OakWood Designers & Builders

My husband and I met with Oakwood’s President/CEO, John Liptak, to explore the possibility of acquiring Oakwood’s services to build our new home. Not only is John friendly and professional, but he is extremely knowledgeable in every step and detail required to build a high quality custom home. He gave us a tour of the facility and introduced us to team members. His confidence in the quality of Oakwood homes and his team is evident and his honesty about pricing and add-ons was also much appreciated.

While we don’t often post reviews online about personal projects or providers we work with, we’re making an exception here as we believe that more people need to hear about the incredible work done by Oakwood, Design Candy and their related teams. I cannot possibly stress how much of a difference having the right partner to work with for a renovation can make an impact. First off, when Steph and I bought our first home together it was a stressful process as I believe it is true for any first-time home buyers. There is so much going on between mortgages, moving, inspections, work and balancing all of it, just that process alone can be a nightmare. Add to that the rather ambitious idea that we wanted to renovate some key elements of the house /before/ we moved in so that we didn’t have to try and balance living and renovations at the same time. Enter: Oakwood. We’ve had a great relationship with them for a long time (They previously renovated Iversoft’s newest office) and we have always visited their design centre just off of trim road in Orléans with envy. When we bought a place down the street from their design centre, they were a natural choice for a partner. We were working with a close friend on the design and inspiration for our planned renovation and Oakwood’s team was absolutely amazing at working with us. They were able to provide their own recommendations and design insight while working within the vision Design Candy had presented and, unbelievably were willing to work with the insane timeline we’d set for ourselves (a little over 4 weeks!) Start to finish. Let me also say right now, EVERY single person we spoke to going into this renovation told us that renovations run over time and over budget and no amount of praise for Oakwood or belief in their process and teams was going to change that. (Spoilers: They NAILED the timeline!) The Job: •Completely demo and renovate Kitchen •Upgrade home electrical service from 100A to 200A •Sand and refinish ALL hardwood in the house •Disassemble, sand, refinish the main staircase and replace all wood spindles with new metal ones •Update most major lighting fixtures •Repaint the entire house Timeline: •4.5 Weeks until we moved in (Start to finish) Step 1 Start with some inspired designs, napkin sketches and continue forward! During the design phase before we took possession of the house we coordinated with Sharon at Oakwood, she helped coordinated all of the moving pieces, created the schedules, budgets and timelines. She was an absolute godsend and our hero through this ENTIRE process, not only was she always multiple steps ahead of us ensuring that everything was going to line up, she was proactive in helping to enforce Oakwood’s core process and make sure our stress was in-check at all times! Step 2 In order to help keep timelines moving, we volunteered to take on the demo of the kitchen ourselves as we could start on the evening we took possession and have the kitchen ready for a crew to tackle the next morning! This is where I want to highlight the absolute insanity that was the next 4 weeks of our lives and the incredible professionalism of the entire Oakwood team. Not only were they able to coordinate all of the electricians, plumbers, painters, contractors, flooring specialists, appliance installers and deliveries they did so without a missing a beat even when one of our appliances arrived damaged in shipping! If you’ve ever wondered what an entire kitchen and appliances look like in boxes, here is a small idea of what happened next after the demolition was completed and the kitchen arrived Nearly 3 weeks into the project it was incredible seeing just how much had been done, cabinets were going up, plumbing had been done, the countertop team was in and measuring everything to finalize the cutting and polishing of countertops and we couldn’t believe how close things were getting to move-in day! As always we absolutely loved getting our daily end-of-day reports from our on-site project manager who summarized everything that had happened that day as well as the text updates from various tradespeople as they completed different steps and wanted to send pictures of work they were proud of, we could not possibly have been happier or felt more comfortable with the team that we knew was taking such good care of our new house! One thing that blew us away during the entire process was despite the 20+ people involved with all of the various elements of the renovation, painting, floors and more every single one of them spent painstaking time focusing on small details, little perfections and making sure every element matched the designs, specs and was absolute to the standard that Oakwood prides itself on! With so much going on it was easy to forget that the entire house was also being sanded, restained and painted from top to bottom! With so much going on, we wouldn’t want to spoil too much of the surprise, the end results of the work that Oakwood, Design Candy and so many others did for our new home was beyond words. We continue to be humbled every time we come home that we’re able to call this ours and enjoy the craftsmanship and work that went into every small detail. Conclusion Since the renovation work was completed and as we’ve settled into our new home I have not yet missed an opportunity to talk about how great an experience working with Candace, Sharon, John, Marc and the entire Oakwood and Design Candy teams were. When you’re dealing with a world of chaos in a renovation where every timeline is dependant on another, suppliers and work can so easily be tripped up by simple mistakes or oversights, Oakwood stands head and shoulders above any other company we’ve ever spoken to. They have detailed reporting and processes to keep owners involved in every step of the process while also giving a ton of confidence that everything is happening just the way it is supposed to. They easily adapt when the unexpected happens and were proactive in helping manage our expectations and mitigate our stress throughout. This was easily the largest personal project either of us has ever taken on and overseen as customers and we cannot speak highly enough of the professionalism, results, and efficiency in which everything was delivered. We’re looking forward to our next project with the Oakwood team and are happy to act as a reference so others can avoid the renovations headaches and nightmares we’ve heard so much about from other companies and contractors! ~Graeme & Steph See our full story here: https://medium.com/@graemebarlow/our-oakwood-design-candy-experience-49ee04206eb4

Oakwood is a very professional design and build team. They strive to bring the best possible service to their clients. Their attention to detail is unlike any other company we have worked with in the past. The quality of their work is always top notch and we look forward to working with them for many years to come.

