Most homeowners I meet have one or two questions ready when they sit down with a contractor. They are usually about timeline and price. Those two are not enough.
Here are the 20 we recommend asking before you sign anything. Each one tells you something concrete about whether the contractor in front of you is honest, prepared, and capable of finishing the project the way they pitched it.
Print this list. Bring it to every consult. The contractor who answers all 20 quickly and confidently is the one to hire.
The 20 questions, in order
- Does my project need a permit, and which one? Ottawa requires a permit for structural changes, additions, basement bedrooms, plumbing rough-ins, electrical service work, and many more. Minimum fee is $117. If the contractor says "we will figure that out later," they are guessing.
- Will you submit the permit, or am I responsible? Either answer is fine, but it has to be in writing. The party that submits is also the party responsible for the inspections. If neither of you submits, the project does not legally exist.
- Do I need a designer or just a contractor? Renovations involving wall removal, additions, basement legalization, or detached structures need a BCIN-certified designer. The designer's number goes on the permit. Without it, the permit is rejected.
- Do I need an engineer? Anything that touches a load-bearing wall, a beam, a foundation, or a roof slope needs a stamped engineering drawing. The cost scales with the complexity of the span and the number of details required. It is not optional.
- What are the lead times on the materials I want? Cabinets are 8 to 14 weeks. Tile beyond stocked items is 4 to 6 weeks. Custom millwork is 10 to 16 weeks. If your contractor cannot quote lead times, they have not actually checked.
- Does my house contain lead paint? Any home in Ottawa built before 1980 likely has lead paint somewhere. EPA-style RRP procedures apply during demolition. Remediation adds cost. The contractor needs to know this before quoting demo.
- Does my house contain asbestos? Vermiculite insulation, 9-inch floor tile, plaster systems, pipe wrap, and some popcorn ceilings can contain asbestos. Each suspect material needs lab testing. Removal is regulated abatement work, and the affected area and material type drive what it adds to the scope.
- Do I have knob-and-tube wiring? Common in Ottawa homes built before 1950. Insurance carriers may not renew until it is removed. Replacement cost depends on how much wiring is present and how accessible the walls and ceilings are. The contractor needs to know before quoting electrical.
- Is the panel adequate for the new load? Older 100-amp panels rarely support a new kitchen, bath, and EV charger together. A licensed electrician should run a load calc. A service upgrade to 200 amps is its own line item driven by the utility connection and the panel work involved.
- Are you incorporated, and what is your business number? Verify it on the Ontario Business Registry. A "DBA" or sole proprietorship is legal but adds risk. Incorporated contractors carry corporate insurance and are easier to pursue if something goes wrong.
Why the first ten matter most
Questions 1 through 10 cover the items that make a project legal, insurable, and physically possible. If a contractor stumbles on any of them, they are either inexperienced or hiding something. Either way, it is the wrong fit.
- Can I see your Certificate of Insurance directly from the broker? Get it from the broker, not the contractor. Confirm the general liability limit meets the standard two-million-dollar minimum and that your job site is covered. Coverage that lapses mid-project is common.
- Are you in good standing with WSIB? Required in Ontario for any contractor with employees. You can verify online at wsib.ca with the business name. If they refuse to provide a Clearance Certificate, walk away. You become liable for injuries on your property if their coverage lapses.
- Can I get three references from projects in the last 18 months? Recent matters more than total. A 30-year-old reference does not tell you if the crew is still good. Call the references and ask if the project came in on budget and on time, and whether they would hire again.
- Can I see two completed projects in person? Photos do not show the finish quality on the inside corners. Walk the spaces. Open the cabinet doors. Look at the trim returns. Photographs lie. A real walk-through does not.
- Is this a fixed-price contract or cost-plus? Fixed-price means the number on the page is what you pay, barring scope changes you authorize. Cost-plus means time-and-materials with a markup, and the final price is unknown. Both are valid. Mixing them in one contract is not.
- What is your contingency line, and how is it used? A real contract has a 5 to 10 percent contingency for unforeseen items behind walls. The contract should explain how it is drawn down, who authorizes it, and whether unused contingency is refunded.
- What is your draw schedule? A typical renovation has 3 to 5 progress draws tied to milestones (demo complete, rough-in complete, drywall complete, finishing complete, substantial completion). A quote that asks for 50 percent up front is a financial red flag.
- What is the warranty, and is it written? Industry standard in Ottawa is 1 year on workmanship, manufacturer warranty on materials, and longer on structural items. We back this with a 1-year DTR warranty plus 25-year manufacturer and 10-year structural. Anything less than 1 year written workmanship is below standard.
- Who is the project manager and how do I reach them? The owner of the company is rarely the daily PM. You need a name, a cell number, and a guaranteed response time during the project. Without it you have nobody to call when something goes sideways at 4 PM on a Tuesday.
- What is the change-order process? Every change should be a written document with a price, a schedule impact, and your signature before work proceeds. Verbal changes mid-project are how budgets blow up. Ask to see a sample change-order form before you sign the contract.
The contractor who answers all 20 questions in one meeting has done this before. The one who needs to "get back to you" on more than three of them has not.
How to use the answers
You are not testing the contractor on encyclopedic knowledge. You are testing whether they have a system. A real renovation company has standard answers to all of these because they handle them on every project.
If you ask question 7 (asbestos) and the answer is "yeah, we usually grab a sample if it looks suspicious," that is fine if they can describe what triggers a sample, what lab they use, and what the typical cost adds. That is a system.
If the answer is "we have not run into that before," they are either new or lying. Either way, not the right fit for an Ottawa home with any age on it.
The reasonable timeline for a thorough quote
Expect a real fixed-price quote on a kitchen or bathroom to take two to three weeks from the first consult. The contractor needs time to:
- Walk the site and take measurements
- Run a preliminary design or layout
- Price materials with current vendor quotes
- Schedule any inspections (electrical, structural) that affect the scope
- Draft a contract with the right contingency, schedule, and warranty terms
A "quote" you receive after a 30-minute walk-through that does not include any of the above is an estimate, not a quote. Estimates change. Quotes do not. Know the difference.
What we do differently at the consult
Every initial consult we run includes a written response to all 20 of these questions, even when the homeowner does not ask them. We send the answers along with the quote so the homeowner has them in writing for comparison against any other contractor.
If you want this kind of straight-up answer set on your project, call 613-862-4555. We offer a free 48-hour feasibility review on every Ottawa home. No obligation, no high-pressure pitch.
The 20 questions take five minutes to ask. They will save you weeks of regret.