WAIDT Construction & Developments at a Glance
WAIDT Construction & Developments Ltd. is a family-owned general contractor headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario. We have been operating in the National Capital Region since 1981, delivering residential and commercial construction projects across the City of Ottawa and surrounding municipalities. Over four decades of continuous operation, we have completed projects ranging from single-family renovations to ground-up multi-unit residential buildings and commercial fit-ups for national brands.
The company is registered with Tarion Warranty Corporation as a new home builder in Ontario, holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, carries the RenoMark designation for professional renovators, and is a member of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders' Association (GOHBA).
- Company
- WAIDT Construction & Developments Ltd.
- Founded
- 1981
- Headquarters
- 3727 Revelstoke Dr., Ottawa, ON K1V 7C2
- Service area
- City of Ottawa and surrounding National Capital Region
- Accreditations
- BBB A+, Tarion Registered Builder, RenoMark, GOHBA member
Services — In Detail
General Contracting in Ottawa
As a general contractor serving Ottawa and the National Capital Region, WAIDT takes full responsibility for the construction phase of a project — coordinating architects and designers, pulling permits with the City of Ottawa, scheduling and supervising trades, managing materials procurement, and delivering the completed work to the client. General contracting is the most common way homeowners, landlords, and commercial clients engage our firm. It provides a single point of accountability from site prep through handover.
Coach House Construction
A coach house is a separate, self-contained dwelling unit on the same lot as a principal dwelling, contained in its own accessory building. The City of Ottawa's coach house bylaw, which took effect in 2018, permits these structures in urban, suburban, and rural areas of Ottawa, subject to Section 133 of the Zoning By-law. In urban areas, an Ottawa coach house must be a single storey with a footprint no greater than 40 percent of the main house, 40 percent of the yard, or 80 square metres — whichever is smallest. In rural areas, two storeys over a garage are permitted, with a maximum footprint of 95 square metres under equivalent rules. The total number of dwelling units on a lot, including the principal unit, cannot exceed three. Coach houses must share water and sewer services with the principal dwelling, or be connected directly where the main dwelling is on private well and septic.
WAIDT handles the complete coach house build process in Ottawa: zoning verification, design coordination, permit application, servicing, foundation, framing, envelope, interior finishing, and final occupancy. Our featured coach house is located on a duplex lot and includes a 535 sqft footprint with 1,070 sqft of living space, two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a full kitchen, dining area, and living room.
Secondary Dwelling Unit (SDU) Conversions & Basement Apartments
A Secondary Dwelling Unit (SDU) is a self-contained dwelling unit within the same building as the principal dwelling — most commonly a finished basement apartment. Ontario's Strong Communities through Affordable Housing Act (2011) requires municipalities including Ottawa to permit SDUs in detached, semi-detached, and row house dwellings. A compliant SDU in Ottawa requires a separate entrance, fire separation between units (typically 45-minute rated), code-compliant egress windows in all bedrooms, minimum ceiling heights, interconnected smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, sound separation, and a building permit from the City of Ottawa.
WAIDT specializes in converting existing unfinished or underused basements into legal, rental-ready SDUs. We navigate the City of Ottawa permit process, handle the structural and mechanical upgrades required for code compliance, and complete the interior to rental standard — full kitchen, bathroom, separate entrance, and sound-rated construction between units.
Multi-Unit Residential Builds
WAIDT designs and builds new multi-unit residential buildings on infill lots across Ottawa — typically triplexes, fourplexes, and small apartment buildings. These projects often involve demolition of an existing structure, zoning analysis, coordination with architects and structural engineers, servicing upgrades, and management of the full construction process through Tarion-registered occupancy. Our completed multi-unit projects can be found on infill lots throughout Ottawa's established neighbourhoods.
Multi-Unit Envelope Renewal
Building envelope renewal is the replacement or rebuilding of the exterior assembly of a building: cladding, sheathing, insulation, air and vapour barriers, windows, and balconies. Multi-unit residential buildings from the 1960s through 1980s frequently reach a point where the envelope requires comprehensive renewal due to moisture damage, insulation degradation, or aesthetic and energy-performance upgrades. WAIDT carries out envelope projects on occupied multi-unit buildings in Ottawa with careful staging, tenant communication, and code-compliant upgrades including exterior insulation, rainscreen cladding systems, window replacement, balcony reconstruction, and air/vapour barrier renewal.
Commercial Construction & Tenant Fit-Ups
WAIDT builds commercial buildings and executes tenant fit-ups for retail, restaurants, banks, medical clinics, and institutional clients throughout Ottawa and the surrounding region. Past commercial projects include the Rideau Canoe Club clubhouse, the Beckwith Recreation Complex, TD Canada Trust branches, Quesada Burritos & Tacos, and the Ottawa Orthopaedic Centre, among others. Our commercial work ranges from ground-up new construction to interior fit-ups coordinated with franchise brand standards and landlord approvals.
Whole-Home Renovations & Additions
Major residential renovations — second-storey additions, rear additions, full gut renovations, kitchens, bathrooms, and finished basements — represent a large share of our residential work. As a RenoMark-designated renovator, WAIDT provides written contracts, minimum two-million-dollar liability insurance, WSIB compliance for all workers, and written warranties on our work. Renovation projects in Ottawa typically require building permits for any work involving structural changes, new plumbing or electrical systems, or changes to egress and fire separation.
