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General Contractors in Toronto for Home Renovation

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General Contractors in Toronto: Home Renovation

Are you thinking of hiring general contractors to build a new home or to renovate your Toronto living space? The traditional model involves hiring an architect to draw up the plans before involving contractors. The next step after receiving plans from the architect is the hiring of contractors, who, in turn, subcontract out parts of the process.

This unwieldy model is time-consuming, and can be inefficient and frustrating. Communication is difficult, there’s no clear point of contact for suppliers, and budget overruns and scheduling difficulties are common. If you opt for the conventional process, you may find that much of your time and energy is taken up with managing the details of your project. This is neither necessary nor efficient. If you’re planning to build or renovate, hiring a design-build firm offers many advantages.

What Is Design-Build?

Design-build firms create a team of architects, designers and contractors. This provides a streamlined process because all the players are involved from the beginning and understand exactly what’s required. Personnel are often able to overlap the design and construction phases of the project, thereby speeding up the process. And because one firm is responsible for the entire project, there’s much greater accountability. This streamlining helps ensure that the build or renovation progresses according to schedule and keeps as close to budget as possible.

Anyone who has worked with the old model will recognize how design-build principles can revolutionize the process, adding efficiency, improved communication and accountability.

Tarion Registered Builders

Building a dream home and creating the perfect space for your family is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Renovations may involve a re-envisioning of your current home or a simple expansion and modernization of a bathroom or a kitchen. No matter what the job, look for a company that is licensed by Tarion, Ontario’s provincial new home builder regulator. Choosing a knowledgeable firm ensures that your renovation will adhere to safety codes and high building standards.

There are various organizations that contractors may join. Most of them involve merely paying dues. Tarion is different – it’s the only provincial organization that requires rigorous testing to join and that monitors its member builders. In order to become a Tarion builder, a builder must pass exams that test their knowledge of all aspects of the building trade, including the current building code and safety regulations.

Once registered by Tarion, builders must work in order to maintain their status. Annual financial checks are made by Tarion to ensure that builders are in good financial shape. They’re also monitored to confirm that any client problems have been solved quickly and efficiently, to the client’s satisfaction. Hiring a Tarion builder provides you with far greater protection – and peace of mind – than the alternative.

If you are considering building a dream home or renovating your current home, contact a Tarion registered design-build firm today and explore the options available to you.