Insights & guides

Answers to the questions buyers ask.

One question per guide, answered first, each tied to a real project in the record. News and new guides are published from the CMS.

GuideHow long does it take to build an elementary school in Ontario?

Longer than it did before COVID. Everstrong's record includes schools built in seven and eight months (St. Benedict, SP 2014; Anne J. MacArt…

GuideHow to invite a general contractor to bid on a project in Ontario

Public owners post the tender on their procurement portal — Bonfire, MERX or Biddingo — and contractors register as plan takers. Private own…

GuideBuilding in winter and on poor soils — what certainty means in practice

It means the ground and the weather are planned for, not hoped against. Dixie Center's 2,500 lineal feet of footing and foundation were pour…

GuideRenovating while occupied — phased work, asbestos abatement, and keeping a building open

Shepherd Manor was a three-year phased renovation with full-building asbestos abatement carried out while the seniors' residence stayed occu…

GuideFire halls and municipal builds — what institutional owners look for

Municipal owners look for a contractor who has delivered a station with the operational details right — apparatus bays, hose towers, paramed…

GuideProject reporting — what owners and architects should expect through a build

Regular project updates, constant communication, and one clear point of contact. Progress, schedule and budget reported clearly so there are…

GuidePrompt payment and holdback under Ontario's Construction Act — what owners and sub-trades should know

Ontario's Construction Act sets the clock on payment. An owner pays a proper invoice within 28 days unless it gives a notice of non-payment,…

GuideStipulated price, construction management or design-build — choosing a delivery model

Pick the model by what the owner needs to control. Stipulated-price general contracting fixes the price against complete drawings. Construct…

GuideBidding Everstrong tenders as a sub-trade — documents, addenda and pricing

Register once, choose your trade divisions, and every open tender is on the Tenders page with a live countdown. Get the documents with your …