They are the most skilled in Ottawa. People that really care. I highly recommend them. We love our new renovation, it was like living in a new home!

My condominium upgrades went south with the first contractor I hired. Thank you! Oakwood for taking the reigns completing on TIME and on BUDGET not to mention the numerous errors corrected left by my original hire!

We are building our luxury home with Oakwood. They have very professional team. Very clever and up to date with all the technologies and design. They custom build our home according to our family need and wishes. Very respectful people, they build a great relationship with us. High end builders and very professional!!! Highly recommend!!!

We highly recommend Oakwood because of the workmanship and the quality of work they had provided for our kitchen renovation. My wife and I are very happy and satisfied with their services and products. The project manager and technicians we dealt with are very polite, dependable and customer-oriented, they essentially had the same goal as ours to complete the renovation on time and on budget and also to meet our expectations. They have warranty on their products, so they promptly addressed the stuff that we were not satisfied. We wouldn’t regret paying a little bit extra to hire Oakwood for their quality, and mostly importantly it was a stress-free renovation overall. Before hiring Oakwood, we hired another contractor to do our kitchen renovation, but the contractor didn’t complete the renovation as promised. Then we engaged Oakwood to continue the kitchen work, they understood the scope of work and provided professional advices throughout the renovation. Taking on somebody’s unfinished work wasn’t easy, however, Oakwood did an amazing work and did everything correctly. We finally got our dream kitchen! Thank you Oakwood!! A special thanks to Scott Bartels. We are pleasant and fortunate having Scott to renovate our kitchen as he is a very skillful, professional and diligent technician who provides outstanding workmanship to meet our expectations.

Oakwood did a complete exterior renovation including building a new oversized double garage all new windows and doors, new siding, roof, and stone. This also including an upstairs bathroom Reno as well and plumbing stack, and electrical service replacement. Given the size of this project Oakwood proved their reputation through highly trained professionals, general professionalism, and fantastic support. They also successfully navigated several challenges that a project of this size co,es with.

We contracted Oakwood to for our renovation project because of their excellent reputation that they stand by their work. We are so glad that we did! They meticulous reviewed the work of the trades and ensured the work was up to their high quality Oakwood standards before considering the job complete. They met their commitments. Their designer was professional, customer-centred, and talented. Our “new” home is better than we could have expected.

I have worked with Oakwood both personally and professionally over the last 6 years. They have always operated with the utmost integrity. They always met their commitments and if a challenge came up it was dealt with swiftly and efficiently. Great people.

Very fast response to an urgent need. We are amazed at the quick turnaround and the quality of the work.

Oakwood made a complex renovation easy for us. The assurance they provide on quality products and workmanship allowed us to rest easy and enjoy the process. I would recommend them for any renovation.

With OakWood we had our kitchen, main bathroom, main floor refinished, stairs and railings done. We LOVE it!! The professionalism, knowledge and respect from sales to design to the construction manager, it felt like we were taken care of from beginning to end. Any hiccups that developed were dealt with before we had a chance to say anything. The renovation started on October 3rd, 2016 and finished just before Christmas. The quality of products in their beautiful show room were just what we were looking for. It made our home look modern and we are still living the WOW factor. Thank you OakWood!!

I love the reno work I had Oakwood do in my older home! My place has never looked so good and I adore the clean modern look! Great staff, great experience, great work by OakWood!

I am so glad that I had my basement and bathroom renovated by OakWood. Every detail was done to perfection and I know that it is safe. The site manager had meetings with me every week to ensure that I knew what had been done and what the next steps were. The whole process was done with transparency and trust. I got the rooms that I wanted and my home is much better for it.

