Scheduling Home Improvements In Advance: Why It's Becoming More Important Than Ever

Are you like numerous other homeowners in the Victoria, BC area who are having difficulty finding somebody (anybody!) to complete your project within a reasonable time-frame? If you are, this post might help you to better understand the new reality of the construction industry on Vancouver Island, and across Canada.

An outdoor fireplace we completed using Brownstone, Natural stone veneer, and large sawn slabs provided by K2 Stone in Victoria, BC

Over the course of the pandemic, and to our surprise, the construction industry did not slow down. Instead, we saw a massive increase in residential home improvements. Instead of spending disposable income on travelling, the majority of homeowners took that income and invested it back into their homes through renovations. Couple that with construction material supply issues, as well as a lack of skilled workers within the industry, and you have the problem facing us today, which many of us have been wondering how to solve.

A heritage chimney that we had the opportunity to rebuild from the ground up, located in Victoria, BC

As a small masonry company located in Victoria, BC, Lennox Masonry experienced an unprecedented volume of calls and emails for our services. Two years later, we are still playing catch up and are continuing to book 6-8 months in advance. It is important to note we are not alone in this regard. Construction businesses all across the board are dealing with a similar experience. The demand for home improvements has increased to the point where there aren’t enough hands to carry out the work. We have also been faced with supply issues when it comes to stone and bricks, along with having difficulties in finding qualified, competent, and dependable employees to help us meet the demand. Unfortunately, us and many other companies have been feeling the strain and are hoping things will look brighter in the future.

A stone retaining wall that we built using unique blast-rock from a local quarry in Victoria, BC.

The new and ongoing reality for the construction industry as a whole is that fewer and fewer young people are entering into the trades or attending trade schools. The Boomer generation is also set to retire as of 2022 and 2023, leaving an even bigger deficit of individuals working in the trades. In short, the demand for tradespeople is ever increasing while the supply is ever diminishing.

Our experience over the past few years has taught us the importance of booking a contractor as early as possible to complete your project within a decent timeframe. If you’re located within the Victoria, BC area and are in need of a qualified stonemason or bricklayer for your next project, then please reach out to us as soon as possible to discuss scheduling your project with us. As of September 2022, we are now booking into the early Spring of 2023, and we look forward to working with you on your project in the new year.

The remnants of a gothic cathedral which we had the pleasure of restoring and rebuilding as garden features in Victoria, BC.

Thanks for reading!

Lennox Masonry is an artisan masonry company based out of Victoria, BC which specializes in designing and building stone walls and features, chimney repairs and rebuilds, as well as heritage restoration of masonry structures.