Testimonials | Macanta

We had the pleasure of doing business with Cory and Desmond a few years ago when we had our older home transformed with a beautiful addition. We had met with 3 different contractors, all with varying experience in the are of home renos. Although Cory and Desmond had the least experience, they had enough experience that we were comfortable placing the job in their hands. They were personable, easy to talk too, explained everything in detail, were accurate in both cost and time frame, and in the end, gave us a beautiful home that exceeded our expectations. Since they have finished, we have had few issues, which have been minor at most, and they have been quick to respond and deal with said issues. We recommend their work and will continue to use them for future products we may have.

Monica, Winnipeg Home Addition (Norwood Flats)

Cory and Desmond at Macanta worked with us for almost a year before any work was started, helping us to plan a significant renovation to our home. Ultimately, we removed an attached garage and built a 2 story addition in it’s place, added a covered front porch, replaced the roof, replaced all the windows and doors, and renewed the siding and stucco on the entire exterior of the home. The guys were great throughout, taking the time to explain all of the options and the reasons some things had to be the way they were. They were also really flexible, accommodating changes we asked for as the project progressed and being more than fair with their pricing for the changes. The project has been done for almost a year now and there have been no major issues – no cracks, no settling. The very minor items that did come up were dealt with very quickly. I would definitely use Macanta again and would recommend them to anyone looking for a very professional and fair design and general contracting firm.

William, Winnipeg Home Addition (River Heights)

The experience of working with everyone at Macanta, from first to last, has been wonderful. Cory and Desmond were recommended to us by a friend whose kitchen renovation we admired. From our initial conversation through the drafting and permit process, into the build and beyond, the two of them made us feel listened to and understood.

We worked with Cory and his team to improve on our original conception for our addition, and the final design, completed by Macanta’s draftsman, worked even better for us than we’d hoped.

Renovating an old house like ours (built in 1909) presented many challenges. Each of these – from huge ants’ nests in the sunroom we tore down on the back of the house, to insulating issues with the fan in the new addition’s full bathroom – were dealt with systematically and with a remarkable degree of thoroughness. In almost twenty years of our doing renovations and having them done, we have never — absolutely never — encountered people who have shown they cared more, and been more conscientious, about the quality of their work.

Corey actually insisted on removing the entire shower in our new addition’s bathroom, as well as a custom-tiled surround, some months following its installation due to a leak. He had the whole structure reinforced and everything reinstalled after being overbuilt to ensure no repeat of the problem. There was no charge for this, and Cory explained that he would rather fix the shower once properly than be less thorough and hope for the best. Macanta very obviously and impressively stands behind its work. They made every rough spot we experienced with our build easier to manage.

Our air conditioner fan was stolen from our yard during the renovation, and so Desmond and Cory obtained a new unit for us (again free of charge). We wanted some additional work done on some other parts of our house not included in the original scope of work, and Desmond arranged with their tradespeople to have it done. Although Macanta’s price was not the lowest we were quoted, it was not unreasonable and, given the way they’ve worked with us to create a lovely and functional addition to our home, more and more it seems like we got a deal.

Any large renovation is stressful and disruptive. Desmond and Cory did everything humanly possible to minimize both of these things for us. The tradesmen they used respected our space and were very nice to our kids. Mess was properly managed and the site totally cleaned up upon the job’s completion.

We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Macanta to anyone looking for high-quality, and very smart, builders.

Adam, Winnipeg Home Addition W/Full Bathroom

Our unique character home needed so much work, we had to seriously consider whether it would be better to sell our home, or go through a major renovation. We had heard many horror stories of renovations gone wrong, with problems, delays, and cost overruns, so we were seriously considering a move to British Columbia to avoid putting our family through renovation stress. Having spoken with numerous tradespeople and general contractors, we felt enough confidence and trust in Cory and Desmond, to further explore the idea of putting some major TLC into our home.

We are glad we did!

Cory and Desmond looked after our home as if it were their own. We even lived in our house during the entire project, along with our two kids, aged 14 and 11, from August to November, 2015. We were in good hands with Cory and Desmond. Our house was beautifully finished, on time and on budget. We are proud to recommend Macanta Design Build to anyone considering a major renovation.

Cory took the time to thoroughly understand our situation, and was a valuable resource as we considered various options. Cory’s persistence in researching, combined with his experience building in Manitoba’s climate, allowed us to come up with the best solutions for our situation. We felt confident as we agreed on a scope of work that addressed our needs and wants.

Our renovation included a complete gut of the stucco exterior, full electrical upgrade from knob-and-tube to 200-amp service, multiple additional circuits, garage conduit, phone lines, Ethernet, hot water heater, HRV, kitchen hood fan, framing, roof, soffits, facia, eavestroughs, doors and windows, Blueskin VP100, James Hardie siding, parging, acrylic chimney stucco, drywall, painting, exterior vents, hose bib and hose reel.