We had decided to undertake a significant renovation (latter part of 2016) : principally building a 20’ x 14’ sunroom above an existing sunroom of the same dimensions on the ground floor, plus major custom cabinetry in an adjoining room and the bedroom, and a general refresh of the bathroom. I had worked with Oakwood over the past 15 years on two previous renovation projects with which I was totally satisfied. Nonetheless, we checked with two other similar companies in Ottawa before selecting our contractor. We decided on Oakwood because their pre-contract process was most professional and gave us the most confidence that they knew what they were doing. In addition, their price was competitive. The design phase using Oakwood’s interactive 3D big screen modelling really helped us identify our best design choices (e.g. windows, where and what shapes). Most important, they listened to what we were envisioning, and their advice on how best to achieve it was invaluable. Their contracted suppliers for such things as flooring and plumbing materials were excellent. However, since we knew exactly what we wanted for bathroom tiles, we supplied those. Engineering-wise, we ran into an early problem in the site preparation phase : a layer of fossil peat just below the footings of the sono-tubes supporting the existing ground floor sunroom. This is where you really need a serious company : engineering a solution for this is critical to the project. Oakwood worked it out; a lesser company might have been less capable. During the construction phase, Oakwood’s subcontractors were superb. Their craftsmanship, attention to detail, and their general professionalism were of the highest calibre. They were a joy to work with, and cleaned up well at the end of every day. The key to Oakwood’s success is their Project Manager (PM) system. Our PM – Kevin McPhee – is a credit to the company. He was on top of all of the work. As with any renovation, there is always the unexpected. With Kevin, any issues were immediately addressed. For any problems, solutions were immediately found and implemented. One example will suffice : we were behind schedule in the last weeks of December 2016 and it did not look like either our bathroom, or parts of the rest of the house, would be functional for Xmas-New Year. Oakwood pulled out all the stops, including temporary bridging solutions where required, and got us set up for the holidays. Our renovation is now complete (January 2017), and we are delighted with the result. Was Oakwood the right choice for our project? : absolutely. Was the price within the given estimate? : yes., any increases were for extra work that we ourselves added (change orders). Was the time frame as predicted? : no, but this was mainly due to the unforeseen and unavoidable extra work required for the site preparation. Would we recommend Oakwood to other prospective clients : quite simply yes !

We are very pleased with your designers. They are an invaluable asset to the whole wonderful OakWood experience. I attempted to call another company that was shown to me but the service was horrible right from the get go and I took that as a sign of things to come. I'm glad we decided to go with OakWood for our renovation because everything went smoothly and the price quote was on budget.

It's now been ten months since the completion of our kitchen and front entry re-design. We're very pleased with the results and with our experience working with Oakwood. We undertook a project that called for gutting then rebuilding our kitchen and family room, the front entry and much of our hallway. We found working with OakWood's employees very easy as they quickly understood the concepts that we were after, worked to integrate our kitchen designer's plans, anticipated the structural and other challenges and developed elegant solutions. Upon giving the go-ahead the process of pre-construction meetings really helped make sure that we were on the same page about what would happen and the scheduling. During the work we found that both the Oakwood workers and the sub-trades were both professional and friendly. Managers were very responsive in addressing the inevitable issues that came up during the work. We also had occasion to call upon Oakwood for some post-project service. Again the response and service provided was prompt and professional. We're really enjoying our expanded kitchen and our opened-up front entrance. The project has given our 1970s era house an up-to-date feel and makes entertaining much more enjoyable. Thanks so much to Oakwood for making it happen!

We were referred to OakWood from a mutual professional contact, expressing that they would be able to take care of our needs. We originally had a mansard style, flat roof that was leaking and causing havoc in our home. OakWood came up with a plan to remove the mansard roof, add a new sloped roof, as well as an addition above our existing garage to include a new master suite as we needed more space for our large family. Other small renovations were to be completed in the home as well. What was most impressive was the response time to our concern, water leaking into the home. Within 2 hours, OakWood had a sent a team to put a tarp over the whole roof to temporarily solve our problems while production waited to commence. As the project started, OakWood was very patient and responsive to our ever changing scope of work. By the time we were complete with the project; we had also finished a new kitchen, three new bathrooms, a new sunroom/family room addition, new flooring, new windows, new covered porch, new stucco exterior and finally a new Mediterranean style clay tile roof. There were three areas that particularly impressed us about Oakwood: the quality of the work, the exceptional work crew and the level of communication, as we were always kept up to date with scope of the project. Trent had a keen eye for detail, and consistently upheld high standards from his workers on our behalf, frequently going beyond the call of duty to ensure that we were happy during all stages of the renovation. We always felt confident that our home was in good hands. We now have a new home for years to enjoy! We want to thank the OakWood team and would highly recommend them to my family, friends and colleagues.

I asked my sister who had gone through major renovations in the Toronto area what was key in having a successful renovation. Her answer, simple…Find a reputable Contractor! With this in mind we interviewed a number of contractors and through determination and sheer luck found Oakwood at the Ottawa Home Show. Oakwood helped us solidify our ideas into a 3D plan with tips, ideas and support from the entire team along the way! The finished product is beautiful! We will be enjoying our ‘new home’ with family & friends this holiday season. In the spirit of Christmas and to show our appreciation to the Oakwood Team…

We have not worked with Oakwood yet be they have an amazing approach to small / mid-size projects (computer selection / management programs) and have recommended them a few times. We look forward to working with them

I heard about Oakwood Renovation Experts from friends who had their renovations done and so far they were all happy with the work and the service. I am also deciding to go with them as their quote was fair and their service and know-how is excellent. Just still looking at options that I like to get incorporated into my kitchen renovation. They aer helping me with the process, so it makes it easier. Their salesperson gave me a good idea about what is possible and what is either not or out of my budget. I will get some more ideas from Houzz then get my final quote to get my kitchen renovation ready before the cold comes back!

