The Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) has announced the winners of the 2026 CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence, Canada’s premiere competition for new homes, home renovations, community development, and residential marketing. Winners were presented in Quebec City at the Glitter and Groove Awards Bash, presented by LG Electronics Canada, as the grand finale event of CHBA’s Home Building Week in Canada.

The award program is highly competitive, and draws the top project from small and large companies from across Canada. This year, 900 entries were submitted into 49 categories that capture the full breadth of market-rate homes for ownership and rental. Entries were judged by nearly 300 industry professionals.

In addition to the 49 main categories, three awards are given for best overall performance.

Homes by Avi Canada in Calgary was awarded the Design Excellence award, which is given to the company that has the best cumulative results in the new homes and new home spaces categories. They also took home an award for Best Attached Low-Rise Home 1,500-1,800 square feet, and Best Detached Production Home Under 1,800 square feet.

The Renovation Excellence Award for best overall performance in the home renovation categories went to Ultimate Homes and Renovations in Calgary. This is not the company’s first time winning the award: they last took home the best-overall accolade for renovations in 2024.

The Marketing Excellence Award for overall success in marketing categories was presented to Branthaven Homes in Burlington, Ont., and their marketing firm, Pureblink of Toronto. The duo also took home two individual marketing awards for their “Canvas Hill” community.

Categories are evaluated each year to ensure they reflect the wide range of homes that our members build and renovate in communities across Canada. This year saw the addition of the Adaptiv Home Award, which recognizes new custom homes or residential renovations that prioritize Adaptiv home design fundamentals for homeowners with disabilities or who want to age-in-place. It was won by Pinnacle Group Renovations by Design in Calgary.

“The winning projects in the CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence represent the pinnacle of housing in Canada, whether it’s an entry-level home designed to be affordable for a first-time buyer, a renovation to serve the changing needs of a growing family, a Net Zero home offering superior energy efficiency, or a master-planned community that offers a variety of housing types. This is an elite competition, and even to be named a finalist is a remarkable achievement. We are extremely proud of this year’s winners,” said CHBA CEO, Kevin Lee.

A full list of winners can be found below and the finalists image gallery can be found here.

2026 CHBA NATIONAL AWARDS FOR HOUSING EXCELLENCE WINNERS

RENOVATION AWARDS

Best kitchen renovation under $70,000

Ultimate Homes and Renovations, Calgary: “Millrise Modernized

Best kitchen renovation $70,000 to $100,000

Jedan Brothers Custom Homes and Renovations, Coquitlam, B.C.: “The Heritage Heart”
with Madeleine Design Group

Best kitchen renovation over $100,000

Tenten Kitchens, Winnipeg: “Cottage Blue Kitchen

Best bathroom renovation

Empire Custom Homes, Calgary: “Refined Retreat

Best basement renovation

Sitka Concept, Penticton, B.C.: “Boy’s Dream Basement

Best exterior renovation

Royal Premier Homes, London, Ont.: “Chapter 2

Best single room renovation

Harwood Design Builders, Oak Bluff, Man.: “High Style in High Gear

Best whole home renovation under $200,000

Lagois Design Build Renovate, Ottawa: “Achieving Hygge

Best whole home renovation $200,000 to $300,000

CCR Build and Remodel, London, Ont.: “Everyday Living Meets Elevated Design”
with Caradoc Custom Cabinets and Integrated Electrical Solutions

Best whole home renovation $300,001 to $500,000

Sosna, Vaughan, Ont.: “The Sunlit Main

Best whole home renovation $500,001 to $800,000

Windrush Hill Construction, St. Catharines, Ont.: “Lakeside Living

Best whole home renovation over $800,000

Vision Pacific Contracting, Whistler, B.C.: “Sunridge Ascension”
 

NEW HOME AWARDS

Best detached custom home under 2,500 square feet

Munro Homes, Regina: “Haven on Hill Avenue”

Best detached custom home 2,501 to 3,000 square feet

Alloy Homes, Calgary: “Courtyard Bungalow”

Best detached custom home 3,001 to 4,000 square feet

Whistler Builder, Whistler, B.C.: “Net Zero Mountain Haven”

Best detached custom home 4,001 to 5,000 square feet

Bellamy Homes, Kelowna, B.C.: “Shoreline Estates”
with Les Bellamy Design Group

Best detached custom home over 5,000 square feet

Bravada Homes, Surrey, B.C.: “Bringing Belgium West”
with Kayley Jane Design

 Best mid- to high-rise building (completed)

Solterra Development, Delta, B.C.: “Monaco

Best mid- to high-rise building (planned)

Montcrest, Toronto: “The Aston Residences”
with Studio Humn, and The Brand Factory

Best entry-level home

Minto Corporate Services, Calgary: “Spruce 1”

Best attached low-rise home under 1,500 square feet

Minto Corporate Services, Calgary: “Sable

Best attached low-rise home 1,500 – 1,800 square feet

Homes by Avi Canada, Calgary: “The Sasha”

Best attached low-rise home over 1, 800 square feet

Queenscorp Group, Toronto: “The Lake House”

Best detached production home under 1,800 square feet

Homes by Avi Canada, Calgary: “The Gregory 1″

Best detached production home 1,800 to 2,100 square feet

Lucchetta Homes, Welland, Ont.: “The Brock at WaterCrest”

Best detached production home 2,101 to 2,400 square feet

Trico Homes, Calgary: “The Encore”

Best detached production home 2,401 to 2,800 square feet

UrbanAge Homes, Edmonton: “The Austin”

Best detached production home over 2,800 square feet

Everton Ridge Homes, Vernon, B.C.: “Sequoia”

NEW HOME SPACES AWARDS

Best production kitchen

Stranville Living Master Builder, Lethbridge, Alta.: “The Meadow Kitchen”
with Danielle Mathews Design

Best custom kitchen

Bravada Homes, Surrey, B.C.: “Bringing Belgium West”
with Kayley Jane Design

Architectural and interior photographer. Kelowna Architectural Photographer / 3rd Generation Homes

Best bathroom

Third Generation Homes, West Kelowna, B.C.: “Lakeside Boutique Ensuite”
with Baths by Design, Express Flooring, J. Russell Electric, RK Studio Residential Design and Drafting, Robinson Lighting, and Westwood Cabinetry 

Best bedroom/primary suite

Bravada Homes, Surrey, B.C.: “Bringing Belgium West”
with Kayley Jane Design

ADAPTIV HOME AWARD

Best Adaptiv home

Pinnacle Group Renovations by Design, Calgary: “Church Residence”
 

NET ZERO HOME AWARDS

Best production Net Zero home

Land Ark Construction, Stittsville, Ont.: “Watercolour Westport”
with Airtight Home Technologies, Building Knowledge Canada, Cavanagh Concrete, Gaylord Forest Products, Spectrum Kitchen and Bath Design and Terra Nova Truss

Best custom or renovated Net Zero home

Hasler Homes, North Vancouver, B.C.: “Net Zero Lifestyle”
with Capital Home Energy

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AWARDS

Best new community award

Cascadia Green Development, North Vancouver, B.C.: “Innova”

Best growing community award

University of Calgary Properties Group, Calgary: “University District”

MARKETING EXCELLENCE AWARD

Branthaven Homes, Burlington, Ont., and Pureblink, Toronto

RENOVATION EXCELLENCE AWARD

Ultimate Homes and Renovations, Calgary

DESIGN EXCELLENCE AWARD

Homes by Avi Canada, Calgary

MARKETING AWARDS

Best signage

Zenterra Developments, Surrey, B.C: “Eden

Best brochure/kit

Logel Homes, Calgary: “The Livingston Central Digital Brochure

Best website

Lagois Design Build Renovate, Ottawa: “Perfecting the Art of Living

Best digital advertising campaign

Fifth Avenue Properties, Kelowna, B.C.: “The Delano

Best print ad

Logel Homes, Calgary: “Altitude at Three Sisters Mountain Village – Reset to Mountain Standard Time

Best virtual tour experience

Douglas Homes, Calgary: “Fernie 3 Virtual Tour

Best sales office

The Acorn Development Corporation and Gladstone Media, Toronto: “Iris

Best short video under 45 seconds

Treasure Hill, Vaughan, Ont.: “We Make Homes You Never Want To Leave”
with 52 Pick-up

Best long video 45 seconds and longer

Branthaven Homes, Burlington, Ont., and Pureblink, Toronto: “Canvas Hill

Best interior decorating of a model/show home

Logel Homes, Calgary: “The Soleil 2

Best renderings

Branthaven Homes, Burlington, Ont., and Pureblink, Toronto: “Canvas Hill

Best branding and identity

Everglade Development, Vancouver: “Satori Townhomes”

 

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“Today’s ribbon-cutting is another exciting announcement for Georgina as we continue to attract leading global companies that recognize the value of investing in our community,” said Georgina mayor, Margaret Quirk. “Milwaukee Tool’s new service hub strengthens our local economy and creates employment opportunities and also highlights Georgina’s growing reputation as a strategic destination for business. We are proud to welcome Milwaukee Tool to the Keswick Business Park and look forward to seeing the positive impact this investment will have on our community.”

The 54,000-square-foot facility will serve as a centralized repair and service destination for professional tradespeople throughout Canada. The hub will service a broad range of Milwaukee products sent in for repair including cordless power tools equipment. All work is performed by trained technicians using only genuine Milwaukee parts, ensuring Canadian tradespeople get faster turnaround times and the standard of service they expect from Milwaukee Tool.

“This hub is more than a service facility. It reflects our long-term commitment to the communities where Canadian tradespeople live and work. Whether that means partnering with local trade schools, supporting workforce development, or simply being a dependable neighbour, we’re here for the long haul,” said John Myers, president of Milwaukee Tool Canada.

Recruitment for the new facility is progressing strongly, with nearly all of over 80 positions now filled. New employees have begun onboarding and training to prepare the hub for full operations. The hub is expected to reach full operational capacity by the end of 2026. At this point, it will significantly improve service turnaround times, strengthen customer support and deliver a more consistent service experience for Milwaukee Tool users.

Milwaukee Tool’s investment in Georgina is part of a broader Canadian expansion that also includes the company’s first-ever distribution centre, scheduled to launch later in 2026. Together, the two facilities represent a significant step forward in Milwaukee Tool’s ability to serve Canadian tradespeople faster, with more inventory held locally and world-class service support closer to home.

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There’s something surreal about arriving in Québec City for the first time and immediately walking into the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac. B

The hotel itself feels like stepping back into another era. Rich wood panelling, historic detailing, grand staircases, and views overlooking the St. Lawrence River set the tone for what became an unforgettable week at the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) Home Building Week in Canada. Outside, Quebec City offered everything you’d hope for — cobblestone streets, steep hills, small cafes, historic storefronts, and incredible architecture.

Unfortunately, the weather had other plans. Rain followed us through most of the week, limiting some of the exploring many of us had hoped to do. Still, even through the fog and drizzle, the city provided an incredible backdrop for a national gathering of builders, renovators, suppliers, and industry leaders.

This was my first time attending the CHBA summit, and I arrived not entirely sure what to expect. I’ve been involved in the industry for years, but there’s always a different feeling when you attend one of these national events for the first time. You quickly realize that everyone there — whether they’re builders, renovators, suppliers, or association leaders — is trying to solve many of the same problems. What I quickly realized was that these events are about much more than formal committee meetings and presentations. They’re about conversations. They’re about connecting with people across the country who are facing many of the same challenges, opportunities, and uncertainties we all are. And this year, the overall mood of the conference could best be described as cautiously optimistic.

A challenging market — but optimism remains

There’s no avoiding the reality that the residential construction industry is facing significant challenges right now. Slowing sales volumes, affordability concerns, rising construction costs, interest rates, labour shortages and regulatory pressure were all recurring themes throughout the week. For home builders in particular, current market conditions remain difficult. At the same time, there was a noticeable sense that the industry is trying to move forward collaboratively. Much of the conversation focused on how CHBA is working with governments to improve housing conditions, streamline regulations and create practical pathways forward for both builders and renovators. As a renovator and design-build contractor, one of the most encouraging takeaways for me was seeing how much renovation was included in the broader national housing conversation. Historically, renovation contractors have often felt somewhat on the margins of the broader housing discussion. This year felt different.

Renovators are finally being heard

One of the most valuable meetings I attended was the Canadian Renovators’ Council (CRC) session. There was genuine momentum in the room. Discussions ranged from renovation licensing to HST clarification surrounding proposed federal rebate programs, but what stood out most was the recognition that renovations play a significant role in Canada’s economic health.

