FAQ · 27 questions
Questions homeowners ask us
Straight answers on estimates, timing, permits and contracts for work on an Ottawa home. Where an answer rests on a City of Ottawa or Ontario rule, the page behind it is linked.
Estimates & pricing
What the estimate costs and what it covers
Are your estimates free?
Yes. Korvex Developments gives free estimates on site across Ottawa and the surrounding areas. Send the request form, or call, text or WhatsApp 613-880-7679, and we book a time to look at the property. The scope and the price follow in writing after the visit.
What should I send with my request?
A few photos of the area, close up and from a few steps back, where the property is, and a sentence on what you want done. That is enough for Korvex to set up the site visit. Measurements, material choices and budget can wait for the visit.
How soon do I get the written estimate?
Usually within a couple of days of the site visit. Korvex sends the scope and the price in writing, line by line, so you can read it at home, ask about anything unclear and compare it with other quotes before you decide.
What does the estimate include?
A Korvex estimate sets out the scope of the work and the price in writing, line by line, so you can see what each part of the job costs before you agree to anything. It also gives the start date.
How much will my project cost?
The price of a deck, fence, patio or drainage job in Ottawa depends on its size, the materials, access to the site and what has to come out first. Korvex gives you a written price after the free site visit. Each service page lists what moves the price for that kind of work.
Can the final price go over the estimate?
Ontario’s consumer rules for home renovations set a limit. When a contractor gives an estimate, the final price cannot be more than 10% over it unless you agree to new work or a new price. The rule covers every home renovation contract in Ontario.
Schedule & weather
When we start and what the season changes
How quickly will you get back to me?
Korvex usually replies the same day, to book a time for the free site visit. Calls, texts and WhatsApp messages all go to one number, 613-880-7679, and your project lead answers it.
When can work start?
Usually about a week after your go-ahead, season permitting. The start date comes with your written estimate. Frozen or waterlogged ground, material deliveries and any permit the job needs can move it, and Korvex tells you the new date when that happens.
How long does a job take?
Most Korvex jobs take one to two weeks on site, depending on size, weather and permits. A job that combines several kinds of work, such as a complete backyard with drainage, a patio and a fence, takes longer, and its schedule comes with the written estimate.
What happens when it rains?
Work that needs dry ground or temperatures above freezing moves with the weather: digging, compacting a base, setting posts. When a day is lost to rain, that part of the job moves to the next workable day and we tell you the new date.
Do you work in winter?
Planning, estimates and some work continue through the Ottawa winter. Excavation and base work depend on ground conditions, since frozen ground cannot be compacted properly, and Korvex tells you what makes sense for your project. Interior work, such as bathrooms and basement walls, is done indoors.
Permits
What the City of Ottawa asks for
Does my project need a permit?
Some do. Fences that do not enclose a pool, landscaping, and decks less than 24 in. above grade that are not the main entrance are on the City of Ottawa list of projects that need no building permit. Higher decks, pool enclosures, fireplaces and basement finishing can need one. We check what applies to your property at the site visit.
When does a deck need a permit?
When it is attached to or next to the house and its walking surface is more than 600 mm (24 in.) above grade, or when it is a raised deck that gives the main access to the house. A freestanding deck needs one when it is over 10 m² (about 108 sq. ft.) and more than 600 mm above grade.
How tall can my fence be?
Under the City’s fence by-law, up to 1 m in a front yard and 2.13 m in side and rear yards. Gates in side and rear yards may go 30 cm higher. Near a street corner and where a driveway meets the street, the limit drops to 75 cm inside a small visibility triangle.
Does a pool or hot tub change the fence rules?
Yes. A pool, pond or hot tub that can hold 600 mm (24 in.) of water or more needs a City pool enclosure permit, even when the yard is already fenced and even for a hot tub with a locking lid.
Do retaining walls and steps need a permit?
Walls, steps and landings that give access to the house need a building permit where adjacent surfaces differ by more than 600 mm (2 ft.). Landscape structures over 1 m (3 ft. 3 in.) high need an engineered design. Steps, guards and handrails have to meet the Building Code whether or not a permit is needed.
Can I apply for the permit myself?
Yes. The City takes applications from homeowners online through My ServiceOttawa or at a Building Code Services counter, and the Ontario Building Code lets a homeowner take design responsibility for work on their own house.
Who arranges utility locates before digging?
The person doing the digging requests them through Ontario One Call, at least five business days ahead, and the locates are free. Private lines, such as a gas line to a barbecue, power to a shed or a septic system, are the owner’s to have marked, so tell us about them at the site visit.
Contracts & payment
What you get in writing before work starts
Will I get a written contract?
Yes. Korvex gives you the scope and the price in writing before work starts. Ontario law also requires any home renovation contract worth more than $50 to be in writing, and a contract signed in your home comes with a 10-day cooling-off period.
What should a renovation contract cover?
Ontario’s guidance for homeowners lists the contractor’s name and contact details, a description of the work and materials, any warranties, the total price and payment terms, start and finish dates, a payment schedule with any deposit, who cleans up, and any subcontractors.
Can I cancel after signing?
If you sign a home renovation contract of $50 or more in your home, Ontario gives you a 10-day cooling-off period to cancel for any reason. If work has already started at your request, the contractor is entitled to reasonable payment for work done and materials that cannot be returned.
Working with us
Who you deal with and where we work
Who will I deal with?
One Korvex project lead, from the site visit and the written estimate to the final walkthrough. The same person answers the phone and walks the finished job with you, and the crew that builds it works together on site.
How do I reach you?
Call, text or WhatsApp Korvex Developments at 613-880-7679, email [email protected], or send the estimate request form. A few photos of the area help us price the job faster.
What areas do you serve?
Korvex Developments works across Ottawa and the surrounding areas, including Kanata, Stittsville, Barrhaven, Nepean, Orleans, Manotick and Riverside South. To check your street, call or text 613-880-7679.
What work do you do?
Korvex Developments builds fences, decks, interlock, drainage and grading, retaining walls, masonry and steps, and backyard renovations for Ottawa homes. Indoors, we renovate bathrooms, basements and walls, and fireplaces.
Can I see your work?
Yes. Every project on this site is a Korvex job in the Ottawa area, photographed on site while it was built, many with the base and drainage still open. The reviews page quotes homeowners word for word from Google, HomeStars and Facebook.
Do renovators need a licence in Ontario?
Renovators in Ontario are not licensed through the Home Construction Regulatory Authority, which licenses builders and sellers of new homes. To check a renovator, read their reviews and ask for the price in writing. Korvex’s reviews are on the reviews page word for word, and every estimate comes in writing.
Ask us about your project
Call, text or WhatsApp, or send a few photos with the estimate form. Your project lead answers the phone.