OakWood was hired to manage & oversee the development of my new home. I must tell you that the whole process from the design stage to the development/ building of my house was an enjoyable and stress free experience. Having Sharon manage the project really allowed me to focus on other areas without having to worry about the timeline. She always kept me up to date on the status of various aspects of the project. Her general demeanor and patience we extremely helpful. Patricia also did a great job in terms of keeping me up to date with the budget on the house. Without the assistance of these two people, I'm unsure that the experience would have been as positive. In addition to the wonderful service provided by your staff, I am very pleased with the final product; my new home. It was beautifully built with high quality craftsmanship. I have received many compliments from family and friends and I'm always happy to refer people to OakWood should they require renovations or the development of a new home.

It started with wanting a new kitchen floor. It ended with Oakwood doing a complete transformation of our kitchen and family room! Our house is more than 40 years old and the kitchen was old and tired. So when we decided that perhaps more than a floor was needed, we called six different contracting companies to ask them to come to our house and tell us what they thought was possible. Oakwood took our admittedly vague design specifications and blew them wide open, respecting our budget and establishing a workable timeline. The best part of what Oakwood offered? Managing the project on our behalf. Oakwood developed and ran the construction schedule. We had weekly conferences with Trent, our site supervisor, where we discussed progress, issues and concerns. Trent was enthusiastic, helpful and had a great eye for detail. The quality of the workmanship is hard to beat. Our work crews were hard-working and polite. Some of them were even good singers! My friends' reactions to our new space were 'fabulous", ''amazing", "beautiful", "unbelievable". Oakwood did a wonderful job on our kitchen and I would not hesitate recommending them to anyone else. We would definitely use them again.

We have worked with Oakwood on many projects and have had great experiences working together. There designs are always creative, beautiful and functional, taylored for the individual clients. They have generations of experience in the renovation and construction industry and are very professional and capable of performing any renovation you may need. We would recommend them to anyone seeking a renovation professional in the Ottawa area.

It is our pleasure to recommend Oakwood Renovations. We had a very positive experience with their entire team and are thrilled with our new kitchen and bathroom. From every stage of the process, we found Oakwood workers were professional, courteous and both easy and fun to work with. At the early stages, our designer, Julie, helped us formulate our ideal project while still staying within our budget. She really listened to us and created a design that blended our sometimes conflicting aesthetics (shaggy chic versus contemporary modern). When construction began, the workers did their best to minimize the disruption for us. They followed a schedule and cleaned up before they left. Our project manager, Trent, met with us on a weekly basis so we were always kept in the loop and understood where we were in the process. A couple of times, we asked for slight modifications and Oakwood graciously worked with us to accommodate our request. The final result is fabulous. Our new kitchen is absolutely gorgeous and incredibly functional. We have since thrown numerous dinner parties and have received so many compliments on it. Our bathroom is a dream. While it is a whimsical and romantic space, it is also equally functional. All toiletries now have a place in the custom-made vanity and so the stunning granite counter is always on beautiful display. And our friends keep coming over to take a bath! The renovations have increased the pleasure we get from our house ten-fold. And if we needed future renovations, we would not hesitate to use Oakwood again.

We chose OakWood based on a recommendation from a house owner who had just completed a project that was very much what we had envisioned for our own project. The initial meeting with the Project Consultant left us with a felling that we had made the right decision. We had a meeting with representatives from OakWood who would work with us as the project unfolded. OakWood ensured that we were kept informed, on track and advised us if project deliverables were going to be delayed. Our experience with OakWood has truly been positive and we have highly recommended OakWood to those who have inquired. Rest assured you will be in great company with OakWood.

Our home is an old-semi detached house in the Glebe area of Ottawa and the main floor is a full open concept space. The open space and the exposed wooden beams are what drew us to the house. the kitchen was in now way a selling feature. there were bare walls, water damaged hardwood floors, movable kitchen cabinets, no oven, and three small cupboards. In the space of about four months you took us from a virtually useless space to a modern kitchen that fit to the style of the house. With your advice and the interior design contact you provided the kitchen work involved the main floor of the house as it was one part of the common space. From colors to period trim, from refinished hardwood floors to unique ceramic floor work, and all the hidden structural work, the attention to detail that OakWood brought to the project speak for themselves. We really appreciate the work that OakWood has done and we have in fact referred a number of neighbors to consider OakWood for their renovation projects.

We came to OakWood knowing they had a professional design team on staff and for their stellar reputation in the industry for design and quality renovations. We were looking for a high end, high quality basement renovation to fit in with out current style and finish of our home. OakWood worked with us, listening to out ideas and delivered with a fantastic design. It was important to us that we have a new usable space that did not look like a basement with a play area for the kids. Also, we absolutely wanted a high tech home theatre, with the latest technology wizardry and OakWood made it a reality, fulfilling our dreams. We have our friends and family over all the time to watch movies and it;s as if we were at the theatre, except we are in the comfort of our own home. As part of the design, OakWood also changed and relocated the stairs to a circular stair system, keeping in mind that we did not want the sensation of entering a basement. We love this feature, and think of OakWood every time we walk down the stairs. Again we are extremely pleased with OakWood and have recommended them to many people looking for a professional, high quality renovation company.