One particularly important development was the introduction of the Renovation Market Index (RMI). For me, this was one of the biggest takeaways of the week. Modelled similarly to the Housing Market Index used in the new home sector, the RMI is designed to provide measurable insight into the health of Canada’s renovation industry. The index tracks both current renovation activity and future market sentiment, creating a much-needed data point for governments and policymakers. That matters.

For years, renovation activity has represented an enormous part of Canada’s housing economy, but without a consistent national metric to quantify it. Having data-driven insight into the renovation sector creates stronger opportunities to advocate for policy support, incentives, financing tools and practical regulations that reflect the realities of renovation work. The latest RMI figures presented at the conference showed an overall score hovering near neutral territory, while future market sentiment remained more cautious. That aligned closely with what many contractors are currently experiencing: homeowners still want to renovate, but uncertainty around costs, financing, and the economy continues to influence decision-making. Still, the fact that renovation is now being measured and discussed at this level feels like a major step forward for the industry.

Net Zero: From incentives to long-term adoption

One of the first committee meetings I attended focused on Net Zero housing and high-performance construction. As someone who has a strong interest in building science and building performance, this was one of the sessions I was most looking forward to attending. What made the conversation even more relevant for me personally is that I’ve recently completed my first Net Zero renovation project. After going through that process firsthand, I came away incredibly impressed — not just with the energy performance side of it, but with how the home actually feels and functions. The comfort level, air quality, resiliency and overall livability of a properly designed high-performance home really changed my perspective. That’s what continues to interest me most about Net Zero construction. It’s not just about chasing energy targets or rebates. It’s about better buildings.

During the committee discussions, there was a lot of conversation about how the industry is now transitioning away from rebate-driven adoption and into the next phase of the program. While some of the incentive programs are being phased out, the overall feeling in the room was that Net Zero itself remains strong and relevant. The focus now appears to be shifting toward long-term resiliency, practical implementation and continued public adoption.

What I found encouraging was hearing how much progress has already been made. A few years ago, Net Zero still felt like a niche conversation within the industry. Today, it feels far more mainstream. More builders, renovators, and homeowners are beginning to understand the value of high-performance construction and the role it can play in the future of housing. At the same time, there was also realism throughout the discussion. The industry understands that affordability remains one of the biggest barriers to widespread adoption, especially in today’s economic climate. Balancing energy performance goals with practical affordability continues to be one of the major challenges moving forward. Still, I left that meeting feeling optimistic.

The building science behind these homes is incredibly compelling, and I genuinely believe we’re only beginning to see broader public understanding and appreciation for what high-performance housing can offer.

The National Building Code conversation

Another significant discussion centred on the National Building Code and proposed future changes to the code. This was one of the more important conversations of the week because it addressed something many contractors across Canada have been feeling: the pace and scale of proposed changes may simply be too aggressive for current market conditions. The original goal of harmonizing and modernizing building codes nationally is understandable. Consistency across provinces would create long-term efficiencies and clearer standards. However, many attendees acknowledged that the proposed timeline — particularly regarding electrification and energy performance requirements — created an overly large gap between current building practices and future expectations. The major takeaway from the meeting was the industry’s push to pause or slow portions of these upcoming code changes.

To be clear, nobody in the room was saying we shouldn’t improve the code. The conversation felt much more grounded than that. It was more about acknowledging the difference between where the industry wants to go and what’s realistically achievable in the short term. Not because the industry opposes progress, but because many builders, renovators, municipalities, and provinces are simply not prepared to implement such significant transitions at the pace originally proposed. In Ontario alone, there were discussions around how adoption timelines could already stretch well beyond 18 months. For many contractors, that pause was viewed less as resistance to change and more as a practical acknowledgment of reality. As someone working directly in the field, I understood that perspective. The construction industry absolutely needs modernization and improved building performance standards. But those changes also need to remain achievable, buildable, and economically viable.

Committee rooms by day, industry conversations by night

One of the things I appreciated most about the week was the balance between the daytime conference programming and the evening social events. During the day, the focus was very much on the business of the industry — committee meetings, policy discussions, technical updates, market conditions, building codes, and future planning. But once the sessions wrapped up for the evening, the atmosphere shifted. That’s when the conference became more personal. The dinners, receptions, and evening events created opportunities to actually sit down with people from across the country, compare experiences, talk openly about challenges in our businesses, and share the kinds of stories that everyone in construction immediately relates to. For me, that combination ended up being one of the biggest strengths of the entire event.

One evening, I had the chance to spend time with another contractor involved with the CRC and Ontario Renovators’ Council. Those kinds of conversations ended up being some of my favourite moments of the entire trip. We discussed our businesses, our challenges and the realities of operating design-build companies in today’s environment. Those conversations matter. Committee meetings provide structure and direction, but the informal conversations over dinner, drinks, or evening events are often where genuine understanding and collaboration happen.

The conference did an excellent job balancing professional programming with opportunities to connect socially. The hockey night-themed event was a standout and captured the personality of the industry perfectly. There was a relaxed energy throughout the week that made it easy to connect with people.

Former Québec Premier Jean Charest delivered one of the most memorable keynote presentations of the conference. His reflections on Canadian history, Quebec’s identity, immigration, and leadership offered a broader perspective that extended beyond construction and into the larger Canadian story.

There were also presentations on innovation and artificial intelligence, including discussions about how AI and technology may shape the future of construction and business operations. And while I unfortunately missed the presentation connected to Gord Downie and Canadian storytelling, it became one of those moments everyone was talking about afterward.

The week concluded with the National Awards for Housing Excellence gala — a fitting ending that celebrated innovation, craftsmanship, and leadership across the country.

More than just meetings

What I ultimately took away from my first CHBA Home Building Week in Canada was not just policy updates or economic forecasts. It was really the people. It was the realization that events like this are incredibly important for our industry.

Construction can often feel isolated. Many of us spend our days managing projects, solving problems, handling clients, navigating regulations, and simply trying to keep our businesses moving forward. These events provide an opportunity to step back, compare experiences, share war stories, and better understand the larger marketplace we all operate within. They remind us that the challenges facing our industry are shared nationally — and so are the opportunities.

Despite the rain, despite the cautious market conditions, and despite the uncertainty surrounding housing in Canada, I left Québec City optimistic. Not blindly optimistic, but optimistic because there are intelligent, passionate people across this country working hard to improve housing, improve building practices, and improve the future of our industry. And for renovators especially, it finally feels like we’re being invited into that conversation in a meaningful way. That alone made the trip worthwhile.

About the author

Christopher Smith is the owner and founder of Woodsmith Construction Inc, a design and build renovation company that has specialized in working with older homes in the east end of Toronto since 2001. His passion for everything to do with older homes was rooted in his early childhood experiences working on Victorian homes in Cabbagetown with his architect/builder father. He is a Red Seal Carpenter and a BCIN registered designer. Woodsmith Construction has completed a wide range of projects, including full-home renovations, additions, and restorations. 

The post Rain, renovation and reality: Notes from Home Building Week appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

Yikes.

A construction project begins in early spring. Excavation starts, the site is stripped and graded, and then the weather changes. Temperatures rise, snow melts, rain moves in – and water starts to build. Without any planned drainage, runoff flows directly into the excavated area, flooding the jobsite.

It’s a familiar flood season scenario on spring jobsites. What starts as manageable water can lead to delays and added costs. Without the right equipment – and a partner who can get machines up and running quickly – even the best laid plans can fall short.

In practice, flood management comes down to a few things you need to get right early.

Start with a plan 

Heavy rain and spring thaw can put pressure on a jobsite. On stripped lots with disturbed grading and limited drainage, it doesn’t take much for water to start pooling, eroding surfaces, or settling into low areas, especially on residential builds. It’s a situation most crews run into at some point, and one that needs to be managed from day one. The jobs that run smoothly are the ones where some key issues have been thought through early: how close the site is to flood zones or high groundwater, how it’s likely to respond to heavy rain, where drainage will go, how runoff will be handled, and what equipment will be needed to manage it. That’s where the right rental provider proves its value; by the time the season picks up, experienced providers already understand local conditions and where demand is heading. They know how different sites respond under pressure, and can help teams make better jobsite decisions before issues arise.

Remember: stay prepared and be proactive.

• Assess early and often. Walk the site regularly to spot drainage issues, low areas, and runoff risks before work begins;
• Plan ahead. Identify where equipment should go before you need it;
• Use rental providers as a resource. They’ve seen what works and what fails. Asking for input early can help avoid common mistakes.

When it comes to pumps, size matters. Both oversize and undersize for the job at hand will cause problems.

Get the right equipment in place

Water conditions shift quickly this time of year. Flooding, snowmelt or even moderate rainfall can wreak havoc on a jobsite if the right equipment isn’t in place. Whether equipment is pre-booked or brought in as an emergency rental, it has to be delivered, set up and running without delay. Even a few hours can increase the risk of structural damage, excavation collapse or costly downtime. An experienced provider has seen what happens when a dewatering pump is undersized. They will help select the right size, configure efficient discharge systems and supply supporting equipment such as temporary power or trench safety. They’re also working across multiple sites in the area, so have a read on how local conditions are changing. Remember, flexibility is essential. What works in one phase of a project may not work in the next. By asking the right questions and continuously monitoring site conditions, teams can keep operations running smoothly and remain prepared for whatever mother nature delivers.

Source the right equipment with these best practices: 

• Size equipment from the start. Undersized pumps fail under pressure. Plan for peak flow and build in redundancy including backup pumps, generators and other critical components;
• Reassess regularly. Check the jobsite after a major rainfall or excavation;
• Eliminate delays. Some rental providers rely on third parties for delivery, creating delays and increasing safety risks. Use a provider that delivers equipment on time with knowledgeable drivers who understand and respect jobsite safety standards;
• Stay flexible. Adapt your equipment setup as conditions change and be ready to scale up or down as your project progresses.

Keep sites safe and compliant

Without the right equipment and oversight, flooding can quickly change a project outcome. Saturated soil can impact stability, standing water creates safety concerns and improper discharge can lead to compliance issues. Electrical risks also increase when temporary power and connections are exposed to water. Left unaddressed, these issues lead to delays and safety concerns on site. Staying ahead of flood-related challenges comes down to preparation, the right equipment, and a commitment to safe, compliant practices on the jobsite. Early planning and a fast response are essential to keeping everyone safe.

Before work begins, a few checks go a long way:

• Inspect the site. Confirm ground stability before entering flooded or previously flooded areas. Avoid entering flood-damaged structures until they’ve been properly assessed;
• Control discharge. When contaminants enter waterways it can result in fines or project shutdown. Use your rental provider to navigate permitting and reduce the risks associated with runoffs;
• Protect electrical systems. Keep power sources dry and properly elevated and regularly check cords and connections for exposure or damage;
• Secure trenches and excavations. Verify they are properly supported and stable, especially after heavy rainfall.

You deal with a wet jobsite every now and then. This guy sees every wet jobsite in the area. He probably knows what you need.

Work with a rental partner to keep projects moving

Spring conditions will always be unpredictable, but the teams that stay on track are the ones who plan ahead, manage water proactively and have the right equipment ready to go. And the lowest rental quote rarely accounts for the real cost of the wrong pump, a slow response, or permit issues. An experienced rental provider who understands your site, tracks local conditions, and responds quickly when it counts is the difference between a project that stays on schedule and one that doesn’t.

The post Stay dry on the jobsite appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

The Ontario government has issued clarification on several aspects of the Enhanced New Housing Rebate that returns the HST on new home purchases. Here are key updates of interest to renovators and custom builders.

Unless noted otherwise, the new HST rebates follow the same eligibility and process as the old HST rebates

“The enhanced Ontario New Housing Rebate or New Residential Rental Property Rebate would generally apply to the same types of housing and follow the same eligibility conditions as the existing GST/HST New Housing Rebate and GST/HST New Residential Rental Property Rebate, subject to some additional conditions described in this backgrounder to reflect the temporary nature of the enhancements.

“As is the case with Ontario’s existing NHR, situations in which an individual may be eligible for the enhanced Ontario NHR include:

• the purchase of a new or substantially renovated home from a builder;
• building or substantially renovating, or hiring someone else to build or substantially renovate, a home on land the individual owns or leases; or
• the purchase of shares of a cooperative housing corporation.

“Eligible home types generally include a detached or semi-detached single unit house, a duplex, a residential condominium unit, a townhouse, a rowhouse, a unit in a cooperative housing corporation, a mobile home(including a modular home), and a floating home.

“As is the case with Ontario’s existing NHR, the enhanced Ontario NHR is only applicable to homes for use as the individual’s primary place of residence or the primary place of residence of a “relation” of the individual.”