Dealing with Desmond is an absolute pleasure, as he handles things with the grace and professionalism of a concierge at a 5-star resort, yet behind the scenes, he meticulously adjusts the daily work schedule to maximize productivity, minimize downtime and ensure a safe job site that is clean at the end of every day.

Cory was on-site everyday to ensure best practices were being followed by the various trades and that we were satisfied with the progress. Cory ensured no shortcuts were taken and that decisions were always made in the best interest of the home and the homeowner. We were so thankful to have Cory readily available and working hard as our advocate.

Were there problems? Indeed, there were several, and each case stood out as an advantage of hiring Macanta as a general contractor. We had an electrician who was reckless, and Desmond promptly replaced him with a different electrician whose standards are more in line with Cory and Desmond’s. The subcontractor installing the siding had suddenly gone out of business, so if we had hired them on our own, we would have been stuck with lost inventory and time. Desmond simply had the siding installed by the framers, who did a better job and were much happier workers. In numerous cases, Cory and Desmond went above and beyond what was written in our contract, by reaching into their own pocket, in order to finish things as if it were their own home. We were treated like family.

Since everything went so well, we went with Cory’s recommendations, and redid the kitchen with new plumbing, cabinets, counter, backsplash and appliances!

Our home has been completely transformed and we love living in it! We have had many complements from friends and neighbours. Perhaps the best part has been how smoothly the whole process went. Anyone considering a major home renovation needs to speak with Cory and Desmond of Macanta Design Build.

Paul, Winnipeg Major Home Renovation (Riverview)

Working with Macanta Design Build on a renovation was exactly what I wanted – a company with great customer service and expertise to handle all aspects of the renovation. The team at Macanta Design Build delivered and surpassed my expectations. The renovation work was great quality and workmanship, and communicating with Cory and Desmond regarding the renovation was prompt and professional. I have and will continue to refer Macanta Design Build for all building and renovation work!

Chad, Winnipeg Renovation (River Heights)

It was a pleasure to do business with Macanta. Cory and Desmond kept me informed throughout the process, ensuring I knew what they were doing when and what was involved both in terms of work and in terms of cost. They answered all my questions and even anticipated some of them. The subcontractors cared as much about their specialties and customer satisfaction as Cory and Desmond, making suggestions to ensure the finished product met or exceeded my expectations. After my bathroom reno, I hired Macanta for additional work at my house, which was completed with the same professionalism and thoroughness.

Melissa, Winnipeg Bathroom Renovation (Riverview)

Macanta Design Build Inc. recently completed a large renovation project for us and they were fantastic. The entire process was amazing, from the initial meeting to talk about options, to meeting with the design team, to the quote process, to working with the interior designer to pick the materials… all the way to the finished product. Each of the trades and workers who were in our home were quick and professional. They left the workspace clean and neat each day and we were very pleased with the quality of their work. Cory and Desmond were very good to work with and addressed any concerns or problems that came up along the way quickly and reasonably. We highly recommend Macanta Design Build Inc. to anyone!

Trina, St. Adolph Basement Development

Macanta Design Build (Cory & Desmond) helped us comply to an order from the City of Winnipeg that identified deficiencies in our recently purchased house that the previous builder/owner had not fulfilled to code. Cory & Desmond were extremely courteous and prompt with their communications. This put us at ease knowing that they would represent us respectfully when dealing with the City of Winnipeg inspector. The project was completed with efficiency which was important in our situation. They are a breath of fresh air in the building world! These two gentlemen have a caring customer service that is quite admirable. We would highly recommend Macanta Design for small and big projects – the service you will receive will be beyond your expectations.

Allan & Simone, Winnipeg Renovation

From first contact when they showed up to price the job to sign off when the job was complete Macanta was on top of the project. The daily contact while the job was being done was great. They always let me know as the project went along what would not work and what would work better. I have a asked them to price out another renovation project at the club and I am receiving the same great professional service. I would recommend Macanta to anyone wanting it done right and within your budget and one time.

Barry, Community Club Kitchen Renovation (Norwood Flats)

Absolutely amazing at their jobs, complex projects run smoothly with Macanta! I would highly recommend this company!

Aaron, Winnipeg Painter

I have worked with Cory on several projects over the past 7 years. He has always treated his clients with great respect and works hard to make every project a success.

Mike, Winnipeg Certified Engineering Technologist

Cory and Desmond are organized, timely and have a high level of expectation on themselves and every trade they work with. They are very clear with their clients on what to expect at every step along the way and deliver projects that bring them on-going referrals and repeat customers- the true sign of a good contractor.

Tammie, Winnipeg Interior Designer