….
I am a contractor, and although I don’t agree with all I have seen on his programs. I do believe he has done more good than bad. Except when he sang on one of his earlier shows, my ears are still bleeding. Bad work or fraud, is not trade related, but a personality problem. An honest person will not rip people off no matter what the profession. You do not accommodate a budget with substandard work or materials. Either you raise the budget, reduce the project, or walk away.
I would love to have Mike Holmes come renovate my home. I watch his show often and love it. If you ever want a job in upstate NY, we are 15 minutes from the Canadian Border we would be glad to have you!
Like most shows, these are the most extremes cases that get filmed, Holmes, Dr pimple popper, any profession. My gripe is no one really teaches how to check a company properly. ex: if repair should last yr, builder only does well enough to last , but gives you reference of job 2 yrs old. the owner sais “they done great work”. Had this scene with roof 11 yrs ago that lasted only 6, had a car motor rebuilt 20 yrs ago that leaked oil again 6 months later, or 1 week ago shopping for tires, read an excellent review, only to see same review on 6 other brands of tires. What I get from Holmes is that a lot of problems are started or ballooned by lazy or shady building and code inspectors.