New homes purchased from builders qualify for the rebate

“The enhanced Ontario NHR would allow an individual to recover up to $80,000 of the provincial portion of the HST paid in respect of a new or substantially renovated home purchased from a builder.

“If an individual would otherwise qualify for Ontario’s existing NHR in respect of a home purchased from a builder, the enhanced Ontario NHR would generally be available if:

• the agreement of purchase and sale for the home was entered into between the individual and the builder on or after April 1, 2026, and on or before March 31, 2027; and
• the construction or substantial renovation of the home
  • begins on or before December 31, 2028, and
  • is substantially completed on or before December 31, 2031.

Owner-built homes qualify

The enhanced Ontario NHR would allow an individual to recover up to $80,000 of the provincial portion of the HST they paid to build a home on land they own or lease or to substantially renovate their home.

If an individual would otherwise qualify for Ontario’s existing NHR in respect of an owner-built home, the enhanced Ontario NHR would generally be available if the construction or substantial renovation of the home:

• begins on or after April 1, 2026, and on or before March 31, 2027; and
• is substantially completed on or before December 31, 2029.

The post Key questions clarified concerning Ontario new home HST rebate appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

In a competitive HVAC market, the difference between winning and missing out on a job is no longer just about price. It now comes down to trust and reputation. Homeowners are doing more research than ever before. They are seeking different resources to try to understand what they actually need before committing. Even with all that information available, most still feel unsure when it comes time to make a decision.

That uncertainty is an opportunity for contractors. More HVAC businesses are shifting away from a sales-first approach and focusing on education. Not as a marketing tactic, but as a way to guide homeowners through decisions they do not feel fully equipped to make on their own.

Why the hesitation?

Access to information has changed how people approach home services, but it has not necessarily made decisions easier. A homeowner might know the difference between a heat pump and a furnace, or have a general sense of energy efficiency ratings, but that does not mean they understand what is right for their home. Every property is different, and HVAC systems are not one-size-fits-all. This creates a gap. Homeowners come in with partial knowledge, but still need guidance to support making their final decision.

Relationships over deal-making

In a traditional sales interaction, the focus is on looking at the issue and presenting a solution quickly. That said, when multiple contractors offer similar services, that approach can feel too transactional. Taking the time to explain options and answer questions in plain language does more than just inform, it builds trust. When a homeowner feels like they understand why a recommendation is being made, they are far more likely to move forward with confidence and less likely to shop purely on price.

How to deploy education

A lot of lost jobs come down to hesitation when it’s finally time to make a decision. Homeowners delay decisions because they are unsure whether they are making the right choice and worry about committing to something they do not fully understand. Education helps to remove this friction by breaking down system options into smaller, easy-to-understand choices to help homeowners feel more in control. Instead of presenting multiple complex systems at once, guide them through what actually fits their home, making the decision feel more manageable. That clarity builds confidence in the contractor and reduces the chance they will keep shopping around.

Explain long-term operating costs to shift the conversation away from just price. When homeowners understand energy efficiency, maintenance and lifespan, they can see the real value of a system. This helps justify higher-quality options and positions the contractor as someone looking out for their long-term costs.

Set realistic expectations around performance to build trust. When homeowners know what a system will and won’t do, they feel more comfortable committing. This also supports building confidence in decision-making.

People view educating as something that slows down sales but, in reality, it contributes to business loyalty, brand trust and helps to process to smoother. Homeowners who feel informed are far more likely to move forward with confidence, which is what helps HVAC businesses stand out and win more jobs in competitive markets.

Protect your margins

In many Canadian markets, HVAC is highly competitive. Homeowners often get multiple quotes and, from the outside, those quotes can look very similar. What sets one contractor apart is not always the product, but the experience. An educational approach creates a different kind of interaction. Instead of feeling like a transaction, the process becomes a conversation. Homeowners feel like they’re being guided. That shift builds trust early, which is often the deciding factor when pricing is close. This approach also changes how homeowners compare quotes. When one contractor takes the time to explain system options and walk through long-term costs, their quote feels more complete. Even if the price is higher, it’s easier to justify because the value is understood.

Over time, the educational approach compounds. Homeowners remember who took the time to help them understand their decision. In local markets, that reputation matters just as much as price does; competing solely on price is a race to the bottom. Competing on clarity, trust, and experience is what actually separates you and keeps margins healthy.

Improve the whole outcome

From a business perspective, educating homeowners creates better alignment from the start. Customers understand what they are getting, why it matters and what to expect during and after installation. That clarity reduces the risk of dissatisfaction. It also makes the installation process smoother because there are fewer surprises or last-minute concerns. It carries through beyond the install as well. When homeowners know how their system works and what proper maintenance looks like, they’re less likely to misuse it or assume something is wrong when it isn’t. That leads to fewer unnecessary service calls and more productive conversations when real issues do come up. From the homeowner’s side, education builds confidence. They’re not just agreeing to a quote, they’re making an informed decision about their home. That changes how they feel about the entire experience. There’s less second-guessing and more trust in the contractor they chose.

Education also improves long-term relationships. A homeowner who feels informed and supported is far more likely to come back for future work, follow maintenance recommendations and even refer others.

Overall, while education helps close the initial job, it also sets the foundation for repeat business and stronger customer loyalty over time.

About the author

Ross Palfrey is the owner of Harry’s Home Comfort in Ottawa, a growing home improvement and HVAC company focused on helping homeowners improve comfort and energy efficiency. As a young entrepreneur, he brings a practical, customer-first mindset to the home comfort and energy efficiency space. Through his leadership, the company has supported over 10,000 homeowners in making their homes more efficient, reliable, and cost-effective. With hands-on industry experience, Ross specializes in delivering high-quality home comfort services in a competitive market.

The post Education is the way appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

“It’s a true honour to receive this recognition for the 14th year,” said Scott Bryant, chief human resources officer. “This award reflects the passion of our Home team members and our dealers, who make a difference in communities across Canada. It’s a reminder that when we focus on people and collaboration, success follows naturally.” 

The Best Managed Companies program, presented by Deloitte, evaluates organizations on strategy, innovation, leadership, financial performance and corporate culture. It highlights Canadian-owned companies that consistently deliver excellence. 

The post Home Hardware keeps the streak alive appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

Taking place Thursday, June 18 at Euro Tile & Stone in Toronto, the free event open to all contractors and is designed to foster collaboration and meaningful industry conversation within the professional building, renovation and contractor community. The midday session will feature industry leaders, educational presentations, and open dialogue focused on helping builders and renovators strengthen their businesses and navigate today’s evolving market challenges. More than a lunch break; it’s an opportunity to connect with peers, hear from industry leadership and gain practical ideas that support long-term business success.

One of the event’s featured speakers is Gord Cooke of Building Knowledge Canada, a respected expert in building science and high-performance housing. Cooke will present a keynote on how builders can use building science principles to reduce operational costs, improve efficiency and deliver higher-performing homes for clients. In addition to keynote presentations, renovator executive chair, Dwayne Butler, will lead an open town hall Q&A session, giving attendees the opportunity to ask questions, exchange ideas and discuss current issues affecting the industry.

The event will also include a complimentary pizza lunch and the opportunity to explore Euro Tile & Stone’s showroom, offering attendees both product inspiration and networking opportunities with fellow professionals.

Details at a glance:

Date: Thursday, June 18
Location: Euro Tile & Stone, 80 Dufflaw Rd., Toronto
Cost: FREE

RSVP 

Schedule

• Doors Open — 11:30 a.m.
• Pizza Lunch — 11:45 a.m.
• Keynotes & Presentations — 12:15 p.m.

The post BILD Town Hall to bring renovators and builders together June 18 appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

“These sessions are designed for professionals and organizations that support prospective home buyers, as well as for builders and developers. Participants will gain a clear understanding of the rebate and be better equipped to share accurate information with clients and communities. This session is intended for builders and developers seeking clarity on the First-Time Home Buyers’ Rebate. We will review what a builder needs to know about the eligibility requirements and certain rules and restrictions for homes purchased from a builder. We will also review how builders may pay or credit the rebate to first-time home buyers, how they account for this when filing their GST/HST return, and any liability to the builder if the rebate has been credited but the purchaser was not entitled to the rebate,” the CRA website reads.

The federal first-time homebuyers rebate returns up to $50,000 of the federal portion of HST paid on new or substantially renovated homes worth under $1.5 million purchased by first-time homebuyers. It took effect March 20. Ontario announced earlier this year it would rebate the full 13 percent HST on all (not just first-time) new and substantially renovated home purchases under $1 million.

Register for the webinar

The post Canada Revenue Agency to host online information session explaining first-time home buyers’ GST rebate appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

As Canada ramps up efforts to deliver high-performance, low-cost housing, the influence of this Guide will only grow. Its numbers will shape everything from material selection to procurement standards. But as contractors begin applying those figures, it’s worth asking: do they reflect what’s actually being built today?

A case in point: spray foam insulation

The 2025 Guide lists closed-cell spray polyurethane foam (SPF) as having a disproportionately higher embodied carbon value compared to other cavity insulation materials. Indeed, the listed values for several insulation materials, such as mineral wool and fiberglass, are much lower than those typically found in product-specific and industry-wide environmental product declarations (EPDs) on the market. This exaggerates the relative environmental impact of SPF and gives the impression that SPF is a poor environmental choice. But dig a little deeper, and the picture changes.

For instance, the Guide lists global warming potential (GWP) for mineral wool cavity insulation at 1.2 kilograms for a thickness that gives R-21, which translates to 0.33 kg at RSI-1 (RSI-1 = R-5.678). For comparison, the light-density mineral wool industry average EPD declares a GWP around four kilograms at RSI-1, which is much higher than the Guide. Product-specific mineral wool EPDs also declare GWP values between 1.2 and four kilograms at RSI-1. Therefore the GWP values listed in the guide don’t align with product-specific and industry-wide EPD for light-density mineral wool, which makes us wonder where the value comes from.

The same applies for unfaced fiberglass batt. The industry EPD declares a GWP around one kilogram at RSI1 while the Guide declares the same value but at R21 (RSI-3.70), which again makes the listed GWP lower than what’s declared in EPDs.

Note that the Guide lists a GWP value for SPF around 3.23 kg at RSI-1. The current industry EPD for SPF declares a GWP of 2.72 kg at RSI-1. In addition, the SPF industry is currently undergoing a second update to its closed-cell SPF EPD to more accurately reflect the HFO blowing agent’s real carbon impact. The GWP values are expected to be even lower than what’s currently declared.  The environmental data from the latest industry EPD should be in the Guide.

The Guide lists the GWP of various insulation materials using a measure of kilograms of carbon dioxide emitted per meter square at an insulating value of RSI-1. Here are the values given in the Guide:

Light-density mineral wool: 0.33

Fibreglass batt: 0.27

Spray foam: 3.23

However our review of product and industry EPDs generated the following average values:

Light-density mineral wool: 1.2 to 4

Fibreglass: 1

Spray foam: 2.5 to 2.72 (Expected to be lower once EPDs are updated for current HFO formulations.)

In summary, several insulation materials in the Guide have listed GWP values that seem much lower than what is typically found on the market, which renders SPF’s relative environmental impact disproportionately higher.  Today’s SPF products use hydrofluoro-olefin (HFO) blowing agents, which is a major shift in chemistry that cuts global warming potential (GWP) by more than 99 percent, which makes SPF insulation competitive with other materials in terms of embodied carbon. That difference completely changes the carbon profile.

Transition from HFC to HFO: SPF’s lower carbon profile

Under Canada’s Ozone-Depleting Substances and Halocarbon Alternatives Regulations, HFC blowing agents were phased out as part of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. Since then, manufacturers including Huntsman Building Solutions have transitioned fully to HFO technology. All compliant closed-cell spray foam sold in Canada is now HFO-based. These systems deliver the same R-values and airtightness performance, but with a fraction of the embodied climate impact. The GWP of the old HFC foams was between 700 and 1,000. As seen above, the HFO foams come in under three.

This single shift in chemistry cuts embodied emissions by hundreds of kilograms of emitted CO₂ per cubic metre of insulation. Most of the remaining footprint now comes from manufacturing energy and raw materials, not the blowing agent itself. At the same time, HFO spray foams continue to deliver exceptional airtightness, moisture control and thermal performance, which translates into lower heating and cooling loads over decades of building operation.

