The best contractors and home builders in Ottawa, ON

Building permits for homes in Ottawa come from the City of Ottawa. Structural work, additions, new plumbing and electrical work and basement finishing usually need one, while cosmetic updates usually do not. Agree in writing whether you or the firm applies.

Ask for a clearance certificate from the WSIB, which confirms the firm is registered for workers' compensation and in good standing, and for a certificate of liability insurance covering the dates of your job. Then read its Google reviews from the last year and ask to see finished work like yours.

A new house in Ontario must be built by a builder licensed by the Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA) and comes with Tarion's warranty: one year on workmanship and materials, two years on items such as water penetration and the electrical, plumbing and heating systems, and seven years on major structural defects.

A renovation is not a new home, so the new home warranty rules usually do not apply: get the firm's own workmanship warranty in writing, with what it covers and for how long. Renovators in RenoMark, the Canadian Home Builders' Association program, offer a minimum two-year warranty on their work.