All Services

Underpinning extends or reinforces existing foundations by excavating beneath them in controlled sections, pouring new footings at a lower depth, and tying the old foundation to the new. Used to add basement height (lowering the floor) or stabilize settling foundations.

Foundation repair addresses structural damage to concrete or masonry foundations — cracks, bowing walls, settlement, and deterioration. Methods include crack injection (epoxy or polyurethane), carbon fiber reinforcement, wall anchors, helical piers, and parging.

Waterproofing prevents water from penetrating foundation walls and basement floors by installing exterior drainage (weeping tile), applying waterproof membranes, and managing groundwater with sump pumps. It addresses hydrostatic pressure, surface runoff, and soil moisture.

Concrete works include pouring driveways, walkways, patios, basement slabs, foundation walls, footings, and retaining walls. Quality depends on mix design, placement technique, curing, and joint placement.

Masonry includes brick, block, and stone work — structural walls, veneer, chimneys, retaining walls, and decorative features. Quality depends on mortar selection, joint tooling, brick grade, and proper drainage.

Residential wood framing is the skeleton of your home: vertical studs, horizontal joists, and roof rafters that define rooms and carry loads to the foundation. Ontario builders work mostly with SPF (spruce-pine-fir) dimensional lumber and engineered products like LVL beams and I-joists. Every stud wall, floor system, and roof truss must follow OBC Part 9 spacing rules and pass municipal inspections before you can close it up.

Electrical work in Ontario requires ESA (Electrical Safety Authority) permits and licensed electricians (442A or 309A ticket). From service upgrades to new circuits, outlets to panel replacements — electrical systems follow physics: too much current through too-small wire generates heat. Heat starts fires.

Plumbing systems have two jobs: deliver clean water (supply) and remove waste/gases (DWV — drain, waste, vent). Both must work together. Undersized drains back up, missing vents siphon traps and let sewer gas in, and corroded supply lines leak inside walls for months before you notice.

HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) systems control indoor temperature, humidity, and air quality. Three components must work together: heating (furnace, boiler, heat pump), cooling (air conditioner, heat pump), and distribution (ductwork, vents). Proper sizing matters — oversized equipment short-cycles (wastes energy, wears faster), undersized equipment runs constantly and never reaches setpoint.

Insulation slows heat transfer between indoors and outdoors. Heat flows from hot to cold — in winter it escapes through walls/roof/floors, in summer it infiltrates from outside. Better insulation reduces heating/cooling loads, lowers energy bills, and improves comfort by eliminating cold walls and drafts.

Your drain-waste-vent (DWV) system carries wastewater and sewage out of your house using gravity. When drains clog or break, you need camera inspection to diagnose the problem, then snaking, hydro-jetting, spot repair, or full sewer lateral replacement. Backwater valves prevent sewer backup during heavy rain.

Painting is the final finish that protects surfaces and defines your home's look. Interior painting means prepping walls (patching, sanding, priming), taping trim, cutting in edges, and rolling two coats of latex or acrylic paint. Exterior painting adds curb appeal and weatherproofing, but you're racing the weather: you need 10-30°C temperatures, low humidity, and no rain for 24-48 hours after application. Good painters spend 80% of their time on prep — the actual painting is the quick part.

Handyman services cover skilled repairs and installations that don't require licensed trades: drywall patching, painting, trim carpentry, fixture replacement, door hanging, minor electrical (device swaps), minor plumbing (faucet/toilet swaps). The scope boundary matters: handymen can replace an outlet, but adding a circuit needs an electrician.

Construction cleaning happens in three phases: rough clean during the project (debris removal and sweeping), final clean after drywall and painting (wash surfaces, clean windows, vacuum ducts), and touch-up clean before move-in. Construction dust gets everywhere — behind fixtures, inside HVAC ducts, inside electrical outlets.

A home addition is new construction integrated with existing structure. It requires new foundations (independent or tied to existing), structural framing (coordinated with existing load paths), roof tie-ins (valleys, flashing, crickets), and thermal envelope continuity. Zoning rules govern setbacks, lot coverage, and height — most additions require Committee of Adjustment variances.

Converting a basement into a legal second dwelling unit requires fire-rated assemblies, independent egress, separate building services, and compliance with OBC Part 9 habitable space requirements. Bill 23 (More Homes Built Faster Act) mandates municipalities permit second units, but you still need a building permit and inspections.

Roofing is a layered system: structural deck (OSB or plywood sheathing), underlayment (water barrier), shingles (UV and impact protection), and flashing (water diversion at penetrations and junctions). Asphalt shingles are the most common residential roofing material in Ontario — durable, affordable, and code-compliant. Roof failures are almost always flashing or ventilation failures, not shingle failures.

Demolition ranges from full-building teardown to selective removal of walls, floors, or finishes. The critical skill is knowing what's structural, what's hazardous, and what order to remove it. Load-bearing walls support the structure above — remove one without proper shoring and beam installation, and you'll see cracks, sagging floors, and stuck doors within weeks.

A deck is a wood-framed outdoor structure attached to your house (or freestanding) that provides usable living space. Building one involves concrete footings, structural framing, stairs, guards, flashing, and decking — every one of which has specific code requirements for safety.

General contractors manage the full construction process: hiring and scheduling trades, obtaining permits, ordering materials, handling inspections, and resolving issues. They carry liability insurance and WSIB coverage for workers. You pay a markup (15-25%) on sub costs or a fixed contract price. GCs make sense for projects over $50K, multi-trade work, or when you lack construction experience.

Construction project management involves scheduling all trades in correct sequence (demo → structural → rough-in → close-in → finishes), coordinating building/ESA/TSSA inspections, tracking budget and change orders, ordering materials with correct lead times, documenting progress, and solving daily issues. Homeowners can act as their own PM to save GC markup but need time, organization skills, and some construction knowledge. PM consultants charge $75-$150/hr or 5-10% of project cost to guide you.

Building permits confirm your project meets Ontario Building Code requirements. Most structural changes, additions, new construction, and major mechanical work require a permit. The process involves submitting drawings, paying fees, and passing inspections.

Drafting services produce the construction drawings required for building permits and contractor quotes. This includes floor plans, elevations, sections, site plans, and construction details. Architects, architectural technologists, and drafters all provide these services at different price points.

Construction cost estimating breaks down your renovation into measurable units — square footage, linear feet, fixture counts — and prices each component using current material costs, labour rates, and subcontractor quotes. A proper estimate includes overhead, profit, contingency, and HST.

Construction equipment rental gives you access to excavators, lifts, scaffolding, dumpsters, and specialized tools without the cost of ownership. Rental companies deliver, service, and pick up equipment. You pay for usage time, operator training (if required), fuel, and any damage beyond normal wear.