The bigger picture: whole-life carbon

True low-carbon design means looking at both sides of the ledger: upfront embodied carbon and long-term operational savings. In cold climates, for example, spray foam’s superior air-sealing can reduce heating energy by 20 to 40 percent. Over a 50-year service life, those savings often outweigh the embodied-carbon differences several times over. With today’s HFO chemistry, the carbon payback period – the point where operational savings offset embodied emissions – can be as short as three to seven years. For affordable housing designed to last, that’s a smart and measurable return.

Practical guidance for contractors

Contractors working within the HDC framework can remain fully aligned with CMHC’s sustainability objectives while continuing to specify spray foam. A few key steps help ensure decisions are based on current data:

1. Confirm embodied carbon values – Request documentation of GWP values, either through product-specific or industry-wide EPDs. Make sure all EPDs are up to date to reflect the most current environmental impact;
2. Run a carbon payback check – Compare embodied carbon versus annual energy savings. If payback occurs within five to 10 years and the building lifespan exceeds 30, spray foam is typically the lower-carbon choice overall;
3. Test airtightness – Include blower-door tests and envelope commissioning to ensure spray foam’s benefits are fully realized;
4. Document your approach – Explain the embodied-plus-operational carbon logic in tenders and sustainability reports.

Building affordable housing smartly and accurately

The CMHC Materials Guide is a valuable tool for the industry. But several listed insulation materials seem to have GWP values much lower than what’s found in industry EPDs, which in turn renders SPF’s environmental impact disproportionately higher. When measured with current data, HFO spray foam continues to stand out for its balance of performance, durability, and carbon efficiency that are key traits for the next generation of affordable, energy-efficient housing. As contractors, designers, and manufacturers, we share the same goal: build more homes, faster, and do it responsibly.

Mickel Maalouf is a LEED Green Associate and Sustainable Building Science Manager at Huntsman Building Solutions in Canada.

The post Re-evaluating spray foam under the 2025 CMHC Materials Guide appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

For 2026, outdoor living trends are focused on performance with polish – materials that read residential, wear commercial and extend maintenance cycles. Think matte micro-textures, softer curves and view-first detailing that lets the landscape do the talking. Systems that cool on contact, clean easily, and stand up to UV, salt air and freeze/thaw are moving from “nice to have” to baseline.

Designers are prioritizing upholstery that reads indoor residential but performs outdoors. Ultraleather is setting the bar with collections engineered for a cool-to-the-touch, breathable hand alongside UV stability and enhanced colorfastness so cushions stay comfortable and keep their hue in high sun and coastal environments. Easy-wipe cleanability and resistance to water and mildew reduce maintenance cycles while delivering a matte, design-first esthetic.

Designers are seeking textiles that marry residential softness with outdoor resilience. Serge Ferrari Group’s new Batyline Eden Life answers that call with a sustainably engineered upholstery fabric crafted from recycled materials and free of added PFAS. The collection delivers a refined, tactile esthetic across six nature-inspired hues, balancing high-performance durability with a sophisticated, design-first appeal. Resistant to fading, weather, and wear, Eden Life keeps outdoor cushions comfortable and elevated, season after season.

Feeney’s Kerrie Kelly x Feeney DesignRail LaserCut Collection features nine intricately designed laser-cut panels that enhance both indoor and outdoor spaces. These panels blend artistic inspiration from architecture, nature and fashion, providing decorative accents, privacy screens and functional partitions. Crafted with precision from durable materials, the collection offers customizability with a range of frame colour options to complement any design esthetic. The laser-cut panels crafted with the talented Kerrie Kelly – award-winning designer and Feeney brand ambassador – are all about bringing innovative style to spaces. Right This Way makes a polished statement using cues from herringbone and menswear-inspired patterns.

Perennial Stays is known for offering historic, boutique stays in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. Now, they’re offering a thoughtfully curated, unforgettable retreat in the heart of Lancaster, Pa., where luxury meets the charm of small-town living. Featuring a seven-by-13-foot Soake Pools plunge pool, the space transforms into a true wellness destination, turning an ordinary rental into a spa-like experience.

Designed in collaboration with Summit Outdoor Living and showcasing that plunge pool from Soake Pools, this western home in Denver, Colo., embodies the true spirit of the Rocky Mountains and western living with a connection to nature and the great outdoors.

Designers and homeowners are using their outdoor spaces as an extension of the home. Different from patios or porches, “California rooms” are partially open to the outdoors with a roof overhead and running electricity, typically for outdoor kitchens, fans or a TV. These spaces become an extension of usable square footage in the house, allowing homeowners to enjoy indoor comforts and outside air. To achieve the indoor-outdoor connection seamlessly, many designers are turning to flexible glass wall systems like the NW Clad 740. The aluminum-clad, wood interior folding glass supports the use of these spaces year-round.

Native Trails’ award-winning Avalon freestanding bathtubs are handcrafted by artisans in Vietnam using NativeStone, a proprietary concrete blend of cement and natural and renewable jute vegetable fiber. The reinvented concrete mixture produces bathtubs that are 40 percent lighter, much stronger and far more sustainable than traditional concrete products. Each Avalon tub is sealed using NativeStone Shield, which penetrates the concrete on a molecular level to create a protective yet integrated barrier against stains and scratching. The sealer is hand-applied in a multi-step process using contemporary craft techniques, creating an impenetrable barrier that is scratch-resistant and impervious to water, oils, acids and food. The final two coats enhance the natural beauty of the concrete blend while adding even more strength and durability. Avalon is available in 62-, 66-, and 72-inch sizes, as well as 10 neutral and earthy finishes.

The post A look at some hot outdoor living trends appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

In Toronto, first-quarter condominium sales plunged to a 35-year low, with new project launches effectively frozen. Ontario’s 2026 housing starts are projected to fall to near two-decade lows. The provincial budget forecasted 64,800 units, significantly below the 1.5 million target for 2031.

At the same time, affordability remains historically out of reach. Only one in six households in Toronto can afford to buy a home. Estimates suggest prices would need to fall by more than 60 percent to restore the same affordability previous generations enjoyed.

In short, demand has weakened, supply has collapsed and the affordability gap remains enormous. The residential construction industry is in bad shape.

Against this backdrop, policymakers are searching for solutions. Increasingly, attention has turned to modern methods of construction (MMC), including factory-built, modular and prefabricated housing. The appeal is obvious. Build homes faster, more efficiently and with fewer workers. The question is: How much can MMC help?

Research shows that factory construction can deliver real productivity gains. By shifting work off-site into controlled environments, builders can reduce weather delays, standardize processes and run factory production in parallel with site preparation. The result is genuine on-site schedule compression, often in the range of 20 to 50 percent. That matters, especially in a sector where labour productivity has been declining. Between 2019 and 2024, construction productivity in Canada fell significantly, adding tens of thousands of dollars to the cost of each new home.

MMC also shines in specific niches. It is particularly well-suited to remote and northern communities, where labour shortages are acute and logistics are costly. It works well for purpose-built rental projects backed by institutional investors, where steady pipelines can support factory economics. It has clear applications in student housing, supportive housing and emergency or disaster-response situations, where speed and repetition are paramount. However, while MMC represents real opportunities to improve how we build, it is not a silver bullet. The reason?

The fundamental problem is that Canada’s housing shortage is not primarily a construction problem. It is a structural one. Land-use restrictions limit where housing can be built. Lengthy and unpredictable approval processes delay projects for years. Development charges and government-imposed fees add substantial costs. Infrastructure constraints prevent new communities from being serviced. Financing challenges make projects difficult to launch. A home assembled in a factory still requires land, zoning approval, servicing, financing and regulatory compliance. Faster construction does not translate into faster delivery if projects are stuck in approvals or cannot secure funding.

There is also a tendency to overstate the cost advantages of factory-built housing. While savings are often claimed to be 20 percent or more, the evidence in Canadian conditions suggests a much narrower range – typically between zero and 10 percent. In some cases, savings disappear entirely once transportation, customization and site integration are factored in. More concerning are the fragile economics of factory construction itself. Modular housing requires high upfront capital investment, steady order books and consistent demand to remain viable. Globally, the track record is littered with high-profile failures: companies that scaled aggressively only to collapse under thin margins and volatile pipelines. Canada has not been immune to this pattern.

This does not mean MMC should be dismissed. It means it should be approached with clear-eyed realism.

That is precisely the position being advanced by RESCON. We are urging governments to support innovation, but to do so in a way that reflects the evidence. That includes streamlining regulations across Ontario, addressing sustainable funding challenges and helping prefabricated homebuilders scale production responsibly. It also means ensuring that public investment is tied to demonstrated demand and viable business models, not optimistic projections.

These are sensible recommendations. Regulatory fragmentation, in particular, is a real barrier. Harmonizing standards and inspection regimes could make it easier for factory-built housing to scale across jurisdictions. Strategic procurement – such as bulk orders for affordable housing – could provide the stable demand needed to support factory operations. This would require substantial co-ordination and co-operation amongst all levels of government and a willingness to confront entrenched interests.

Modern methods of construction can help at the margins. They can improve productivity, reduce timelines in specific contexts and expand capacity in targeted segments. They deserve a place in a comprehensive housing strategy.

Richard Lyall is president of the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON). He has represented the building industry in Ontario since 1991. Contact him at media@rescon.com.

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No actual high school students were injured in the making of this video.

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has announced the winners of its national 2026 Focus on Safety Youth Video Contest.

First place: “The Book of Worksafe Wisdom”
Producers: Journey Benson, Cole Winney
Rockridge Secondary School, British Columbia
Video: https://bit.ly/4cJCumy

Second place: “Safety Olympics 2026″
Producers: Luc Lehman, Ryelan Hassan
Holy Rosary High School, Saskatchewan
Video: https://bit.ly/4tWJjXS

Third place: “The Role of Communication at Work“
Producer: Liam Vanderplaat
Central Alberta Christian High School, Alberta
Video: https://bit.ly/4w3Vp2V

Sponsored by CCOHS, the contest challenges students and youth in Canada to create original videos that show the importance of working safely on the job. By entering the contest, participants and their affiliated organizations, institutions, or schools are given the opportunity to win cash prizes, and provincial/territorial, regional, and national recognition.

The videos were evaluated by a panel of judges including:

• Jan Chappel, Senior Technical Specialist, CCOHS
• Daly Koffi, Program Officer (Acting), Communication and Information, Canadian Commission for UNESCO
• Brandon Meawasige, Vice President, Communications and Marketing, Indspire
• Jonathan Paredes, Alternate Young Worker Representative, PSAC Regional Council

Details about the contest are available on the Young Workers Zone website: www.ccohs.ca/youngworkers/video_contest.html.

Quick facts

• The national contest is sponsored by CCOHS. CCOHS also contributes to the prizes for the provincial and territorial contest winners;
• Contestants and their affiliated organizations/institutions (schools) have an opportunity to win cash prizes, and provincial/territorial and national recognition;
• The winning videos from the provincial and territorial contests are entered into the national contest;
• The first place video at the national finals wins $2,000, second place receives $1,500, and third place receives $1,000. Each winning school or institution also receives a matching prize.

The post High school safety videos are worth a click appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

Multi-unit component leads residential increase

Residential construction intentions rose $135.6 million to $8.1 billion in February. The increase in the multi-unit component (up $180.3 million to $5.4 billion) was partially offset by a decline in the single-family component (down $44.7 million to $2.7 billion). The rise in the multi-unit component in February was driven by Ontario (up $320.6 million) and was supported by British Columbia (up $217.6 million). Declines in Quebec (down $188.1 million), Nova Scotia (down $112.3 million) and Alberta (down $95.2 million) moderated the gain. British Columbia (down $52.8 million) led the decrease in the single-family component in February, and an additional decline was recorded in Ontario (down $28.4 million). Meanwhile, Alberta (up $28.9 million) tempered these losses. Nationwide, a total of 21,000 multi-unit dwellings and 3,900 single-family dwellings were authorized for construction in February, representing a 0.8 percent decrease from the previous month. From March 2025 to February 2026, the total number of multi-family dwellings authorized was 255,500, up from 244,600 during the previous 12-month period.

The post Still no improvement in single family permits in February: StatCan appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

BILD received 85 submissions in 20 categories, including the prestigious Renovator of the Year category. Submissions were evaluated by 18 industry professionals from across Canada who served as volunteer judges.

“This year, we saw a high number of top caliber submissions from an exceptional group of renovators,” said Dave Wilkes, president and CEO of BILD. “Our BILD RenoMark members continue to set a high standard for the renovation industry and demonstrate the skill, professionalism, and expertise needed to create remarkable and lasting results. Renovating and building with confidence means making informed decisions with a trusted contractor. For homeowners looking to undertake a renovation or custom home, selecting a BILD RenoMark member is precisely the right choice.”

