We are named after a finish, which tells you most of it.

Level Five started in 2009 doing remedial work — going into finished houses where the light came in and every joint showed, and skimming walls that should have been skimmed the first time. That is still where most of our referrals come from, and it is why the company is named after the spec.

Why we quote Level 5 by default

Because on the houses we work on, Level 4 fails. Not immediately — it fails at four in the afternoon in October when the light comes in low across a wall and every taped joint reads as a shadow. By then the painter has been paid and it is nobody's fault, which is the worst possible outcome for everyone.

If Level 4 is genuinely right for a room, we will say so and quote it. Basements, garages, anywhere with no natural light and a matte finish.

Why we check the framing first

Drywall does not make a wall flat. It makes a wall the shape the framing already is, in a smoother material. A reveal detail on a wall that is out by half an inch corner to corner will show it, permanently.

So we walk it with a laser before we board, and if there is a problem you hear about it while it is still a day of shimming. Contractors sometimes find that annoying. They find it much less annoying than the alternative.

What we do not do

We do not hang and run. We do not sub the finishing to whoever is available. We do not quote a Level 5 and deliver a heavy Level 4 and hope the paint hides it — which is common enough that most of our remedial work comes from exactly that.

We also do not do textured ceilings, and we will not remove existing texture that may contain asbestos. That is abatement, it is licensed, and it is not us.

Insurance and coverage

Commercial general liability and WorkSafeBC registration. Certificates go out with every quote without being asked for, because on a site with six trades on it somebody should be making that easy.