Strathcona Excavating Inc

I have a mature, developed property with not a lot of room to maneuver, yet Andrew and his team went the extra mile to put in a new septic system and left the yard looking as good as new. All the guys were professional and obviously cared about making us happy.

My review on google:Someone recommended me to call Andrew at SEI and I am glad I called. He has integrity, is professional and experienced. My water main line had leaked under the foundation and got water damage in the basement. I called Andrew at SEI. He came right away, gave me an estimate, and when he described how he was going to do the work, I knew right away this was going to be the best way to go. You get quality work at a competitive price. In one day, the SEI crew put in a new main water line so no need to patch-repair the old line which would have been unreliable, and cost far more to tear up the floor and then rebuild. Their fast work also saves time and money (and not to mention eating out, hotel, etc. if you had to move out and wait for slow repairs). I recommend SEI to anyone who needs to repair their water main (or sewer).

I had a job interview for a new position at Strathcona Excavating at the end of March 2023. At one point during the interview the owner came into the lunch room(where the interview was being held) to grab a beverage. It was very off putting when the people conducting the interview kind of introduced me to him and he did not even look up. He made a sad attempted to say hello and then left immediately. What kind of image does that give off If the owner of the company can't even make eye contact and introduce himself in a professional manner how is he going to be a great leader? I was told that I could start" checking in with them the following Wednesday to see if they had made a selection of who they where going to hire for the position. I called That Wednesday and was told that they had not made a decision yet. I then called the following day at closing and was told the same thing. I did not call again till the following Wednesday(today April 12 2023) I was told that they had already filled the position. I asked Tamara(one of the woman conducting the interview) if they where going to notify me with this info as I had called 3 times previous. She said that was not her department

Edit: Andrew contacted us and apologized for the walls not being cleaned. He let us know that this is not the standard that they strive for and wanted to make it better. They offered us some compensation for some paint, which is much appreciated. Because of this, I’ve raised the rating to 4*.My partner and I had been thinking of having our sewer line replaced for a while as our line was near the end of its lifetime. We received a SEI pamphlet in the mail and decided to give them a call. We had a few contractors stop by and decided to go with SEI as they had experience in our neighbourhood and seemed confident to do the job.Up until the start date communication was good. Someone on their team came and checked out the scope a few days ahead of time to see what they were up against and answered any of our questions at the time. Once the job began, the work was done very quick outside and inside our home. Once the work was done outside, the backwater valve was installed inside of our home. Unfortunately here is where communication started to slow down. We were told an inspector would be there the next day (Friday) if not the Monday as it was nearing the end of the week. Monday rolled around, no inspector. Tuesday rolled around, no inspector or communication from SEI. My partner had to keep reaching out to see what was happening as having a giant hole in our basement wasn’t ideal. It wasn’t until the following Monday or Tuesday that the inspector came out and the SEI team came out the day or two after. Again, after my partner had to call and see when they were coming. He did make the mistake of paying before the job was done and I feel like this also played a role with the lake of sense of urgency and communication. We also had issues receiving a paid invoice in order for us to submit our application for the backwater valve subsidy (I had to reach out after no response for this as well).After the hole was filled, the team said that they weren’t able to get the dirt off of our walls. I was disappointed but didn’t think much of it as I had to paint them again anyway. Silly me didn’t think to actually take a look at the walls when he said that. I wish I did because they didn’t even attempt to clean them. I spent a few minutes wiping some areas down and the dirt was definitely coming off. I am disappointed that they were too lazy to bother cleaning them like they said they would. (Last picture is after me wiping down some spots)Overall, the sewer replacement has been great so far. However, the communication and integrity left something to be desired by the end which is why I’ve left 3 stars.

The crew was very nice to work with and they kept us informed and updated throughout the whole project. Our yard was returned to us in great shape.

This winter we found out the reason for our frequent clogging in the sewer line: tar and paper pipes, they were installed in some homes between 1950 and 1956. We were looking for a company to replace the sewer line and have chosen Strathcona Excavating because 1) it was easy to talk to the main specialist; 2) the specialist was able to give approximate price right away without many primary talks and conditions; 3) the price was very reasonable. We have chosen a slightly more pricey work with manual digging a hole near the house.The company did the work in about a week after our phone call. The work itself took two days. On day 1, pipes survey and the manual digging was done. On day 2, a bigger hole near the alley was made with an excavator, the old pipes were replaced with new ABS 4 pipes

Bought a 1950s house with a collapsed sewer- needed a replacement. A friend recommended Strathcona Excavating and they were excellent. The work was reasonably priced for the scope of what needed to be done. They were on time, professional, friendly and did an excellent job. A great company!

Mitch and the crew were incredible! Laid sod fast, professional and knowledgeable. Answered all my questions. They didn’t even mind my bothersome dogs. They worked in plus 30 degree heat with no complaining. I would hire this team again in an instant! If you want hard workers that do great work call Strathcona Excavating! Thank you Mitch and team.

SEI, Andrew, his foreman Marc and Marc’s crew have a level of pride in their work I have not seen in a long long long time. Far more accommodating then they had to be, and very very patient with me as I’m one of those home owners who was more “involved” then I probably should have been.Having dealt with every line bursting company in the city, Andrew was the only one to be forward enough with me about the likely hood it not working in my situation. Very very happy I went with the full dig option for a very minimal price difference.Call these guys first and frankly don’t bother calling anyone else. Not many companies like this around anymore.

Submitted on behalf of my parents who are not the most technologically savvy, but who really wanted to submit a review:We can't speak highly enough of the professionalism of Strathcona Excavating. After a significant sewer backup in March 2023, we reached out to several companies to get quotes for excavation and pipe modification work for the main pipe from our home out to the sewer. We live in an established neighbourhood so it was a big job. After a lot of back and forth with other companies who said they would call back and left us waiting for nearly three weeks, we reached out to Strathcona Excavating to come and do a quote. They returned all inquiries promptly and were direct and honest with their quotations and what we might expect after the work had begun. They neither tried to lowball their quotes to make themselves look more attractive nor did they try to take advantage of two senior citizens. The crew were mostly younger, but this was not synonymous with unprofessionalism nor lack of knowledge - these guys know what they are doing and it is clear the company ensures that its employees arrive with the necessary skills and know-how to do what needs to be done. They were extremely helpful in offering us advice on submitting information to our insurance company as well as the city and Epcor to possibly get rebates to which we were entitled. They were punctual for each of their working days and consistently communicated what had been done and the status of the project and any anomalies they had found along the way. Perhaps most satisfying is that, once the work was done (both interior and exterior), they did a magnificent job cleaning up; they left no mess whatsoever! We suspect they even left the back yard in better condition than it was before they started. Strathcona Excavating was a breath of fresh air - much needed after a sewer backup, as you can imagine. In a time where finding contractors who are available let alone arrive when they say they will, Strathcona Excavating surpassed all of our expectations. Five stars! If you're considering getting in touch with them for their services, do not hesitate. We would specifically like to thank the project supervisor, Andrew Hender, and his entire team for everything they did for us.