The RenoMark program connects homeowners with professional renovators and contractors who have agreed to abide by a stringent code of conduct, which promises a superior level of service and customer protection that is higher than the common industry practice. Homeowners can find a participating renovator or custom homebuilder in their area by searching on the RenoMark website at www.renomark.ca.

The top honours in the 2026 RenoMark Awards went to Sunnylea Homes, which was named Renovator of the Year and Lanescape, which was named Custom Builder of the Year. Norseman Construction won Best Overall Custom Home, and MenAtWork won both Best Overall Space Renovation and Best Overall Home Renovation. The recipients of these coveted awards set the standard for the industry in customer service, professionalism and workmanship.

These are the winners in the Space Renovation categories:

MenAtWork

• Best Basement Renovation – Pine Glen Homes
• Best Washroom Renovation – Lifestyles by Barons Inc. 
• Best Kitchen Renovation Under $100,000 – MenAtWork
• Best Kitchen Renovation Over $100,000 – MenAtWork

Select Design Build

These are the winners in the Home Renovation categories:

• Best Adaptiv Renovation – Master Edge Homes
• Best Exterior Renovation – MenAtWork
• Best Innovative Renovation – Greening Homes
• Best Renovation (No Addition) Under $300,000 [acclaimed] – Alair Homes Toronto (Lorne Park)
• Best Renovation (No Addition) Over $300,000 – Select Design Build
• Best Renovation (Addition) Under $500,000 [acclaimed] – Alair Homes Toronto (Lorne Park)
• Best Renovation (Addition) Over $500,000 – MenAtWork

Alair Homes

These are the winners in the Custom Home categories:

• Best Custom Home Under $2 Million – Norseman Construction
• Best Custom Home Over $2 Million – Alair Homes Toronto (Forest Hill)

The award for Best Condominium Renovation was won by Sunnylea Homes and Best Commercial Renovation went to JY Construction.

To learn more about the winners, visit www.renomarkawardsgta.ca.

Commenting on Alair’s Best Custom Home Over $2 Million winner, Jacqueline Tyler said, “This was a true collaboration between client vision, design and construction, drawing inspiration from the client’s background in fashion. This home translates ideas like movement, structure and craftsmanship into architectural form. The result is highly personal design that still prioritized custom function in everyday living. This project is so beautiful. The staircase alone is like art. It feels like you’re in a museum. The clients are so cool – they were very hands on with the project and we liked the designer they selected.”

Shannon Gallop of MenAtWork talks about how they executed the owners’ vision of a Nordic look in their Nordic project, which won multiple awards. “It was a lot of clean lines. Symmetry was very important. Herringbone white oak hardwood floor, natural materials, stone windowsills everywhere. She wanted to be able to have plants and you don’t want to damage the windowsills. A lot of durable materials, natural materials, lots of wood. There’s linear tile work throughout the whole kitchen and up the walls that matches the rip-cut white oak cabinetry. So a lot of focus on like symmetry. There was so much detail and effort put into these French stained-glass doors that had to open perfectly symmetrical to the marble fireplace. There was a lot of care and focus spent on natural materials –  just a lot of greenery that she wanted through the whole home. And then there was this neutral overall palette because she really wanted to bring in a lot of her Swedish textiles and artwork, which were quite colourful. So the base of the home design was natural and then she wanted to bring in those. When talking about natural or authentic or real materials, it’s playing into this Nordic origin, I think. A space in a home is meant to be lived in and we’re not worried or scared about the evidence of it that will come. So a material I select doesn’t need to be impervious to wear and tear. The trim and other aspects of the house was where she was just feeling that at some point something will happen to it. It will get chipped. That’s fine. That’s all just part of making a home. The kids are going to leave their marks.”

The post RenoMark celebrates great achievements in renovation and custom building appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

After decades in the commercial facade business building whole sections of skyscrapers in factories before shipping them to jobsites, Antonio Manchisi of Sapphire Balconies knows a thing or two about prefabricating construction components. He joins The Hammer to talk about how offsite and modular building are the norm in other parts of the world; how they can save costs, improve quality, efficiency and safety; and where they might not work best in residential renovation and custom building. In an environment where we’re all looking to get more done faster with less skilled labour, Manchisi brings some hearty food for thought on how we structure our project process.

The post The Hammer Episode #70 – Make It Here, Build It There – Antonio Manchisi, Sapphire Balconies appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

This is in East Elbow Park, which is a community on the Elbow River. It’s actually on the river. So it’s a really large lot. It’s 75 feet wide by about 380 feet deep and it backs right into the river, so you can get right into the river from the backyard. It was quite overgrown. The homeowners actually lived in the community just a few blocks away and they’ve always wanted to live on the river. It’s south-facing. They have two kids that were sort of pre-college age and it was going to be their home for the two of them once the kids left. They just wanted this super-cool space. A lot of it was just based on views around the river, a very kind of open, serene spot.

On the main floor, we did 11-foot ceilings with European aluminum windows. It just let a huge amount of light in. It’s actually a two-story entrance, which was really cool. The the window coverings were 20 feet long in that front entrance where the chairs are. It’s open all the way up. There’s a staircase that runs from left to right and then the private area of the home is behind that. So that’s what creates the transition from public to private.

The flat roof was a commercial torch down with a rigid insulation slope package. The water all goes through scuppers into the side yards and then is drained towards the river onto the lawn. It’s a pretty flat lawn. We always build up the house on the property so it’s the highest point so that the natural drainage is away from it. We just we want to create natural drainage on the property.

Those window coverings are a treated pine from New Zealand – a natural wood that’s been stained. They’re louvers that are on the outside of the building. It’s one of the few woods that we’ve been able to use that has a really, really low maintenance program on it because it’s  de-natured. There’s a treatment to it that does something on a cellular level that means it requires a lot less maintenance than, say, a local cedar or fir that requires treatment every few years. It was chosen mainly because of the sustainability. Over the years we’ve gone away from ipe and some of the the tropical woods simply because of they tend to have adverse effects on rainforests and we can’t always trace how they’re harvested. As an organization we found out about a decade and a half ago where some of this wood was coming from and what it was contributing to so we made a policy that we would promote areas that had more accountability and governments that had better regulations on their on the tracking of their exports. We try to buy local wherever possible but it’s not always possible. Canada isn’t a large manufacturer of goods, so we do our best.

The windows in the main floor are 11 feet tall. There’s a whole corner of a wall that actually opens up. It’s collectively a 15-foot opening. It’s a full corner that opens so we had about 18-inch steel beams in there to support the house. The entire window package is a full European system. It’s custom triple-glazed. That’s our standard – triple glazing. We don’t do anything less than that.  It’s a requirement with the energy codes in Calgary. These windows are about R7, which is one of the highest-performing windows available in our market. A locally made one would be closer to R3 or 4, but it’s still relatively low compared to a six-inch wall with batt insulation. That’s an R20 or 24 depending on what you use.  The louvers are there just to look cool, just for appearance. The HVAC systems can get can get tricky with large windows, but there are good overhangs on the house, which really tends to mitigate the solar gains.

The homeowner drove the brick and it was really cool. It’s a slim brick. It was imported from Italy and it was a very unique brick that we had never used before. It was a little bit larger than a normal-sized brick. It’s probably only about an inch and a half thick and maybe nine to 11 inches long. So it had really nice dimensions and a really unique texture to it. It’s a full-bed brick with angle iron. We have an air gap behind it to allow for drainage. We always want to make sure there’s a drainage plane behind everything we do, between the sheathing and the finished material on all of our homes. It’s just best practice with respect to envelopes.

The remainder of the exterior is our ACM panels – aluminum composite metal. As opposed to just a flat piece of steel, it’s two pieces of aluminum with a composite material in the middle. What that does is it stabilizes it through heat cycles during the day, especially with darker colours. So it’s more like a commercial material that we see on high rises. But it’s more durable and more structurally stable than regular steel, and it’s a bit more versatile from a design standpoint.

The main floor south exposure on the river is in the flood plain. So the main floor is elevated substantially above the grade. That’s a requirement for development in this part of town. The architect addressed that by, instead of having just a small set of stairs, they very skillfully and usefully designed these great sitting areas. So as you make your way down to grade just to the right, there’s a screened-in dining area with a barbecue and a fireplace. And then it walks down to a hot tub right behind that umbrella, and then a fire pit area. And then you can go down and it’s clear grass all the way to the to the riverbed.

The primary bedroom suite is in the middle with the glass. In the main floor, behind the the brick installation, is another room that opens up onto it. It actually it has a chain swing in it so you can sit and watch the river.

The outdoor dining area has an entrance from the dining area into the house. There’s an inside corner. The whole corner opens up, so it’s an unsupported corner that we can’t see. But to eliminate a load on the corner of a home is a really complicated engineering detail. The whole wall opens up at a 90-degree angle to itself and the walls are built out so the slider just retracts inside the walls. It was really great to be able to do it. It’s a tough detail to do from a building science perspective with the weather we have here. So it was kind of a fun one. There’s a screen so if you wanted to leave that open so the bugs can’t get in it would roll down. That’s an automatic screen that comes down. Where the black track is, that’s the exterior wall.

The post Warm Modern Conservatory – Maillot Homes, Calgary appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

Before

After

There was an old recessed porch under the roof there. We pulled it forward because it was recessed about six, eight feet back. I appreciate they wanted to make a covered entry and a concealed entry but when you look at the photo, you can’t even see the main entry door because it’s all in the shadows. So it’s like, here’s the front door but don’t come and knock on it. It’s trying to hide it almost whereas we want that to be the most dominant feature of the home. So that’s why we pulled the porch forward, pulled the columns forward and made them more substantial, to just make it have that punch.

On the garage side of things, we you had to pull those trusses out. They were pre-engineered truss, so those get ripped out. And then we basically built a floor package because it’s going to be a rooftop patio. So it’s not just roof load but there’s live load that you’re designing for over the garage. On the living room side where we ripped that gable off, we created a stepped-height section and that’s just snow load, dead load, that we’re putting on the rafters there. And then we did the same at the upper level. So you’ve got that gable right over the entry that got ripped right out and we had to frame it above in order to create that. You’re basically 20 feet high when you get into that front entrance. So supporting on those existing trusses took some re-engineering. But over the garage and the living room we just totally did away with those existing trusses and built all new flat roof rafters.

They can come out those patio doors and be on the roof.  The parapet wall acts as a railing. You wouldn’t even see any furniture in behind there. You might see the head of a person as they walk out. That parapet wall is 42 inches above the roof deck. There really is no railing, it’s a full parapet framed wall. It’s clad on the exterior with aluminum. The black band you see is actually stucco and then you’ve got the natural stone beneath it. Totally custom built.

This is a Duradek product. We use this for boat houses and it’s a waterproofing membrane and a finished decking membrane all together in one. We’ve got scuppers to the side so it has a slight slope that flows water over to the side and then the scuppers come through that parapet wall.

The post Scaled Contemporary – Eurodale Developments, Richmond Hill, Ont. appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

Just-In-Time delivery tackles this by syncing material arrivals with project needs, cutting waste and storage costs. Proven in manufacturing, JIT is gaining traction in construction, helping contractors manage tight budgets and rising material costs. This guide outlines practical steps to implement JIT, from choosing reliable delivery partners to integrating it into your workflows.

JIT delivery has been shown to reduce waste and enhance performance on construction sites. Here’s how:
Less on-site clutter
By holding off on inventory deliveries until they’re needed, construction sites save the excess clutter of having to store and hold on to materials for weeks before they go into use. At best, the clutter simply gets underfoot and adds organizational pressure, but at worst it can expose projects to serious risk.

Reduced risk of theft and damage
When materials are sitting around for long periods, that’s when they’re most likely to get damaged or stolen. It’s too easy for things to get lost in the chaos of an active construction site, especially during renovations which are notoriously tight on time and space.Even the best-planned construction projects have their unexpected accidents. Sometimes it’s a burst pipe. Other times, it’s building owners stepping into a construction zone that they shouldn’t have. Either way, the less unnecessary inventory kept on site, the better, as it means that if things go wrong, expensive materials aren’t damaged in the process.

Prevents bottlenecks
A breakdown in the supply chain can be a nightmare for a renovation. Delayed deliveries, missing items, or reaching for materials only to find they’ve been damaged in storage can grind construction to a halt and cost teams both the trust of their client and their ability to follow through with other work. By implementing JIT delivery, construction teams can reduce the chance of this happening.