It is our pleasure to recommend Oakwood Renovations. We had a very positive experience with their entire team and are thrilled with our new kitchen and bathroom. From every stage of the process, we found Oakwood workers were professional, courteous and both easy and fun to work with. At the early stages, our designer, helped us formulate our ideal project while still staying within our budget. Our designer really listened to us and created a design that blended our sometimes conflicting aesthetics (shaggy chic versus contemporary modern). When construction began, the workers did their best to minimize the disruption for us. They followed a schedule and cleaned up before they left. Our project manager, met with us on a weekly basis so we were always kept in the loop and understood where we were in the process. A couple of times, we asked for slight modifications and Oakwood graciously worked with us to accommodate our request. The final result is fabulous. Our new kitchen is absolutely gorgeous and incredibly functional. We have since thrown numerous dinner parties and have received so many compliments on it. Our bathroom is a dream. While it is a whimsical and romantic space, it is also equally functional. All toiletries now have a place in the custom-made vanity and so the stunning granite counter is always on beautiful display. And our friends keep coming over to take a bath! The renovations have increased the pleasure we get from our house ten-fold. And if we needed future renovations, we would not hesitate to use Oakwood again.

This was our first major renovation and Oakwood was able to deliver on budget and on time - to the day! Project Mgt was top notch and Oakwood staff were very responsive throughout the renovation. Their vendors and trades were excellent. We originally went to two other kitchen designers with a wish list and were told an island was not possible unless the powder room was relocated to the basement. Disappointed, we gave up on the idea of a dream kitchen altogether until 10 months later when we met Andrew at Oakwood. He really listened and came up with a design that was more than I could imagine and had details that I hadn't even thought of. Oakwood delivered in every aspect right from day one. Not only did they produce a design that was perfect, they were able to deliver on all their promises. Thank you everyone at Oakwood.

Although we have a large deck and a screened in gazebo we have for many years talked about creating a four season sun room off our dining room to allow us to enjoy our yard year round. This would require removing about 30% of our deck and living through a construction project in the midst of our gardens. We started looking for ideas on the internet and that's where we found Oakwood and we never looked back. From our first email to them they were prompt, professional and together we moved forward to create what we believe turned into a very special room. A magical addition to our home. Oakwood worked hard through the design phase to capture our thoughts and images both on the inside and the outside of the new room. The exterior design evolved as construction moved forward and in the end it was the finishing carpenter who worked out the perfect plan to tie in the old deck to the new construction. The entire team wanted us to be happy with our new room. With Oakwood you quickly get the feeling that all problems will be solved and all work will be done to the highest standard. You will also meet a lot of great people along the way. Every trade on site was professional, helpful and experienced. This was a skilled team. No small details were ignored. Oakwood is upfront with its customers warning them that construction has its challenging moments and projects don't always run smoothly all the time. Of course there are some delays, scheduling issues and weather issues to work through but this is all part of the adventure. You are in constant communication with your project manager and every effort is made to meet your expectations. We were extremely pleased with how the entire project was handled from start to finish. The overall impression we have of Oakwood is their attention to detail. From the design details, to selecting your materials, to building the work schedules and keeping you fully informed. There is a constant flow of information and updates. They have a process and it works. There are no surprises and no hidden costs. We started in early March to protect the gardens as long as we could. They worked very hard at minimizing any damage to lawns and plants and when they finished in May it looked as though the addition was just dropped onto the site or had always been there. Although we were glad to see the project come to an end we will miss all the wonderful people we met along the way as the project took form. Oakwood listened to our ideas, came back with their ideas and even kept modifying them a little to create what we believe is the perfect addition. On time and on budget. We can't thank them enough.

The house we pruchased was in dire need of renovations and not knowing where else to begin we decided to contact OakWood Renovation Experts. From the beginig to the end, OakWood staff have been helpful, friendly and professional. A beautiful kitchen was designed, built and installed. A cathedral ceiling was refinished. Many floors were retiled as well. The interior of the house was repainted and much of the trim/ molding replaced and updated. In short, it was a major renovation over the course of 6 months which included gutting the kitchen and ripping up many floors. They promised a beautiful product and they delivered. We would like to pass our thanks along to everyone at OakWood for a job well done.

The very stressful endeavor of home renovation was made possible by OakWood. They answered questions and were always there if any problems arose. The site was kept clean and tidy and the sub contractors were very professional. We have no hesitation in recommending OakWood to our family and friends. The company showed itself to be the renovation experts and we are happy to "show off" our new home. Our new home is so much life envisioned that it is hard to remember our little red bungalow.

Our renovation involved gutting the entire first floor of the house, and replacing the entire house's doors and windows. The renovation turned our dated, small-roomed main floor into an open concept marvel. We appreciated the value of being able to work side by side with oakwood's design team and the cabinetry provider to maximize the use of space in a fairly small house. The OakWood team drew upon their experience to make a number of valuable recommendations. Most importantly for us, OakWood finished on time allowing us to show off our "new home" to guests at our wedding.

