What it's like to build with Icon.

"Moved in on the date promised fourteen months earlier."

We interviewed five builders before choosing Icon. The difference was immediately obvious — Sanj had actually read our drawings before the meeting and came with real questions, not a sales pitch. Throughout the build he was on site regularly, answered every message personally, and flagged a structural issue with the architect's drawings before it became expensive. We moved in on the date they gave us fourteen months earlier.

"Permit issued first submission, no revisions."

Building a home in BC is notoriously stressful. With Icon it wasn't. They handled the Burnaby permit process without a single revision request — apparently their first-submission package was complete enough that the city just issued. The pre-drywall walkthrough caught three things I'd never have known to look for. I'm recommending them to everyone I know who's building.

"Two other builders passed — Icon delivered."

Our lot in Capitol Hill was challenging — steep slope, mature trees, setback complications. We were turned down by two builders who didn't want the risk. Icon walked the site with a structural engineer on day two and gave us a feasibility report within a week. The home is exactly what we imagined. The hillside actually became a feature, not a problem.

"Full transparency from day one. Everything documented."

I'd had a bad experience with a contractor before Icon. I was nervous. From the first meeting Sanj was direct about what the renovation would and wouldn't achieve and why. The PCSA made the planning phase feel safe — everything documented, no ambiguity. The finished renovation is unrecognizable from what we had. It felt like we got a new house without the land cost.

"Step Code Step 5 baseline — dramatically lower energy bills."

Icon designed to BC Energy Step Code Step 5 as the baseline — our energy bills are a fraction of what neighbours with comparable homes pay. The heat pump and HRV system Sanj specified turned out to be a significant long-term saving. Two years in, nothing has needed repair beyond routine maintenance. That's rare in new construction.

"Caught an $80k tree-protection issue before we bought the lot."

The lot evaluation process Icon put us through before we even bought the teardown was invaluable. They found a tree-protection issue that would have cost us $80,000 in remediation after purchase. We bought a different lot on their recommendation — better lot, same price. The build itself was smooth and exactly on spec.

"Issues resolved before we ever heard about them."

What sets Icon apart is how little we had to think about the project once it started. Updates came to us — we didn't have to chase them. When decisions needed to be made, they came with clear options and the tradeoffs explained. When one subcontractor's work wasn't up to standard, Sanj had it redone before we even knew it was an issue.

"Every inspection passed first visit."

We chose Icon because of the CHBA Master Residential Builder certification — we wanted someone whose credentials we could verify, not just marketing claims. That turned out to be the right call. The build met every code requirement and passed every inspection on the first visit. Three years later the house performs exactly as designed.