Reference Letters
"...I have been the Architect on three projects for which Alan was the general contractor. One in the west end was a conversion of a large High Park home into five dwelling units, the second in the east end was the renovation of the rear of a Beaches home to an artist’s studio, the third was the renovation of a west end home with the addition of a third floor. In all projects Alan completed the work to the owners’ and my satisfaction.
Alan works hard and with complete determination to get the project built as intended. He has always been receptive to my requests and the clients’ wishes. When an unusual or tricky site condition comes up, he cooperates to work out the best solution, and follows through.
Some examples of workmanship that make Fortress Construction a step above other residential contractors are:
- He has received the building inspector’s compliments on the fire separations applied to walls/ceiling/stair junctures.
- He has installed modern wood paneling precisely to a very exacting clients’ specifications.
- He will search out and use high-end heavy-duty hardware as a matter of course to ensure the smooth functioning of heavy doors and other architectural elements.
- He is on board with current building code standards for airtightness, insulation, and ventilation in walls and roofs.
Alan and his crews are friendly, polite and respectful to the client and their property."
- Helen Vorster, Helen Vorster Architect, B Arch, OAA
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"We hired Fortress Construction... to undertake a year-long renovation to convert a 5,500 square foot home into a five-unit property with an owner occupied unit for us in our retirement. We considered other contractors before hiring Alan, and, we can say unequivocally, that we made the right decision.
In short, Alan’s work is exceptional, his craftsmanship outstanding and his crew professional...Alan handled all
necessary permits and worked with our architect to guide the project through the City of Toronto’s planning department.
Our weekly meetings during the construction phase allowed for ongoing communication so decisions were clear...We highly recommend Fortress Construction without reservation and would welcome anyone who wishes to see his craftsmanship first hand."
- Carol & Don, High Park Toronto, Multi-Unit Dwelling
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"We had the pleasure of working with Alan Acheson of Fortress Construction on the renovation of our home in 2015. Because the house would allow it, we lived in our home during the renovation, which gave us the opportunity to get to know Alan and his team on a professional and personal level. We found them to be conscientious, courteous and mindful of our presence.
The site was always kept clean and tidy, every effort was made to keep the dust out of our living space.
During the course of our renovation we met weekly to discuss timelines, budget and any issues that came up. For each meeting we were provided with a spreadsheet showing us where we were with each cost item. After each meeting we received minutes summarizing all decisions made and discussed. Alan communicates well, has the ability to problem solve and is very conscientious regarding budgets. He has the uncanny ability to see someone else’s vision or talk it through until he can see it.
All of our sub trades went through a tendering process, with the final decisions being approved by us. In the event of an issue we always felt Alan was looking out for our interests. Our large complex renovation was started in March of 2015 and completed in January 2016. This time frame far exceeded our expectations. We are very happy with our home. It is how we had envisioned it. We will continue to work with Fortress on future projects. We have no hesitation in recommending Alan Acheson of Fortress Construction as a general contractor.
Since the completion of our home Alan has backed up his work when we had minor issues and provided additional support and advice outside the scope of the work he was contracted to do. He still maintains one of the most positive attitudes toward his work, for this reason we continue to enjoy having him in our home."
- Pam & John, High Park Toronto, Restoration & Renovation
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"...And once they started, they never stopped. The crew worked hard, were courteous, and left the place tidy...Their workmanship was great, and they passed all the inspections without issues.
I know a little about construction, and can tell you I was watching closely, and they were solid in how they do things. Another contractor talks about 'doing it right', and I can tell you Alan has that exact philosophy. Alan is very good with people, and can speak at a level you are comfortable with.
I'm a picky person, and Alan conformed to my required style of updates. Sometimes contractors speak in such a way that it seems like a foreign language, and that is not the case with Alan...We are very happy with everything...
I can say with absolute confidence that I have, and will continue to, recommend Alan/Fortress to those seeking a contractor."
- Bob, Georgetown, Foundation Repair
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"We are extremely satisfied with the services provided by Fortress Construction Incorporated...When we started a complete renovation of our century home in downtown Toronto...we hired previous contractors who claimed that they could do the job but within the first few weeks, we realized they were incompetent. ...We were in a very desperate situation and fortunately, upon the referral of a trusted friend, we hired Fortress Construction Incorporated...
Fortress was retained to do all the structural and non-structural framing of our old house and to fix the sagging flooring of the whole house and to construct an elevator hoist way. All of these were extremely complex aspects of construction that require exceptional skills and a very diverse and solid knowledge base in order to deal with all the unexpected circumstances of an old house.
Alan and his crew delivered excellent results in all aspects of the work and they finished within budget and on time. Most importantly, Alan was very honest and very fair with his pricing and he always shows a keen interest in giving his clients a perfect performance. He was determined to fix all the deficiencies made by other previous contractors without any extra charge to us as he considered giving a perfect end-product to his clients a top priority.
We are very satisfied with Alan's work. He gave us close personal attention and was very pleasant (and humorous) to deal with. We highly recommend Fortress and Alan to anyone who needs any renovation work as Alan and his company are no doubt top-notch contractors/renovators."
- Stephanie, Rosedale Toronto, Restoration & Renovation
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"I wanted to write a personal note to you to acknowledge how much I have appreciated you on this project.
There is no doubt in my mind that this project could have taken off sideways a number of times without you at the helm on a daily basis...I regularly observed you being demanding of your trades...I found you extremely professional at all times and always on top of every situation and the innumerable details of the job...
You maintained good rapport on all levels with me...I truly appreciate your responsiveness...There were
a number of challenges along the way where you showed your creativity and used your extensive industry knowledge to come up with solutions we were happy with...
Alan, I want you to know the building you built...has received rave reviews from the membership and community...My sincere thanks for managing this project as professionally and cheerfully as you
did...It has been a real pleasure working with you..."
- John P., Private Club, New Building
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"...Unfortunately our original house was lost to fire and had to be rebuilt from the ground up...Alan was very conscious of our feelings in our heart rendering circumstances...
We were most impressed with the workmanship and quality of construction which shows throughout. The home exceeds all of our expectations and we have many visitors exclaim on the outstanding appearance inside and out...
Alan immediately established a good communication system that kept us informed of the progress of the project.
He was always accessible to answer questions or concerns we had...Again we want to extend our personal thanks
to Alan for all his expertise and guidance during the building of our new home."
- John H., Whitby, Residential, New Building