References

Thelma and John Jarvis:

Rob Borne has built two cottages and two boathouses for us, as well as numerous small woodsheds and other small out buildings. Each cottage project has been radically different in scale and design from the other, and each presented some great challenges, requiring creativity and problem solving. Although not terribly costly, our projects have been widely admired and have been featured in magazines, newspapers and on television.

One of the factors which kept us returning to Rob is that he has standards that are as high as ours. He also works well with both men and women. As a women  I have had experiences in which I have felt my opinion was not valued by builders and that some of the details that were so important to me were considered trivial or unnecessary. Rob understands the importance of details and he is interested in new ideas and unique ways to craft my dreams. He is very willing to spend time looking at all the pictures I have torn out of magazines and to make mockups of trim, railings and so on, so that I feel very sure of how it is going to look before the final decision is made.

Rob has no problem with us finding our own deals when we have the time to do so and he often suggests ways in which we could save money during construction. He also sometimes suggests ways he thinks we should splurge on certain items, so that we do not regret not having done so later, when it is too late. Either way it is our decision, but he wants to ensure that we understand the options.

We like to be involved and want to be on the building site every day, often completing parts of the job ourselves, such as the painting. Rob ensures we are accommodated and does not discourage our involvement.

Having built with a variety of architects, Rob has a keen sense of design and is able to bring many ideas to the table in meetings with his clients and their architect. He is able to give us good design advice as the little daily construction decisions come up, recognizing what will look best with the design that the architect has created.

Our architect speaks highly of Rob and does not hesitate to recommend having him quote on projects for his other clients. He feels that Rob is especially reassuring for clients who do not have a lot of building experience, as he knows Rob will produce a quality product. For the same reason, he thinks that Rob is good for clients who are very picky, like we are.

Although we feel that our building days are over and we will be staying where we are, we do not hesitate to recommend Rob to our friends. We have yet to have any of these people come back to us with anything but praise for their finished cottage and the building process they went through.

Lynn and David Langford - President, Design Air Ltd.:

In 2005, we entered into our Muskoka cottage construction project with architectural plans in hand, a great deal of uncertainty, and little building experience. Fortunately friends who had both building knowledge and high standards connected us with the local and highly respected builder, Rob Borne.

For the year long building process, Rob focused almost all of his energy on our project. Even before we broke ground, Rob steered us through the hundreds of decisions with patience, ideas, numerous hand drawings, mockups, and proud visits to his previous projects. I especially appreciated how generously he dispensed his time during client/contractor meetings to make the experience exhilarating, creative, and fun. He patiently answered our hundreds of questions with detail, always amazing us with his deep construction knowledge and experience.

From my collection of pictures, Rob and I copuld discuss the details that make a building beautiful. Often Rob would return the next day with a few painted or stained mockups of trim details, door stains, or wood railing detail samples.

Knowing how to save money and where to spend extra is an area of Rob’s expertise. Not unlike most building projects we found areas where extras were desired, but we always felt that Rob was honest and fair in his charges.

Most important, I can say that long after the crews have left, Rob takes great personal responsibility to us, and pride in building a solid, dry, and beautiful building. I cannot imagine that we will build again in Muskoka without Rob.

Carolyn Crozier:

We chose Robert Borne to act as our builder to construct our Muskoka family cottage/home.   He worked with us to create a truly beautiful and timeless building that became a treasure. 

As a builder Rob exceeded our expectations.  Because of this, our relationship with Rob Borne at the end of the project was even stronger and more positive. He demonstrated a combination of several strengths that you don’t usually find in one builder.  These abilities made all the difference to the success of our project.  

As you begin to meet with Mr. Borne to discuss your project, you’ll notice the good interpersonal and communication skills that will be the foundation of the success of the partnership – builder and owners – working toward a similar goal.  Rob, is a person who works equally well with a man or woman; talks and problem-solves equally well with both members of the family.  This was a quality we needed.  I was usually the one working on the project and had done most of the planning and research.  I needed to be able to communicate quickly and effectively with the builder. 

Rob hires only very skilled carpenters and finishing carpenters to work on his projects.  The quality of the finishing of the trim work and details were very important to us.  It’s really a trademark of the work of his crews.  Professional, fine detailed finishing. 

As an employer Rob looks for specific skills in carpenters he hires:  excellent carpentry skills and the attitude and ability necessary to work positively with owners.  Both Frank and I found the men (and sometimes women) that worked on our project very easy to work with. They were easy to be around, accommodating and very decent people.  No world is completely perfect, however.  We had a concern about only one worker who arrived later on during the building project.  We spoke with Rob about this and he acted quickly and used good management skills to solve the problem to our satisfaction.

Robert Borne is not only able to read and execute detailed architectural plans but can think on his feet to help think of creative solutions to the project. He has worked on numerous high-end cottages and so brings that knowledge and experience to the next project.

Edward J Lang:

When I decided to build a cottage on Lake Muskoka, I proceeded to enquire as to which builder had the best reputation  in the area. After much discussion, it appeared that this honor belonged to Robert Borne.

He is praised highly by customers, suppliers, architects, employees, and local and provincial government administrators; for his honesty and painstaking ability to always do what is right and to keep his word.

These qualities, together with his professional skills and knowledge, resulted in my complete satisfaction with the cottage and boat house that he built for me.

I would recommend Robert Borne for any construction project that he decided to undertake.

James McLeod - Managing Director, Head of Institutional Equities – Scotia Capital:

Rob Borne built our family cottage on Lake Joseph, which we occupied in the summer of 2005. He was involved in all steps of the building process, from demolishing an existing cottage on the property, to design, permitting, construction and finishing of the new cottage, boathouse and garage. Rob worked closely with our architect and interior designer to ensure that the entire process went as smoothly as possible. He contributed many of his own ideas and showed sound judgment on all on-site issues that arose as the project went along.

Rob’s extensive experience building in the Muskoka environment was invaluable and his follow-up and support since we moved in has been excellent. Rob can definitely be trusted to act in the best interest of his customers. He truly cares about the final product and he takes obvious pride in his work. His professionalism is evident in his attention to detail and mirrored in the capability if his highly skilled crew. Rob’s team has a distinct “family” feeling and they share a strong commitment to quality. Rob is a builder who is dedicated to top-quality work and customer satisfaction. We would certainly recommend him to anyone looking for a custom home that is built to last.