Field notes for owners and developers.
Practical guidance on owner’s representation, preconstruction planning and construction consulting — for owners and developers in Toronto, Ontario and across Canada.
Construction Liens and Holdback in Ontario: The Owner's Side
How construction liens and the 10% holdback work for Ontario owners after the 2026 changes: what to keep, when to release it, and what to do when a lien lands.
Read → October 14, 2026Design-Build vs Design-Bid-Build for Ontario Owners in 2026
Design-bid-build, design-build, progressive design-build and construction management compared for Ontario: the CCDC form, who carries the risk, how to choose.
Read → October 14, 2026Site Plan Control in Ontario: Exemptions, Fees and Timelines
Site plan control in Ontario and Toronto after Bills 23, 109, 185 and 98: what's exempt, the 2026 Toronto fees, the 60-day appeal, and how long approval takes.
Read → October 13, 2026CCDC 14 Design-Build Contract Explained for Ontario Owners
What CCDC 14 is, what changed in the 2026 edition, how it compares with CCDC 2 and CCDC 32, and what Ontario owners settle before signing a design-build deal.
Read → October 13, 2026How a Cost-Plus Contract Works in Ontario, and How to Run One
How a cost-plus contract works in Ontario: CCDC 3, the fee, what counts as cost, GMP and shared savings, holdback on draws, and when a fixed price fits better.
Read → October 8, 2026Hard costs vs soft costs in an Ontario development budget
Hard costs vs soft costs in Ontario: what sits on each side, what development charges, parkland, HST and financing add, and how lenders read the split.
Read → October 8, 2026Building a Multiplex in Toronto: Rules, Approvals and Budget
What Toronto allows for a multiplex, when a fourplex needs a variance, the charges the City waives, and how to budget and schedule it from lot to tenants.
Read → October 7, 2026CCDC 5A vs 5B Construction Management Contracts in Ontario
CCDC 5A vs 5B for Ontario owners: who holds the trade contracts, who carries the price, what changed in the 2025 editions, and how to choose between them.
Read → October 7, 2026Construction Financing in Ontario: Loans, Draws and Holdback
How construction financing works in Ontario: the main loan types, what lenders ask for, how monthly draws are certified, and where holdback and liens fit in.
Read → October 6, 2026CCDC 2 Stipulated Price Contract Explained for Ontario Owners
What CCDC 2 (2020) is, when it suits an Ontario owner, how changes, payment and holdback work under it, and what to settle before you sign it.
Read → October 6, 2026Committee of Adjustment in Toronto: Steps, Fees and Timing
How Toronto's Committee of Adjustment decides minor variances and consents: the 2026 fees, how long it takes, appeals to TLAB, and how to plan around it.
Read → October 2, 2026How to Plan an Office Renovation in Toronto in 2026
How to plan an office renovation in Toronto: the steps in order, a 2026 budget built from sourced costs, permits, choosing a contractor and comparing bids.
Read → October 2, 2026How a Retail Store Build-Out Works in Toronto in 2026
Building out a retail store in Toronto: landlord's work vs yours, the fixturing period, permits and signs, what drives the cost, and what to order first.
Read → October 1, 2026Building a Laneway House in Toronto: Rules, Steps and Decisions
What Toronto's zoning allows for a laneway house in 2026, how to tell if your lot qualifies, the approvals in order, and the decisions that set cost and time.
Read → October 1, 2026How Tenant Improvement Allowances Work in Ontario in 2026
How a tenant improvement allowance is paid in Ontario, what it covers, why it rarely covers the whole fit-out, and what to settle before you sign the lease.
Read → September 30, 2026What a Garden Suite Costs in Toronto in 2026, Line by Line
What a garden suite costs in Toronto beyond the builder's quote: 2026 permit fees, servicing, development charges, contingency and financing.
Read → September 30, 2026Owner's representative cost in Ontario, and how fees are set
What an owner's representative costs in Ontario: the four fee models, how hours set the fee, worked examples at $2M, $10M and $50M, and comparing proposals.
Read → July 15, 2026The quiet cost of slow decisions
Contractors get blamed for delay. But on many projects the slowest trade on site is the decision-making. Why owner decisions stall, what each stall costs, and the decision log that fixes it.
Read → July 10, 2026Value engineering that doesn't wreck the building
Done late, VE is panic with a nicer name. Done right, it's one of the most useful exercises on a project. Where honest savings hide, which cuts cost more later, and the test for every VE item.
Read → July 7, 2026Do You Need an Owner's Rep? When to Hire One and How to Choose
Do you need an owner's representative? The signs you do and don't, when to bring one in at each stage, how to choose one in Ontario and what to agree first.
Read → June 25, 2026Change Orders in Construction: How They Work in Ontario
How a construction change order works under CCDC 2 in Ontario: Change Order vs Change Directive, pricing, payment and holdback, and where changes start.
Read → June 12, 2026What developers get wrong about construction schedules
A schedule isn't a promise — it's a model. How to tell a real schedule from a decorative one, where projects actually lose time, and the monthly question that keeps schedules honest.
Read → June 3, 2026Why independent estimates pay for themselves
When the only number you have comes from someone selling you something, you don't have a number — you have an offer. Where independent estimating earns its fee, with the tender story that repeats on every project.
Read → May 21, 2026Five questions to ask before you sign a construction contract
The commercial conversation owners should have before the lawyers polish the wording — scope gaps, change pricing, schedule teeth, payment mechanics and dispute resolution, in plain English.
Read → May 8, 2026The real cost of skipping preconstruction
Preconstruction feels slow when you want shovels in the ground. What the shortcut actually costs — in tenders, schedule, and change orders — and what 'starting ready' looks like.
Read → April 29, 2026How to read a construction estimate, from Class D to Class A
What Class D, C, B and A estimates mean, how accurate each is, and how to check the exclusions, allowances and quiet lines before you rely on the number.
Read → April 15, 2026Owner's Rep vs Construction Manager vs General Contractor
A general contractor or construction manager builds; an owner's rep advises the owner and builds nothing. Who does what in Ontario, with CCDC 2, 5A and 5B.
Read → April 2, 2026Construction contingency percentages for each project stage
Canadian practice puts construction contingency as high as 25% early on, falling to 2–5% as unknowns resolve. What to carry at each stage, and who controls it.
Read → March 26, 2026The budget that matters most is the first one
Projects don't go over budget at the end — they go over at the start. How first budgets fail, what a defensible one contains, and how to pressure-test yours.
Read → March 12, 2026What Does an Owner's Representative Do? A Guide for Ontario
An owner's representative manages your project for you, from budget to closeout. What they do in each phase in Ontario, what you decide and what you receive.
Read →Have a project on the horizon?
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