The questions builders usually dodge

It depends on scope, site access and finish level, so any builder quoting a number over the phone is guessing. Rather than publish ranges that tell you nothing about your specific house, we look at the actual job: we visit, measure properly, check what is behind the walls and under the floor, then give you a fixed-price quote with the inclusions and exclusions written down. If your brief and your budget do not meet, we will say so at that first meeting rather than after you have committed.

The quote is fixed for the documented scope. Any allowance is stated in writing so you know exactly what is and is not included. If something genuinely unforeseen appears — rot, asbestos, a services conflict — you receive a written variation with a price before any work proceeds. You will never see a surprise on the final invoice.

No. The site visit, the measure and the written fixed-price quote are free with no obligation. We would rather spend an hour and tell you honestly that your budget does not match your brief than take a deposit and disappoint you later.

We use standard CCA or CHBA contracts with fixed stage claims — deposit, then payments tied to completed and inspected stages. You only ever pay for work that is finished. We never ask for large payments up front.

Yes. We carry commercial general liability cover, we are in good standing with WCB Nova Scotia, and every new home we build is registered under the Atlantic Home Warranty Program. Nova Scotia does not license builders the way some provinces do, which is exactly why you should ask every builder you talk to for their WCB clearance letter and proof of insurance. Ours are available on request and on every quote we issue.

Seven years structural warranty as required under the Home Building Act, plus a 12-month defects period on all workmanship where we return and fix anything that has moved or settled. Manufacturer warranties on materials and appliances are handed to you at completion.

One site supervisor is assigned to your project and stays on it start to finish. Our core carpentry team is directly employed. Specialist trades — electrical, plumbing, tiling — are long-standing subcontractors we have used for years, all licensed and insured in their own right.

Bathrooms are 3-4 weeks, kitchens 5-7 weeks, single-room additions 10-14 weeks, second storeys 20-30 weeks, and new homes 9-14 months on site. HRM permits add time before construction starts, and our build season is shorter than most — foundation and exterior work is weather-dependent from December through March. You get a written schedule with your contract and weekly updates against it.

Almost certainly. Structural work, additions, decks over a certain height, new windows in new openings and any change to plumbing or electrical all need a building permit from HRM. Work that changes your footprint or your use may also need a development permit under the Land Use By-law, and registered heritage properties go through a separate review. We assess exactly which permits apply at the first site visit and manage the applications for you.

Usually yes for additions, bathrooms and kitchens — we hoard off the work zone, keep dust contained and stage the work so you keep at least one bathroom and a functioning kitchen wherever possible. Second storeys and whole-home renovations generally require you to move out for part of the build.

A written progress update with photos every Friday, plus your site supervisor's direct cell number. You will never have to call an office and wait for someone to find out what is happening on your own job.

Constantly, and we prefer to be involved before the drawings are finalized. A one-hour buildability review at design stage regularly saves clients tens of thousands by catching expensive detailing before it is locked in.

All of the HRM — the Halifax peninsula, mainland Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford and Sackville, St Margarets Bay, the Eastern Shore, and up the corridor to Fall River and Elmsdale. We travel to the South Shore and the Annapolis Valley for projects of the right scale. If you are unsure, ask and we will tell you straight away.

Small works such as bathrooms and decks typically start within 3-5 weeks. Larger additions and new builds depend on permit timelines and the season — if you want a foundation poured before winter, we need to be talking by late summer. We tell you our real start window in the quote, not an optimistic one.