Makes projects more responsive
The nature of any renovation project is that things will change. Sometimes the client changes their mind, or a structural issue appears that requires a fresh approach. This is where JIT provides a notable advantage. Most suppliers won’t accept returns after delivery but, until then, there’s usually room for modification. By holding off on delivery until needed, construction teams give themselves a valuable window in which they can be more flexible and responsive to a client’s needs.

Better cash flow management
Spreading out deliveries across a renovation also helps ease cash flow issues. It gives the contractor and the client a chance to space out final payments with each delivery. This prevents spending too much upfront and avoids cash shortages later.

Poor material timing holds up projects
Late material arrival can hold up critical tasks, delaying projects and weighing down projects with labour they’re paying for but can’t use effectively. In instances where a delivery can be pushed up, it usually comes with a premium that few renovation budgets can take.

Materials that arrive too early are also a problem. Most renovation sites don’t have adequate storage space and last-minute off-site options are expensive. That’s why proper material timing is such an important part of keeping construction projects running smoothly.

Picking a delivery partner that won’t let you down
Here’s how to pick a reliable delivery partner who will provide all the advantages of a JIT strategy without the hassle of implementing it yourself.

Check their history. It’s important that delivery partners have strong construction experience and prior clients who can vouch for their consistency and punctuality.

Ask about their scheduling and tracking approach. The best companies will be using the best technology and systems. Real-time tracking, automated updates and data-driven scheduling software are critical technologies to have on hand. They help keep deliveries on time and ensure greater transparency.

Test their communication. JIT delivery requires responsive communication to run properly. Take note of how quickly and effectively a delivery partner responds to queries.

Find out what their contingency plans are. The best delivery partners are the ones who have a plan for every outcome. Make sure to ask about contingency and risk strategies in the case of the unexpected.

How to get started
Implementing a new delivery strategy can seem daunting but here’s how to start using JIT without disrupting your workflows.

• Test it with a controlled rollout. Use JIT on certain tasks or areas of a site before expanding it. Many even find that a hybrid approach is what sticks best in the long term;
• Add buffering time to your JIT schedule in the early stages as teams nail down the process;
• Take time to ensure proper communication so that delivery plans are aligned with on-site activity;
• Use logistics partners that offer local warehousing and flexible deliveries as you streamline your JIT approach.

Keep your site lean and projects on-track
JIT delivery keeps construction sites clear of unnecessary materials, expenses and risks. It’s a vital part of building lean projects that deliver better outcomes while costing less. As construction teams face increasing materials costs, this has never been more important.

Transitioning to this approach, however, requires excellent scheduling and delivery partners. Investing in these two areas will ensure that your projects get all the advantages that JIT can offer – from fewer site delays and less clutter, to better flexibility and cash flow management.

Nick Fryer is vice-president of marketing for Sheer Logistics.

The post The JIT jobsite appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

This is in a very established estate neighborhood that’s on Lake Ontario. There was a house there originally this neighborhood. We’ve done six tear-downs, so, tear the house down and then rebuild something new for somebody on the water. And that was the case here. We took the old house out. It was an old bungalow. It was small and the lot was extremely heavily treed. The house had quite a steep driveway. Quite a few times the previous owner had driven into the garage door, it was so steep. So when we built the new house, we were able to elevate the house on the lot and then we also had to do a lot of tree removal because that house was there for at least 60 years. So there was a lot of mature trees that had to be cleared out.  We got a little closer to the water because we had to move it back from the road to be able to get it elevated so we didn’t have such a steep driveway.

The owners sat with us to work through the design. They definitely had a had a dark theme in mind. They wanted to try to hit that transitional architectural style. But still they wanted the wood elements to make it feel like it was on the water. A little cottagey. The wood accents were a little bit of a collaboration between us and the client. The client wanted that look that it still felt like a cottage, so we needed to add some wood, but you also needed to add the wood to really tone down a lot of that black and add that organic feature that we needed to tie the black all together. We just used pine, everything was pine straight up. And then we gave it a Danish oil. We didn’t want to varnish it, because when you varnish it sometimes turns kind of orangey on you, right? So it’s just oiled. And is it going to need maintenance and reapplication.

The brick is Charcoal Vivace. It’s a brick by Brampton. The stone is Midnight Granada, which is also by Brampton brick. We tried to nail the stone on the bottom – it’s a full bed masonry product. All the siding on the right side in the great room, that’s a Hardie product, a cement board, James Hardie cement board. And then on the left side would also be the James Hardie cement board so you’ve got the board and batten and then you’ve got a mix to make it more look a little more modern on the left side. Just being on the water and it being south-facing they wanted as minimal maintenance as possible and the Hardie allowed us to still make it look like wood but not have the continual maintenance.

We did triple-pane windows on the south side but we didn’t do it on the other sides. We always build two-by-six R24 batts. And then we do the one-inch foam on the outside to stop the thermal bridging. But we also do OSB, so it’s got OSB one-inch foam. And then we strap it for the airspace with the Hardie.

The front door is also from Ostaco. It’s a stain, and the stain is barley. So Ostaco gets all their components from ThermaTru. Fibreglass stained products. The garage doors would be from Garaga, which would be a California in the black with the sandblasted windows.

We tried to take advantage of the view with large, expansive windows you want. Having gotten rid of a 60 – 70-year-old house – the views they didn’t use back then. They never took advantage of the waterfront. So they wanted that for their main living space looking south on Lake Ontario. That natural light. They wanted as much light as they could and also the lot is very steep, so it was  it was great that we could take advantage of the steep lot so they had a proper walk-out.

We are a distributor and a supplier of Ostaco windows, which is out of the Toronto area.  In order not to compromise the views on some of those larger windows we put the smaller operable part on the bottom so when you’re sitting down you actually get a good view through the top part of the window.

You come out of the great room and you’ve got this deck here with the great view. They really wanted a huge deck to just sit and entertain and look at the water.

We had to turn the garage so it wasn’t so steep. You had a little bit of an approach pad to get to your garage. But also, by putting the garage that way, we’re not compromising any of the rear views. So all the living space along the back is all views. We’re not chewing up garage base at the back of the house. So turning that, making the L shape, just the whole house takes advantage of views of lake. Otherwise you would have lost a chunk of it to have garage sitting there, which nobody likes. You just needed to break that [the side wall of the garage] up a little bit. It’s it was just too much, too plain. So we kind of added the awning on as an extra feature just to draw your eye to when you look at the house.

The post Timberlake View – Concord Homes, Kingston, Ont. appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

Before photo of the 1992 Spanish-style villa located in Winnipeg’s Tuxedo neightbourhood.

The home was built for a really reputable Winnipeg jeweller in I guess the early ’90s. We were actually invited to that home two other times from two previous clients that were looking to renovate. And they never ended up proceeding with it once we gave them some budgetary numbers. It’s got an indoor pool and a very vast space. The yard is obviously limited for the size of the home. We were going to do a light indoor reno and possibly some exterior stuff and then as we dove into it the clients brought in a designer from Calgary. So we kind of hit the reset button and decided we were going to go for it. The design concept was French villa. We unskinned this thing inside and out. The whole exterior and the landscaping.

The original had some posts and some terrible, terrible chain link fencing had been put up behind the house. So someone had made a really bad decision in their designs over the years where they were looking for privacy. That all came out and we excavated this down to solid dirt again and then re-landscaped the whole thing with an outside fireplace and patio and an exterior golf green into a stunning area. It’s a very well-known property in Winnipeg so we just kind of shot for the stars. Water fountains and the works. We were doing a full 7,000-square-foot inside reno, as well as the exterior and the landscaping all in one motion. We could have anywhere between 25 and 30 guys on site per day.

Before shot of the back wall with no direct access to the back yard.

We put an addition on that wall. That was the existing pool wall to a deck that didn’t actually have a door, which was remarkable that someone built a deck there. We took that wall back out to the edge of that 45-degree angle and then came out a certain distance. We were stuck to hit parameters to what we could do for variance  but we took what we could to expand the inner entertainment area because there’s a full seating area with a full-on kitchen barbeque. You know, keg taps, wine – the whole works this place has it all. Then you’re able to walk out and enjoy the golf green while you’re having a beverage at the inside bar.

There are garden doors that walk out from both the pool room and the great room, and there’s a big fireplace. You can see the fireplace there, it’s all done in Belgard stone with very ornate stone handrails and water fountains.

Those are wide-open ceilings. So that’s like 24-foot ceilings. The windows came from All Weather, pre-painted black. The roof was all old clay tile, so all the clay tiles came off and we went to a raised-ridge high profile. It’s very accentuated with lots of ridging in the tile or in the in the roofing. We squared all the windows. All the round windows came out and we squared the whole thing. The design was to try and change that whole facade from that Spanish look more to the French. The arch is something out-of-date that we don’t really do a lot of anymore and to try to swap out all those old window units and then do it round would have been a nightmare to try and template. So it was simpler and it gave the design a lot cleaner line as well as more light.

We went to an acrylic cladding. There was an existing crown moulding underneath the old Spanish style, and then we took those all of and we used a great big 16-inch architecture moulding all around the bottom of the soffit. And the we did all new exterior fixtures. They did that in two layers with mesh and the whole house was scaffolded for months.

Then we did underground sprinklers and the he whole thing is electrically wired, too. There’s power and lighting and everything everywhere. A lot of accent lighting and music, so it’s a pretty big hit on Halloween. We did gemstone lighting all around the perimeter of the house like in the soffit. So the puck lighting does it all, like, you could play it to music or use it as accent lighting – it is pretty spectacular.

Some people would actually walk by and clap and say “Oh, we can’t wait to see what it looks like.” So they did an open house for the neighbourhood with full-on bartenders and big spreads of food.

The post Tuxedo Villa – ICAN Construction, Winnipeg, Man. appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

This is a project that’s downtown. It’s Ossington and Dundas area, so it’s an older part of the city. You can see the building that’s just to the left – that’s an old Victorian home that was built in around the 1880 mark. We think this property probably was like a laneway to that and would have had horses and buggies going down it. This house and the one on the right were infill, from what we can tell,  but they were still built in the Edwardian period, so around 1915 to 1920. This client approached me and they wanted to know what I would do with the property. Money wasn’t really too big of an issue for them because they bought it at the peak and the market had already crashed by the time they approached me. So they didn’t really want to lose a lot more money on this. They wanted to do something that made sense. One thing we do at Built By Pros, we help clients make decisions like that. So I try to help people make the right decisions so that they’re not swimming in debt or putting themselves at risk and, at the same time, they’re able to get something out of the property even if they lost money because of the big change in our real estate market.

They wanted it to be as close as possible to a new home and they even talked to me about let’s put in a new home. Let’s just tear this out and build brand new. I talked them out of it. There are a few reasons but one of the main reasons that we don’t recommend building new on a property like this is we’re so tight to the neighbors and we’re going to need to shore up the neighbour’s foundation on both sides. It opens you up to legal issues. It opens because they’re downtown. They’re really close to the lake there, there’s underground water. We definitely would have to pump that water out and the neighbors are going to be just squirming about all the work that’s going on and be worried about it as well. Those are very heavy foundations. The one that’s under the house we renovated is stone. It’s really the top of a stone wall – they’re mammoth stones. The top of the the stone wall is almost twice the width of a regular foundation wall. So most of our new walls are eight- or 10-inch block, right? Or concrete. The top of that wall was 16 inches. And then it widened out at the bottom because those those stone walls were built like that. So the bottom was over two feet wide before the footing and the footings themselves were about 30 inches wide. All hand-placed stone. And so it makes it a bit challenging to build on but it is a very strong foundation and it’s been there for well over 100 years. So we recommended keeping the foundation. This house was already over the depth that it’s allowed to be from face of the house to the very back face of the house. We’re allowed around 47 feet and it was 54 feet, so, tearing it down completely, we probably wouldn’t have been able to build the same thing on that footprint.

We talked to the engineers and we talked to zoning and the house was able to carry a third floor. They could have definitely got permission for using half of the third floor without even going to the committee of adjustment, but if they wanted the full third floor they would have been approved because there’s a lot of them in the neighborhood that have full third floors. The client wanted us to make sure that we structurally set this up so if they ever do want to add a third floor or if somebody down the road wants to add a third floor that it’s able to hold that third floor.

So we kept this structure. We kept the brick. And a lot of these homes have the double brick wall that you see on the front there. They have that wrapping the entire home. This one didn’t. It was wood walls, two-by-four normal wood walls on the sides in the back and only the front, where it’s pink on the front, was the only spot that had brick. So that brick was not structural brick. It was veneer brick, one of the early precursors to the kind we use now. They’re bigger, they’re chunkier, and they aren’t there to support the roof. They had had a couple contractors through and the contractors had thought, like I guess most people would, that this whole structure was brick just because the front wall had veneer brick on it. I thought the whole thing was brick, but it wasn’t. And that had its pros and cons. The roof is being supported by the two-by-four wood structure behind it. That gave us a lot of flexibility because we were not stuck with all this brick that we have to cut into. It was very easy to change our window openings. It was easy to add skylights and the roof. And we kept the whole roof.

Above the front door there was a little room there and it was only four feet high and they had a washer in there – no dryer, just a washer – and it had no headroom at all. So we built that up with a square roof.

The windows were covered with concrete because the bricks were were falling out and they hid them. It was just beyond saving. But the clients were so sad because they thought they had bought a masonry home. We already had a lot of weight on the foundation and we didn’t have a lot of confidence in putting a brand-new masonry wall there. We quoted it for them but it was a two-by-four wood structure so whatever we put in front would be a veneer that would have to be hanging from that old wood structure. So I suggested stone-look stucco and that’s what we ended up with there. It is stucco and has a nice little V-groove. When you look close at it, it looks pretty good but you can tell that it’s not real stone when you look close. The other thing that was a real uplift for the facade was downplaying the stucco. We used ACM panels and ACM panels are not cheap. Those are really expensive. They come out and they measure just like they do for a countertop with everything within an eighth of an inch, make it, fabricate it and then bring it out and install it for you. So we hired a company to do that. We looked around and there weren’t there aren’t too many companies doing it. I think it’s a really nice finish and architects love it, so architects are starting to try to incorporate it into a lot of designs. So I think we’re going to see a lot more of it in the future but right now most of it’s coming from Europe – I think Turkey or even one company from Dubai. I think it’s something we should be making in Canada. Maybe somebody actually produces the material. But as far as finding a company to install it here in Toronto, it was hard to find somebody that would give us even a reasonable price because this was a fairly small job. They want to do commercial but we had about 500 square feet. So it was a small project for them, but I’d recommend using that material again and I’m hoping it becomes more available with more companies that are able to install it. You have to be certified with the fabricator to install it. What we liked about the ACM is the fact that it’s prefabricated, that it’s lighter and a little quicker and easier to install. It’s a more dramatic clean-line finish that especially the younger generation is very comfortable with. They love that because it has more appeal to them than a Victorian home. It’s not modern modern – if we were to go all out modern we would be building a square front and not keeping the peak roof and not trying to do the stone. It’s kind of a nice transitional look that gives you a little bit of the features of an older home from a past era. But it’s a new home and it’s like a condo. It’s like your downtown commercial buildings. It has that glossiness to it with the ACM.

We could have done columns that were probably fibreglass and you know, curved or a little bit ornate at the top and maybe fluted or something just to try to fit with the era that the house was built, the Edwardian time period, but how do you pick an era on that street where you’ve got, Edwardian or even older to the left and then you’ve got ’70s square triplex. This is what I love about this photo. Some people would try to crop out the other two homes, but I like that. It really shows the personality of downtown. This is downtown. This is when you’re looking at people in the street or you look at shops on the street. It’s the same sort of mix that you’re going to get. You’re going to get old and modern and traditional and falling apart and brand-new put together. It’s just such a nice a nice blend. And I think people like that. It’s exciting. What’s interesting too about this one is I’ve had two neighbours reach out now and I’m going to see them next week. They they walked by this house and they were watching the progress as it was being built and they couldn’t wait to see it finish. And then they want to call us, and which they’ve done, because they’d like us to come over and take a look at their house and see what we can do with the the front of the house.

With the modern look, a lot of people go to steel windows so they can do larger, clear windows. We buy from Casa Bella, and most of our windows come from Casa Bella. They’re much more affordable. They’re Canadian-made. They have stainless steel extrusions, so they don’t have that problem with the condensation that you get with imported vinyl windows. And having them black on the the the outside really makes them more modern looking. So I think it works. The little transoms at the top were just kind of a flashback to the original home. Transom windows would have been really popular in the time when the house was initially built. It might have had transom windows or would have had double-hung windows, perhaps, but at least you would see some horizontal lines in the windows. So we replicated the size and shape from the main floor up to the second floor. You can see the old second floor windows did the same so we’re basically keeping with that same geometry and the same kind of scale for the windows that we had before. That was very important for me to try to keep the scale of everything the same as what we had originally with the house because it’s nicely proportioned. It’s got a lot of the thirds: three windows and then the one window we did over the top. The top of the door is lined up perfectly over the door. We centered the door in the portico space. We actually debated for quite a while about that door position, because you can see the steps are off centre. So they wanted to keep the steps. They didn’t want to spend the money on changing the steps. They were going to epoxy and to make the cold room waterproof. So with the cold room with the epoxy there, it didn’t make sense to be rebuilding that front porch. So they kept the the steps. I said we can take out the steps and repour new ones that are wider so the door will will be in the centre but they didn’t do it.

AFTER                                                                                   BEFORE

On the back the water was getting in behind the siding and the siding was all discoloured because the roof had failed at the top. There’s a little addition that you see on the left-hand side. That was a bathroom they tacked on so the main floor would have a bathroom with a tub. This little tiny door, which is only two foot wide, on the right hand side went up a skinny little stair to the second floor and that was a whole unit on the second floor. There was also on the side of the house concrete steps that went down to the basement.

Because that room was so bad and the foundation underneath it was so bad, we poured a concrete foundation. So we put up temporary supports just in case, because this thing was a mess. And our guys, as they poured a new concrete foundation underneath, they put jack posts up from that foundation to hold up the second floor. And while that was held up we rebuilt the first floor. We rebuilt it with the balcony and the new doors. There’s a significant beam in there for structure because of those glass walls. The the glass walls are 12 feet and they open. The centre panels open right up. So you have six feet in the in the centre open from the bedroom or the main floor. There’s a moment frame structure in there. Basically, there’s a lot of steel – we had to put a lot of steel into this house. We put 13 steel columns and nine steel beams. And that’s how we’re supporting the second floor and making it solid enough that, if they ever wanted to, they could take that flat roof off and they could build another storey.

The glass back wall is not window wall, it’s a 12-foot-wide system. We built basically a steel moment frame. It has a 14-inch-high steel beam in the middle between the two. This is to keep the structure from moving side-to-side. When you have a large percentage of the wall being glass, you need to build that frame because you can’t have any of that movement with the glass. That will keep it all square. These are more or less two patio doors but the the middle opens up and then there will be a double panel on the two sides and you’ll have six feet clear in the middle. The walk-through has the support, obviously, still down the middle but it’s so beautiful from inside the master bedroom. We’ve done this to a lot of homes because it’s way cheaper than getting a full steel system built like we’ve we used to buy from Alumilex in Montreal. We use their systems but only when we have houses where we’re going 10 feet high and 15 feet or more wide. We’ve done a few of those too. They’re beautiful.

They wanted to be able to put a hot tub up on the upstairs balcony. They could put a small one. They don’t have a huge master bedroom upstairs but they wanted it to feel big and they really wanted this width for the glass. I said, are you sure you want it like this? Because the neighbors on the right with the big brick Victorian have a two-unit laneway house and the windows of that house look back into the balcony. I wouldn’t have wanted that but they love it. Honestly, it’s a beautiful spot just to hang out and just sit in the sun. It’s facing west so it has that evening sun. The balcony is composite wood. We did double-up on the joists. They might not do the hot tub. We brought power up there.

They couldn’t picture their backyard because she couldn’t visualize anything. I said, you gotta get involved with my landscaper. I have a horticultural patio guy and he’s amazing. He went to University of Guelph for landscape architecture and he’s really great and he has a great team He does most of my landscaping work for my clients. They hire him directly. I keep it separate because it’s always it has to be done at the end of the project and we’d like to get out of the project and move on to something else. So I usually give him that work and then he does some stuff for us here and there. He explained the garden to them and when they got the explanation of what they could do with the backyard they decided to put it in the backyard. They have a two-car garage at the back of the property and it’s going to go right against that garage so they can look from their back at their home and they also put in a fire pit. His company is Con-Tech and his name is Roger Walker.

The post Modern Edwardian – Built By Pros, Toronto appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

• Report lower income, pay less tax but qualify for less mortgage, or;
• Report higher income, pay more tax and qualify for more mortgage.

• Income gross-ups;
• Debt restructuring;
• Using benefits (like child tax income);
• Spousal income;
• Co-signers.

Bryan Sutter is an independent mortgage broker with Real Mortgage Associates. He managed the top-performing mortgage team in Canada for a large bank and has over 25 years’ experience finding solutions for tough lending challenges. bsutter@rmabroker.ca

The post Why banks don’t give mortagages to contractors (and what you can do about it) appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

With JobTread’s MCP (Model Context Protocol) server, AI becomes a connected assistant that can:

• Build estimates, budgets, and schedules using real job data;
• Analyze performance across jobs in seconds;
• Generate client communication and internal updates;
• Identify risks and opportunities across active jobs.

Any customer with an AI account can begin asking questions, generating outputs, and taking action in real time due to JobTread’s open API. This open approach stands in contrast to legacy systems that restrict access to data and limit how contractors can work with it. Rather than relying on static reports or rigid workflows, contractors can interact with their business dynamically, using AI to create, analyze, and act as work is happening. Access levels can be customized by the user, and every action is logged and auditable, providing clear visibility into any information that was created and changed.

The post New software tool integrates open AI platforms appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

More information 

“Creating safer workplaces doesn’t happen by chance. It takes commitment, awareness, and action. Safety and Health Week encourages all of us to take meaningful steps to prevent injuries and promote health every day,” Tennier commented.

“I think of spring as a season of momentum, with Safety and Health week at its core,” Gutierrez said. “In 2026, we are no longer simply talking about a safer Canada. We are actively building one. We’re no longer just planning for a better future. We are planting it — right now, across this country, through this community of health and safety professionals and committed leaders. Threads of Life is excited to see the seeds we all plant this Safety and Health Week, and this spring, take root.” 

“Although health and safety at work is very important throughout the year, we celebrate Safety and Health Week as a yearly starting point to promote and encourage everyone – employers, managers and workers – to initiate steps to ensure safe and healthy workplaces,” adds Turner. “Safety and Health Week brings us all together to help shape safety practices ensuring we stay safe every day.”

Safety and Health Week is rooted in a community-based approach. Across the country, events and activities are coordinated by local, provincial and regional workplaces and communities. Event listings across Canada can be found on the Safety and Health Week website, and organizations are encouraged to add their own as well.

The post Health and Safety Week coming May 4 – 9 appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

Paul Amato of Tallinn Advisory brings 20 years’ of professional experience advising construction companies to the question of how to get the different parts of your organization working better together. He joins The Hammer to talk about what he means by “alignment”; the elements of a good mindset; the barriers to great customer service and quality; and how to build a culture that succeeds. Take some time with Paul to think about how you do business!

The post The Hammer Episode #69: The Alignment Problem – Paul Amato, Tallinn Advisory appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

The tone of the letter is scathing in places:

“We cannot support the 2025 model codes or their adoption and call for an immediate pause to redo them properly.”

“CHBA has become seriously concerned over the last few years with how Canada’s new governance system for national codes and its updated code development process is neither transparent nor evidence-based anymore.”

The letter references Australia, where building code development has been paused in response to similar concerns. Specific actions the CHBA is calling for include:

• Immediately stop the adoption and implementation process of the 2025 National Construction Codes and assess them with a plan to only put forth for adoption cost-neutral changes for housing in Part 9 of the 2025 national codes (such as the prescriptive point-based compliance paths for all energy efficiency tiers);
• Pause all 2030 code development until critical reforms are made to the development approach, such as:
  • restoring transparency, accountability and meaningful stakeholder engagement within the codes system;
  • adding an ex-officio seat for CHBA and other broad sector stakeholders at all CBHCC meetings (including in-camera meetings) to properly inform the development from an industry perspective;
  • reinstating a coordination committee dedicated to NBC Part 9 (which deals directly with housing) rather than spreading it across 13 committees with non-residential construction;
  • reducing the priorities for the 2030 code cycles, focusing only on essential, cost-neutral requirements;
  • making housing affordability a core principle in code development along with a robust structured process to assess and limit individual-change and cumulative costs for each future code edition
• Establish a National Building Code Interpretation Centre to achieve consistent local application of harmonized national construction codes and work with the provinces to make published solutions binding.