Not a day goes by that we do not walk into our new kitchen and marvel at the beauty of it and the excellence of the work done to make it a reality; it is also the envy of all our guests. When we go to parties and find ourselves listening to horror story after horror story about renovation disasters, we can only shake our heads and think, “They should have used Oakwood”. With thanks and fond regards to you and all your team, we remain.

After watching renovation horror stories on television, and living in a house built in the late 1930's, we were half expecting to live our own horror story, Luckily for us, there were very few problems. As renovation 'virgins', we could not have asked for a better company to guide us through the process and to perform the work. OakWood's attention to detail was very much appreciated and as they say, it is the little things that make the difference.

We decided to go with OakWood for the second time because we were very happy with the renovation OakWood did in our former home on Riverdale Ave. There are two areas that particularly impress us about OaKWood: the quality of work, and the exceptional work crew, Trent has a keen eye for detail and consistently upheld high standards from his workers on our behalf. We always felt that our home was in good hands. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend OakWood to friends and family. Thank you for a job well done.

OakWood helped us define our renovation vision, and provided the services and support we needed to make that vision a reality. We would definitely recommend OakWood to friends and family considering any type of home renovation, and would not hesitate to use OakWood for any future home renovations.

We would like to thank OakWood for doing a great job on the renovations at our home. We greatly appreciate the design, the care taken and the high quality of work inside and outside. On the outside people are surprised to learn that the front addition is in fact an addition, the brickwork blends into the original house so smoothly. Inside our friends appreciate the functionality of the addition with the new powder room and closet. The enlarged arc between the living and dining room makes the first floor much more spacious and lighted.

My wife and I want to thank you for the excellent response and work done by your firm at our house. Some years ago we hired OakWood to do a substantial renovation to the exterior of our home. A few years later some issues arose. We called you and you promptly visited with us to review our concerns. We are extremely pleased with the professionalism you and your staff displayed and the excellent word done to address the issues that had arisen. We are fully satisfied with your response.

I want to express a special thank you to all of you at OakWood for the wonderful job you did in designing and renovating my home. We experienced how your construction process is very refined and I did not realize how important that was until the job was actually underway. I am highly recommending OakWood to my family and friends and all my colleagues. You are honest and very reliable which is so rare in this industry. The workmanship was second to none and you took good care of us OakWood and for that I thank you.

We are very pleased with the end result and attribute the successful completion of this project to a number of factors, including a good overall project management with daily communication with the project manager, who was present at the start of everyday to ensure the various tradespeople knew what they had to do to follow the detailed plans and specifications you had laid out in consultation with us at the start of the project. Periodic oversight by experienced senior project managers provided an additional level of quality assurance. All in all, a successful renovation.

When we decided to have some major renovations done to our 1920s home, we knew the single most important decision we were going to make was which contractor to hire. Gutting a bathroom, taking out walls for added closet space, and taking the roof off an older home pretty much guarantees surprises along the way. Each time we encountered such a surprise or challenge, OakWood helped us make the right decisions. They were able to make what could have been a harrowing roller coaster ride a smooth one. Working with OakWood wasn’t just the most important decision we made, it was also the best decision we made. From start to finish, OakWood worked with us to meet all challenges and deliver a stunning upgrade to our home. Everyone within OakWood - from the design team, the office staff, to the work crew - is professional, courteous, and highly skilled. Within a month of moving back into our home, the 6 month renovation process seemed a distant memory, which is a true testament to OakWood’s professional and dedicated approach. We couldn’t be happier with our “new” home and we thank OakWood for making it happen. The pictures for our project are available here: http://www.houzz.com/projects/106024/Ossington-Addition/ls=2

This is the third time we have used OakWood for renovations and have always been very happy with the results. We especially appreciate how OakWood is able to respond to new situations such as the need for structural reinforcement which was found when we removed the old upstairs dormer, and the ability to seamlessly integrate the entire renovation in the period style of the house. The entire project was handled in a very professional manner. Thanks again, and if we ever need further renovations we will be sure to call you

We have received compliments from all our friends and guests on the final design and the quality of workmanship of our new kitchen. We are proud to tell them that OakWood was our contractor and that we recommend your company to anyone considering renovation projects. Again, all our thanks to you and all the OakWood staff for this great success.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone on your team for the professional and timely completion of our extensive renovations. This was the culmination of about 5 years of planning and dreaming and the OakWood team helped finish our dream by taking our home built in the 60's from a split level bungalow and transforming it to the multilevel dream home it is now. We would highly recommend anyone contemplating renovations meet with OakWood.

We wanted to tell you how very happy we are with the work you did for us... From beginning to end of the whole process - for both the original renovation, and the recent repairs that resulted from the basement flooding - You and your employees treated us with respect, courtesy, efficiency and professionalism. We have been proud to showcase the new basement living quarters, and to recommend to all our friends and acquaintances that if they ever wish to undertake renovations , they contact OakWood.

Oakwood Renovation Experts did a wonderful job on my bathroom project early last year. I 100% recommend this quality firm to anyone in the Ottawa area. Oakwood lives up to their 50+ year reputation and truly delivers on their guarantee of quality craftsmanship. If you have any questions about the work they did for my family please contact me directly any time!