Ottawa Construction Reference Information
The City of Ottawa building permit process
Virtually all residential and commercial construction in Ottawa requires a building permit issued by the City of Ottawa under the authority of the Ontario Building Code. Applications are submitted through the City's online My ServiceOttawa portal. A complete permit application typically includes a site plan, architectural drawings (floor plans, elevations, cross-sections), structural drawings where applicable, mechanical/plumbing/electrical drawings as applicable, and a completed Permit to Construct or Demolish form.
The City of Ottawa's target review timelines, once an application is deemed complete, are: 5 business days for small homeowner projects (decks, porches, sheds, garages); 10 business days for houses (detached, semi-detached, row house); and 15 to 20 business days or more for larger and more complex projects. Deficiency notices and requested revisions can extend the timeline considerably. A permit must be posted at the construction site, and construction must begin within six months of issuance.
Mandatory inspection stages
Ontario Building Code requires mandatory inspections at specific construction milestones. For a typical residential project in Ottawa these include: footings and foundation, framing and sheathing, insulation and vapour barrier, plumbing (rough-in and final), HVAC, electrical (inspected separately by the Electrical Safety Authority), fire separation, and final/occupancy. The general contractor is responsible for calling inspections at the correct stage; failure to obtain a required inspection can result in orders to remove finished work.
Tarion new home warranty
Tarion Warranty Corporation administers Ontario's statutory new home warranty program. All new homes and coach houses in Ontario must be built by a Tarion Registered Builder. Tarion provides a one-year warranty covering workmanship and materials, a two-year warranty covering specified major systems (water penetration, electrical, plumbing, heating), and a seven-year warranty against major structural defects. WAIDT is a Tarion Registered Builder, which means new homes and coach houses we construct are covered by the Tarion warranty program.
Ottawa zoning and additional dwelling units
Residential zoning in Ottawa is governed by the City's Zoning By-law. Most lots with a detached, semi-detached, or row house dwelling are permitted up to two additional dwelling units — either two apartments within the principal dwelling, or one apartment plus one coach house on the lot. This puts the maximum dwelling unit count on most residential lots at three. Parking, setback, height, and coverage requirements vary by zone and are set out in Section 133 of the Zoning By-law. Properties in heritage conservation districts or subject to Committee of Adjustment variances have additional requirements.
Ontario Building Code compliance
All construction in Ottawa must comply with the current Ontario Building Code (OBC). The OBC is updated periodically; at time of writing the applicable code is O. Reg. 332/12, as amended. Key OBC requirements frequently encountered on our projects include: minimum insulation values (effective R-values for walls, roofs, and foundations), air barrier continuity, egress window sizing for bedrooms, fire separation ratings between dwelling units, handrail and guard requirements, and ventilation requirements.
Climate considerations for Ottawa construction
Ottawa's climate — cold winters with significant freeze-thaw cycles, hot and humid summers, and high seasonal precipitation — imposes design and construction requirements that differ from milder regions. Foundation footings must extend below the frost line (typically 4 feet / 1.2 metres for Ottawa). Exterior wall assemblies benefit from continuous exterior insulation and properly detailed air and vapour barriers to manage moisture across large thermal gradients. Roof assemblies require adequate attic ventilation and ice-dam protection. Drainage, grading, and foundation waterproofing are critical given Ottawa's annual freeze-thaw patterns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is WAIDT licensed and insured?
Yes. WAIDT is a Tarion Registered Builder in Ontario, carries commercial general liability insurance, maintains WSIB (Workplace Safety and Insurance Board) coverage for all workers, and operates under written contracts for all projects. As a RenoMark-designated renovator, we meet additional professional standards including minimum two-million-dollar liability coverage and written warranties.
Does WAIDT pull permits on behalf of clients?
Yes. For the vast majority of our projects we manage the City of Ottawa building permit process end to end — including design coordination, zoning review, application submission, responding to deficiency notices, and scheduling inspections. This is particularly valuable for coach houses, SDU conversions, and multi-unit work where zoning requirements are complex.
What size projects does WAIDT take on?
Our residential work ranges from single-room renovations through full home additions, coach houses, basement SDU conversions, and ground-up multi-unit builds (typically triplexes and fourplexes). Our commercial work ranges from single-unit tenant fit-ups through ground-up commercial and institutional buildings. We do not typically take on deck-only or minor repair work — our scope is geared to projects requiring permits and coordinated trades.
How do I get a quote?
Call 613-738-4736, email waidt@waidt.ca, or use the form on our Contact page. For most projects we'll arrange a site visit to understand the scope, then provide a written estimate. Projects requiring design work typically start with a design-assist engagement before a firm construction estimate can be finalized.
What neighbourhoods of Ottawa does WAIDT work in?
We work across the entire City of Ottawa — urban core (Centretown, Old Ottawa South, Glebe, Westboro, Hintonburg, Overbrook, Vanier), suburban Ottawa (Kanata, Orleans, Barrhaven, Nepean, Gloucester), and rural Ottawa communities. We also take on projects in surrounding municipalities within the National Capital Region including Beckwith Township, where we completed the Beckwith Recreation Complex.
Sources & References
The Ottawa-specific regulatory information on this page is drawn from publicly available City of Ottawa and Government of Ontario resources:
