A basement renovation gone wrong has left one family without a house and others hoping for the best as they vacate their properties. The two-story brick home, located at 63 Maria Street in The Junction, was undergoing home renovations that involved digging out the basement when something unthinkable happened.

This story began with the home’s foundation wall moving inward which caused the house to tip. The house continued to tip further and further into a neighboring home until authorities were left with no option except to demolish it. Due to serious concerns that the house was unstable, the homeowner was not allowed back in, and his home was demolished with all but a few of his belongings inside. Neighbors have also been forced to relocate and experienced damage to their properties and belongings.

Who is to Blame When Renovations Go Wrong

So who is to blame for this loss? Investigators have pointed to a Toronto basement renovation company who were underpinning in the basement. This is a process that contractors typically use to replace or support the basement when the floor is being lowered. Underpinning must be managed with a great deal of care, and using experienced Toronto sub-contractors to complete this task is essential. The contracting company has remained silent about what went wrong and where the blame lies, and it is not yet known whether they held adequate insurance to cover the loss.

Importance of Hiring Professional Contractors

Whether or not this catastrophe could have been avoided remains to be seen, but it serves as a valuable reminder about the importance of hiring the right Toronto general contractor especially for a major renovation. Inexperienced contractors often low ball bids in order to gain business, but their bottom dollar construction prices come at a great cost. Without knowledge and experience, contractors are often unaware of very specific measures that must be taken during a home renovation, and their mistakes can cause severe property damage, safety concerns and even loss of life. Professional general contractors get to know the sub-contractors in their community, and their in-depth research allows them to hire reliable and experienced individuals to complete each phase of a renovation. This reduces the possibility of tragic mistakes such as the one this homeowner experienced.

Renovation Insurance

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Additionally, reputable Toronto general contractors retain adequate insurance coverage including liability and workers’ compensation policies. The coverage carried by a professional should be enough to protect homeowners from any loss of property as well as worker injury inside the home and claims that could be filed against them by neighbors in a situation such as this one. If the company working at 63 Maria Street did not carry adequate insurance, the homeowner could be be left making a claim through his homeowner’s insurance company and held liable for all of the financial losses associated with this incident.

Home renovation mishaps do occur, but many can be prevented when homeowners educate themselves about the marketplace and hire an experienced general contractor. At Alair Homes Toronto, we take pride in our extraordinarily high building standards. Our company carries higher than average liability insurance and WorkSafeBC insurance to protect workers and homeowners in the event of a work related accident. This is all part of our commitment to excellence that includes protecting our valued clients. To learn more about renovating your Toronto home with Alair Homes, contact our office.