When we finally decided to have our kitchen updated, we contacted a few companies for quotes and design ideas. Oakwood presented the only functional, and the most attractive design, that fit within our budget. Oakwood also provided a list of suppliers, which assisted us considerably and made our part of the job much easier. The spread sheet they provided spelled out exactly what decisions we had to make and when they had to be made. They even took it upon themselves to find a company to perform an energy audit for us, after we had been unsuccessful in finding one who could perform the audit on short notice. The work started when we were told it would and by the end of the first day our sorry old kitchen was reduced to a shell. The rest of the project went smoothly, and most delays occurred due to unforeseen circumstances (Quebec construction summer shutdown), and our own decision to replace knob & tube wiring that was discovered during demolition. The workers were all top notch and professional. Special thanks to Trent, Stephanie, Sharon and Patricia for their patience. Weekly meetings with Trent kept us informed of progress and eased concerns, and design changes or construction concerns were promptly addressed and resolved. In fact, in the evenings when we inspected work that had been done during the day, we occasionally had an "issue" with something. Quite often Trent would point out the exact "issue" to us before we had the chance to mention it to him. After watching renovation horror stories on television, and living in a house built in the late 1930s, we were half expecting to live our own horror story. Luckily for us, there were very few problems. As renovation ‘virgins’, we could not have asked for a better company to guide us through the process and to perform the work. Oakwood’s attention to detail was very much appreciated and as they say, it is the little things that make the difference. We now know why Oakwood has been in business for so many years and why we see so many of their signs in our neighborhood. Our only complaint is that we have to wait a year or two before embarking on the next renovation adventure.

We found out about OakWood via their Website. We were impressed with the range of renovation services that OakWood provides, and were pleased to see that they offer end-to-end renovation project management services. Their Consumers’ Choice Awards and Better Business Bureau membership convinced us that OakWood was the company we needed to contact to discuss our renovation plans. OakWood had researched our site plan prior to out first meeting, and knew that we could not realize our initial plan due to zoning restrictions. OakWood suggested an alternative - reconfiguring our existing floor plan - and decided to proceed with a concept design. We were impressed that OakWood had taken the time to prepare for the meeting and to be in a position to discuss our options. The concept design started with us meeting with the design team to discuss our requirements and our “nice to haves”. We were presented with two proposed floor plans that addressed our needs. We decided to combine aspects of both floor plans to create our preferred layout. Based on this successful design stage, we contracted OakWood to manage and perform the renovation. OakWood provided us with a list of their preferred material vendors and suppliers. Everybody we dealt with during the material selection stage was knowledgeable, friendly, and a pleasure to deal with. They helped us choose materials and products that would make our renovated spaces look spectacular, and do justice to the design. All of the tradespeople that we met, from OakWood’s employees to the subcontractors, were pleasant, professional, and did excellent work. The work was completed in the timeframes laid out in our project schedule. OakWood ensured that any issues encountered were addressed quickly and to our satisfaction, resulting in no major delays to the overall schedule. Our renovation project was finished on time and on budget. The end result is both fabulous and functional. We have been told by people who have seen the before and after photos that the renovated spaces look like they belong in a magazine…and we agree! We were pleasantly surprised to discover that OakWood provides a five-year warranty on the work performed. It’s good to know that help is just a phone call away if we need it. OakWood helped us define our renovation vision, and provided the services and support we needed to make that vision a reality. We would definitely recommend OakWood to friends and family considering any type of home renovation, and would not hesitate to use OakWood for any future home renovations.

The reason we chose Oakwood was not only that we saw the Oakwood sign all over town, but also it was recommended by a neighbour who was very satisfied with their craftsmanship when they renovated his house. The Oakwood design team is topnotch and came up with a fantastic plan accommodating my wife’s ever changing ideas. Our house is situated in the Rideau Valley floodplain where the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority’s (RVCA’s) mandate is to limit all development along the river. So the Oakwood design team had to be incredibly inventive to get us as roomy a house as possible while also obeying the square footage restrictions imposed by the RVCA. It took months to achieve a design that gave us the most bang for the buck. After paying Oakwood a set fee to obtain a minor variance, the team headed by Oakwood president John Liptak got us approval for our design at the Committee of Adjustment meeting. This should have been the end of the bureaucracratic paperwork stage, but it was not to be. Unfortunately for us we had a next door neighbour living in a one and one half storey house who did not want a two storey house built next to him. Even though our design was given unanimous approval by the 5 member Committee, our next door neighbour appealed the case to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). We had to wait over two months to have the case heard by the OMB. Once again the Oakwood team came to our rescue. They prepared an expensive sun study to show that our neighbour's appeal was unfounded. Their expertise was shown at the two hour session with the OMB when our neighbour's appeal was dismissed and we were finally given permission to get the building permit. Oakwood never charged us a penny more than their original set fee to do all that extra costly work to get our minor variance authorized by the OMB. So the building of our dream home is now a reality and we have seen that Oakwood does really quality work. Most people doing a renovation will never have to go through what we did, but the fact is that we get along with all our neighbours and never saw this coming. Thank goodness we had Oakwood going to bat for us. We don't think that just any building contractor could have done what Oakwood did for us.

