Ottawa General Contractors reviews (191)

As we are coming to a mid point in my renovation project I wanted to take a moment to provide major kudos to two people who have been associated with the project and who have gone above and beyond in making it progress as smoothly and efficiently as possible. The first is Michael our Project Manager. Michael has kept me informed and updated on every step of the construction and providing me with options and explanations while listening to my needs and wants. He has been a rock in that I feel confident that he will listen to my requests and provide me with realistic options and budgetary implications so that I am able to make educated decisions on which route I want to take. I am very grateful that we have him in place to manage the project. The second person that I want to praise is the carpenter Matt. His work and dedication to doing things right also provides me with the confidence that the structure is being built the best way possible. For example, when he noted that when, as the approved plans called for, a wall was to be moved in order to create our walk in closet, that doing so created a weakness in the roof structure, he instantly recommended the solution rather than just going ahead as per the plans. This attitude along with numerous suggestions and explanations he has provided along the way, have again provided me with confidence that the construction will be completed correctly. As a client, I appreciate being provided with efficient and prompt information followed by prompt follow through on the decisions made as shown by these two individuals. I would have given more stars but for issues and delays with getting city approvals.

OGC is a very professional company and a good choice if you prefer the comfort of going with a large scale organization over an independent contractor or tradesperson. In 2017 we had them do the structural work to remove a wall and relocate wiring in our kitchen (townhouse condo). A number of issues with the structural were resolved after a few headaches and setbacks, but nothing dramatic to complain about. We wanted to save money and do a lot of the work ourselves (cabinet installation, drywall, painting) and they had no issue working with us and our schedule. We worked with Allan and his #1 goal was to make sure we were happy. Yes, I would recommend them and may use them again in the future.

This is the second time we have used Ottawa General Contractors, which is a testament to their service. The project managers, Brad and Andrew are always present and answer questions whenever you have them. They are great at keeping you informed on your project and the contractors really care about the quality of work that they do.

From the initial quote, through the design and build, and even during an extended delay due to an unforeseen and complex project setback, OGC team members remained conscientious, considerate and professional, taking full responsibility for their work, and that of all subcontractors, and ensuring and warranting an excellent finished project.

I will start with the bottom line of my thoughts on working with OGC, which is, if asked by a friend, I would recommend them. On the whole it was a positive experience, the bathroom they designed and built for us is tasteful and well-built and they were good to work with and very professional throughout the experience. If you want some more detail I will include it below. Sales We started off working with Nick, who did sales and the basic design and needs with us. We had three other quotes as well and, for what it is worth, OGC was the highest bidder. But we were also very impressed with their well laid out and explained process that Nick walked us through. Design/Materials We started off working with Tanie, who we felt didn’t really want to listen to our wants but did help us design a practical bathroom that will be great for resale. Tanie left the company half way through the design process. She was replaced by Deirdre, who I have to give huge props to. She did an great job taking over without a ton of documentation and really helped steer the design more towards what we were looking for. She also had a lot of really practical suggestions, it was good to work with her. Build Michael was our project manager and Edgar of Laverne Home Improvements was the lead/owner of the sub-contractors who did the build. Both were great to work with in their own way. Michael was really good on the communication front and kept us well informed on what was going on. Edgar and his team did their best to work around us and produced a nice finished product without any real major snags. The project was on budget and on time. Communication As I mentioned OGC has a great process and were pretty good at communicating with us throughout. If I had one gripe it would be that they often didn’t seem to have communicated with each other. For example we had a bit of a miss communication around the bathroom door and everyone said someone else would buy it. It all got sorted out, but probably would have been easier if it was just communicated up front. Finished product: Looks really nice, seems to be well built. It was more expensive than we would have hoped but the costs were well inventoried for us and there weren’t surprises. Besides a few minor finishing details that didn’t get done perfectly (e.g. the grout) the work seems to be of really good quality and it seems like it will last well. We are quite pleased with it all, it really turned out better then expected.

Work was satisfactory. Planning was great. Professional sub contractors. OGC was eager to work with me to fix deficiencies in order to ensure that I was satisfied with the end product.

What I liked best about my experience with OGC was the employees. Everyone I met was super nice and helpful. Nick was my first contact with OGC. He was very friendly and welcoming. He had an estimate ready for me right on time, one week after contacting him. Karly, who came to the site to photograph and measure, was very pleasant, and did a great job. Tanie was very helpful and responsive to my design needs and such a pleasure to work with. She found me special items that really added to the final great look of the bathrooms. Paolo, my project manager, was very considerate and always available for any questions or concerns I had, which was very reassuring to me. Dave, who completed most of the onsite work, other than the electrical and plumbing, did exceptional work. He was very polite and obliging, and enjoyable to have around for the length of the project. My bathrooms turned out excellent, just as I had envisioned them. I would not hesitate to recommend OGC.

We are so impressed with the entire process of working with OGC. From beginning to end the communication first from Ken, then from Michael on down has been so fluid. The workmanship, professionalism and attention to detail has been a breath of fresh air. We love the care that each one of your contractors brought to this project. The cedar deck covering the sealed (with blueskin) and insulated concrete stairs and foundation along the front of the house is beautiful. The Cold Storage is now a possible reading room for our Grandchild! We are aware it was a bit of a small project for OGC to take on, but we wanted it done right. We will not hesitate for a second to hire, or refer your company to anybody that needs work done on their homes. We loved having your crews working on our house. We have been in great hands. Thank you so much! Scott and Kathy

Undergoing a major renovation for the first time could easily become a daunting feat. Having Deirdre guide us through the design phase and quickly respond to questions big or small has been key. Even if struck by a random thought outside of working hours, Deirdre has provided options and guidance making the decision an easier call. Looking forward to seeing it all come together!

Deirdre of OGC has been very helpful with ideas, color and styles when picking out all materials for our big project. She has great practical and creative suggestions that helped me when picking out all that was needed. I've appreciated her guidance and help!