Read the full letter

The post CHBA to Carney: Pause code development appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

“We are proud to have been hosting this unique event since 1989 that allows the most talented youth from across the province to compete and showcase their career-ready skills,” said Ian Howcroft, CEO of Skills Ontario. “The Skills Ontario Competition is helping to change lives and inspire leaders through skilled trades and technologies, and we thank all our volunteers and partners for their dedicated support.”

The Skills Ontario Competition is a free event for spectators to attend with no registration required.

The closing ceremony on May 6 will be available for communities across Ontario to watch online on the Skills Ontario YouTube channel.

Along with providing life-changing experiences, the winners of these provincial contests have a chance to medal, receive monetary awards or prize packs, or go on to compete with Team Ontario at the Skills Canada National Competition (SCNC) at the end of the month in Toronto.

Besides the contests, the Skills Ontario Competition also hosts the free Career Exploration Showcase; Young Women’s Conferences; the First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Student Conference; the Provincial Entrepreneurship Showcase; and the Skilled Trades Conference for Guidance Educators.

The Skills Ontario Trades and Tech Truck department will also be unveiling a new fleet of Trades and Tech Trucks at the event.

Information and registration

The post Skills Ontario Competition kicks off May 4 appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

The longer you spend on jobsites, the more the environment feels second nature. Drills, pipe cutters and metal-on-metal contact are part of the scene, no matter the project. Yet PPE tends to focus only on eye protection or respiratory safety, with hearing often overlooked.

This gap in essential equipment has far-reaching impacts. That’s because repeated exposure to loud equipment can contribute to permanent hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears). Hearing changes tend to occur gradually, meaning hearing health can be easy to dismiss, that is, until it’s impossible to ignore.

Understanding noise on the jobsite

Sound is measured in decibels (dB), and a safe level is around 60 to 65 dB. Exposure to levels of 85 dB or higher can damage hearing, making hearing protection essential for prolonged exposure. It’s also important to note that for every three-dB increase above 85 dB, the amount of safe exposure time is cut in half.

Power saws, rotary hammers, and heavy equipment can easily reach 90 to 100 dB or more. Even if exposure happens in intervals throughout the day, the cumulative impact over months and years can lead to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).

NIHL occurs when the delicate structures in the inner ear are damaged by loud sounds. This damage can happen gradually from prolonged noise exposure or suddenly from a single, very loud sound. NIHL often develops without pain, which can make it difficult for tradespeople to notice at first.

Early signs contractors shouldn’t ignore

Hearing directly contributes to situational awareness. Communication, equipment sounds, and warnings may start to become difficult as hearing loss progresses. Since this condition is gradual, understanding early symptoms is crucial:

• Ringing or buzzing in the ears (tinnitus) after a workday;
• Muffled sounds;
• Frequently asking others to repeat themselves;
• Turning up the radio or phone volume higher than usual;
• Feeling tired after conversations in noisy environments.

On a busy job site, missing verbal instructions or warning signals can increase safety risks. Hearing helps contractors detect approaching vehicles, equipment malfunctions, alarms, and verbal warnings. It also supports efficient teamwork and coordination, especially during time-sensitive installations or repairs.

The impact on safety and productivity

In mechanical and plumbing environments, communication is critical. Crews often work in tight spaces and around active systems. Miscommunication can lead to errors, delays, rework, and, in extreme cases, injuries.

When hearing loss goes unaddressed, it can affect more than conversations. Research shows that untreated hearing challenges can contribute to fatigue and increased stress. Straining to hear all day requires mental effort, which can reduce focus over time.

For contractors who depend on both physical and mental sharpness, maintaining ear health supports long-term career sustainability.

Practical steps to reduce risk

The good news is that noise-induced hearing loss is preventable. A few practical adjustments can make a significant difference.

1. Wear proper hearing protection

Earmuffs and earplugs designed for construction environments can reduce harmful noise levels while still allowing workers to communicate. In particularly loud settings, such as when operating heavy machinery or cutting metal, double protection (earplugs plus earmuffs) may be appropriate.

2. Maintain equipment

Quieter equipment can benefit everyone on site. Regular maintenance can help reduce unnecessary noise from worn bearings, loose components, or poorly lubricated parts.

3. Rotate tasks when possible

Limiting the time a worker spends using the loudest equipment can help reduce total daily exposure.

4. Schedule regular hearing tests

Because hearing changes can occur gradually, routine hearing checks are an important part of preventative care.

Online hearing tests can provide a quick check-in, but a comprehensive assessment at a hearing centre offers a clearer understanding of hearing ability and next steps. Early detection allows hearing care professionals to recommend strategies tailored to individual needs.

5. Hearing aids for stronger support

If hearing loss is identified, there are options available. Today’s hearing aids are more advanced and discreet than many people expect. Many models are designed to perform well in dynamic sound environments and can help improve speech clarity in noisy settings. Treating hearing loss will help contractors stay confident in conversations with coworkers, clients, and inspectors.

Making hearing conservation part of the trade

Contractors take pride in their craftsmanship and commitment to safety. Adding hearing protection to the list of standard job site precautions helps ensure that skilled tradespeople can continue doing the work they value for years to come. By understanding workplace noise levels, wearing appropriate protection, maintaining equipment, and scheduling regular hearing tests, contractors can reduce their risk of hearing loss and tinnitus while supporting a safer, more productive work environment.

Disclaimer: This is not professional medical advice. Please consult a hearing care specialist to address your unique needs.

About The Author

Katie Koebel, M.Cl.Sc., is the senior manager of Audiology at HearingLife. Katie is an audiologist registered with CASLPO and has been providing her clients with the best possible hearing health care with HearingLife for over 17 years. 

The post Protecting hearing on the job site appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

For years, the debate has been framed primarily in social terms – fairness, accessibility, and quality of life. Those matter. But focusing only on those dimensions misses a larger, more urgent reality. Housing is one of the most powerful economic engines in the country and, when it stalls, the consequences ripple far beyond the construction site.

A growing body of research is now making that case clearly. A study from Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business reframes housing policy as economic policy. The report, Build and Benefit: How Homebuilding Incentives Can Pay Off for Cities, Homeowners and Local Economies, found that boosting housing supply and improving affordability can deliver immediate and sustained economic benefits. The report found that investment in homebuilding, including streamlined approval processes and reduced input costs, can quickly translate into more affordable housing and wider economic benefits.

That observation cuts to the heart of the issue. When housing becomes unaffordable, households are forced to divert more of their income toward shelter, leaving less to spend in the broader economy. Local businesses suffer. Investment slows. Labour mobility declines as workers are priced out of key markets. Municipal revenues weaken. The economic drag is real.

The Concordia study also quantifies what it would take to meaningfully improve affordability. Canada would need to more than double its housing construction rate to between 3.5 and 4.1 percent of existing supply annually. That translates into tens of thousands of additional homes each year in major cities – roughly 96,000 in Toronto alone.

The good news is that relatively straightforward policy changes could help. The study finds that cutting approval delays by just 20 percent could improve affordability by 17 percent. That is not a marginal gain – it is transformative. Faster approvals, lower input costs and more efficient development processes would not only increase supply but also stimulate local economies as households regain spending power.

But if the upside is significant, the downside of inaction is even more alarming. A report by the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis suggests that, without policy intervention, about 35,000 Ontario residential construction workers could potentially be displaced, on average, over the next 10 years, while 390,000 fewer Ontarians would be housed. These are not abstract projections. They represent real economic dislocation – fewer jobs, weaker growth and a diminished standard of living.

The economic effects could be devastating. Ontario could face a 1.5 to 2.5 percent reduction in GDP as early as 2026 tied directly to a collapse in residential construction. That is not a typical cyclical downturn – it is a structural weakening of one of the economy’s core sectors.

The damage would not stop there. A prolonged slowdown would erode the construction workforce, disrupt apprenticeship pipelines, and lead to a loss of knowledge that could take years to rebuild. Supply chains would contract. The housing ecosystem would become more fragile.

All of this is happening against the backdrop of a long-term affordability crisis that has been building for decades. Twenty-five years ago, a typical home in Ontario cost roughly three to four times the average household income – a level widely considered affordable. Today, that ratio has ballooned to seven to nine times income in many markets, and even higher at the peak of the pandemic housing surge. While higher interest rates have cooled prices somewhat, affordability remains deeply out of reach for many households. By most measures, home prices are still 35 to 40 percent higher relative to incomes than they were a decade ago.

Improving the affordability of new housing must be treated as an economic priority. We need policies that reduce development costs, streamline approvals, and expand the supply of land. The benefits extend far beyond the housing market. More construction means more jobs. More affordable homes mean more disposable income. Stronger local economies generate higher tax revenues.

Building more homes – and making them more affordable – is one of the most effective economic strategies available. The alternative is a very slow and painful erosion of our economy.

Richard Lyall is president of the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON). He has represented the building industry in Ontario since 1991. Contact him at media@rescon.com.

The post Lyall: Homebuilding is our economic engine appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

“By partnering with CIL and leveraging the strength of Canadian brands Sico and Dulux, we are making it easier for customers to choose the right paint. By launching RonaPro by Dulux, we are providing a great addition to our assortment and delivers professional grade quality paint at great value for our Pro customers,” said Doug Young, chief merchandising officer at Rona.

The new paint line aims to deliver consistent performance and strong value across a range of products, helping painters complete their tasks efficiently and with confidence. It features four quality tiers to offer the right range of sheen, tintable bases and size formats for varying needs.

“We are proud to partner with Rona to bring RonaPro by Dulux to market,” said Tim Fisher, co-president of retail for CIL. “Drawing on the expertise of Dulux, this partnership combines Rona’s retailer strength in serving pros with our deep understanding of the needs of painters, expanding access to tailored solutions for professional painters across a broader range of products sold exclusively under the RonaPro by Dulux brand.”

Rona is also introducing a streamlined Sico assortment designed to make it easier for customers to select the right paint for their projects.  As part of this evolution, Rona will introduce Sico Scuff Guard this season, an interior paint engineered for high-traffic, high-visibility commercial and residential spaces. It’s designed for superior scuff resistance while combining excellent hiding and application properties with remarkable durability.

The post Rona and CIL launch pro-focused paint brand appeared first on Canadian Contractor.

The British Columbia Construction Association issued this reaction to the 2026 B.C. budget:

Today, Premier Eby’s government presented its first Budget of the new legislative session. While the British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) commends the provincial government’s commitment to enhancing BC’s economic resilience in response to Donald Trump’s tariffs, we remain concerned that support for the construction industry, a critical component of the BC economy, continues to be insufficient.

“The provincial government has made clear its commitment to defending our province and growing our economy—now, it’s time to follow through,” says Chris Atchison, president of BCCA. “The construction industry has identified straightforward strategies and solutions that will enhance resilience and drive productivity. We’re ready and willing to work with the provincial government to get these done and build a stronger B.C.”

Eliminating barriers to interprovincial trade, implementing Prompt Payment legislation and streamlining approval and contracting processes will all equip the construction industry with the tools needed to continue building B.C.’s critical and community-enabling infrastructure efficiently, effectively, and with the certainty of payment they deserve. These would also offer immediate economic benefits by creating employment and demand for local materials while contributing to the long-term resilience and sustainability of B.C.’s economy.

“The majority of our members are concerned that economic uncertainty will reduce demand for projects in B.C.,” adds Atchison. “We urge the provincial government to take immediate action by passing policies and investing in initiatives designed to protect, preserve and power one of our province’s strongest industries and economic contributors.”

BCCA is committed to continuing to work with the provincial government to support B.C.’s construction industry. We welcome the opportunity for ongoing dialogue. By working together, we can protect our province and build BC.

The Quebec construction association, APCHQ, had this to say about Quebec’s measures:

In a context where construction costs increased by eight percent in Quebec in 2025, where the administrative burden is slowing down projects and where several municipal water infrastructures have reached saturation, slowing down the construction of 36,000 homes last year, it was an opportunity for the government to send a clear signal to accelerate residential construction and meet the needs of the population.

“While more than three out of four tenants do not believe they will be able to access property in Quebec within five years, the APCHQ considers that efforts to build more and faster have not been sufficient. Quebec must build 100,000 new homes per year to restore affordability by 2035, while only 60,000 were built last year. To catch up with this delay, the association proposes to modernize municipal infrastructure, reduce obstacles to construction and improve access to property, “says the APCHQ.

The APCHQ would nevertheless like to highlight the following announcements:

• 1.3 billion in housing assistance for the most vulnerable people in the residential market;
• 160 million for the rental stock to encourage owners to install heat pumps in rental buildings, as well as 425 million for the Rénoclimat program.

The post B.C. and Quebec groups don’t feel provincial budgets do enough for construction sector appeared first on Canadian Contractor.