My wife and I hired OakWood a little while back to renovate our bathroom. We had such trouble in the past finding a trustworthy renovator that would respect our home as much as we do. OakWood did an excellent job as we had a tight deadline to get this renovation done. I would recommend these guys to anybody in the Ottawa region, they truly are renovation experts!

I've now had OakWood do both my kitchen and master bathroom. It has been several months since the bathroom was completed and I'm still at "wow" when I walk in. The service was fantastic from design all the way through to construction. When it's time to finish my basement, I know who I'm going to call!

My wife and I live in a condo downtown and when I was shopping for renovators, most contractors were unreasonably expensive because of parking issues and construction related issues. My wife and I tried to be reasonable but nothing really worked out. We had decided to take a hiatus from renovating. Soon we found Oakwood and they guided us through transparent pricing and their very thorough contract. My two bathrooms were renovated on time and on schedule as we were going away for the holidays. They look great! We couldn't be happier!

14 months ago, after a long search for a renovator around my area, I have decided to go with OakWood to renovate my Kitchen & Dining Room. At the end it was an easy decision to make, because they knew exactly what they were talking about and it didn't just seem like they wanted to sell you something. The designer listened to us and finalized a beautiful design that my wife and i absolutely love, the open concept really puts a different feel to our main floor after this renovation. Attention to detail is amazing, everything from the materials, to trades, to the tiniest corner of your project. The production team is very knowledgeable and accommodating. The design team is second to none including their knowledge & management, they listen to you, work with you, provide you various design choices, and before even a single trade steps foot into your home they make sure that you're satisfied and will be satisfied at the end of the project. To us it really seemed like their primary focus was not the money but the satisfaction of their clients, and their solid reputation. After our experience we are looking forward to adding a Sunroom to the back of our home in the near future. I would highly recommend OakWood if you're looking for professional help to renovate your home.

I have worked with Oakwood at my occasions. Their knowledge of construction and their practices are the best I have ever worked with. They have the best warrantee in the business and they have been around longer than most which says it all. When I send clients to them I know they will be serviced a very well. I highly recommend them.

My husband and I live in a suburban house that had never been renovated. It had walls everywhere and I sometimes felt like my house was a prison. I approached OakWood to get some conceptual ideas of how to open up the ground floor. Oakwood came and measured my house and a week later I was staring at a big screen TV where they had modeled my house. They had different options of walls being removed and how it would look like from any angle possible. They had realistic pricing associated to each concept. We really felt comfortable moving forward with such a well organized company. The construction went exactly as per plan, a schedule was presented every week so we knew what to expect in our house. I would for sure recommend Oakwood to anyone looking for renovations to be done.

I hired OakWood Renovation Experts to renovate my kitchen. They designed a new kitchen space which opened up the wall separating my kitchen and dining room. The construction was on time and on budget. Having worked in the design and construction industry, I can honestly say that OakWood are the experts and leaders in this industry. I don't know of any other renovators in the Ottawa region which are as conscious about safety and construction methods as OakWood is. I plan on using their services again.....the kids are asking for a home theater room....lol. If you're considering a home renovation, I highly recommend using OakWood Renovation Experts.

I had heard very good things about OakWood and when a friend recommended them for a bathroom renovation I called them. Everyone was pleasant to deal with from the knowledgeable Design Team to the extremely well organized construction managers. Mr. Liptak runs a tight ship. Our previous renovation project did not go so well so I was a little reluctant to renovate again. From the first phone call to OakWood we were guided through step by step and made to feel relaxed and aware of everything. I would definitely recommend them for any renovation work.

We hired OakWood to design and renovate our much needed, unused, unfinished basement. For a growing family we needed more space for play and entertaining. They delivered beyond expectations! The design was exceptional and the attention to detail second to none. Every night my husband and I sit and relax in our beautiful basement still astonished that this is our basement. Thanks again, we would reccommend OakWood to all our friends and family.

We had no prior relationship with Oakwood, but were impressed with the quality of staff that we dealt with, from the first contact through to the finished renovation. We needed a variance to be allowed to obtain the proper permits and John Liptak, owner of Oakwood was instrumental in obtaining this on our behalf. Without his personal interest in our renovation, we would not have proceeded with the project. John also gave us the benefit of his years of experience with various suggestions for our room. Our design specialist was wonderful, offering many unique ideas for us to consider, always offering various solutions to meet our budget. We particularly love the windows and paneling in our great room. The quality of the work was top notch. The wood craftsman assigned to our project did an exceptional job on the ceiling beams and the paneling. Dave’s work makes this room so beautiful and unique. The project manager was very knowledgeable and worked on our behalf to make sure that all the little details were dealt with to our satisfaction. Trent was very responsive to our needs and concerns. We can speak to Oakwood’s integrity and professionalism. They wanted the addition to be a room that we would be take pleasure and pride in for many years to come. We truly marvel at the room each day when we enter it. We are very satisfied with our experience and relationship with Oakwood.