Real Work, Real Names
Testimonials & Recent Projects — Real Work for Real Ottawa Customers.
Names, neighborhoods, dates, and what we did. No anonymous five-star fluff.
Why we publish details, not just stars.
Most contractor "reviews" pages are curated to the point of meaninglessness. Five anonymous stars and a quote that could have been written by anyone. We don't think that's worth much — and if you're trying to decide who to trust with your foundation, you need more than that.
Every review on this page has a real name, a real neighborhood, a real date, and a real description of what we did. The before-and-after photos are actual jobs. The case studies tell the full story — what the problem was, what we found on inspection, what we recommended (and didn't), what it cost, and how it's holding up.
If you've ever wished a contractor would just show you the work, this is that page.
Recent Testimonials
Customer testimonials.
“Stacy came out and told me the crack didn't need the $5,000 repair the other contractor quoted. Cost me a quarter of that and it's holding perfectly.”
“We have a 1920s foundation in the Glebe with rubble stone. Stacy knew exactly what he was looking at. Explained everything in plain English.”
“40 years, he said, same streets. It shows. He walked our basement and found water before it became a problem.”
“Our weeping tile was at the end of the line. Stacy dug around and showed us what was happening. Fixed it before the basement got wet.”
“Had a crack in the basement wall and thought it meant major work. Stacy said monitor it for now, here's why. Professional and straight.”
“Block walls — we have them. Stacy looked at the stair-stepping and explained what was stable and what wasn't. Clear plan forward.”
“Brand new home, cracks already showing up. Stacy's assessment was these will stop, monitor them. He was right.”
“Our basement had water for years. Different contractors had different theories. Stacy found the real issue — bad grading at the corner.”
“Our basement had been seeping water for years. Stacy understood the clay situation right away and found the real water source.”
“We bought a 1970s house and wanted to know what we were looking at. Stacy was clear about the aging weeping tile and what the timeline might be.”
Detailed case studies.
We have detailed stories of five foundation projects below — from initial problem through inspection, diagnosis, solution, cost, and long-term performance.
Case Study: The Downspout Fix That Saved a Basement — Westboro Home
A Westboro homeowner noticed water seeping into the basement after heavy rain. They'd been quoted $8,000 for exterior waterproofing excavation from another contractor. During Stacy's inspection, he traced the issue to a downspout extension that had come loose and was dumping water directly at the foundation corner. Cost to fix: $150. Fourteen months later, still dry. 'You can't sell someone work they don't need. After 40 years, my reputation matters more than that one job.'
Case Study: Century Home Foundation Restoration — Glebe, 1920s Rubble Stone
A Glebe couple purchased a 1920s heritage home with visible cracks in the rubble-stone foundation and failed parging in spots. They wanted to know: save it or replace it? Stacy's approach: preservation-first. We repointed the mortar joints with lime-based mortar, cleaned and re-parged with compatible materials, and sealed water entry points. The foundation is now stable and waterproof. Cost: $4,200. Follow-up two years later shows no new cracking, no moisture intrusion. 'We were ready to spend three times this on a new foundation if needed. Stacy showed us what was actually possible.'
Case Study: Block Wall Stabilization with Carbon Fiber — Nepean, 1960s Bungalow
A Nepean homeowner noticed horizontal stair-stepping cracks across the basement block wall — the classic mid-century foundation problem. Another contractor recommended full-wall piering at $18,000. Stacy's assessment: the cracks are stable and structural failure is unlikely. Solution: carbon fiber reinforcement on the interior to arrest any future movement, plus careful monitoring. Cost: $3,800. Two years on, the cracks have not widened. 'Stacy could have sold us the expensive solution. Instead he explained why it wasn't necessary for our situation.'
Case Study: Underpinning & Basement Lowering — Westboro, 1920s Semi
A Westboro homeowner wanted to gain usable basement ceiling height in a 1920s semi. The existing foundation was 6 feet to the underside of the joists. Stacy engineered a selective underpinning of the corner sections, lowering those sections by 18 inches and creating a 7.5-foot ceiling in the main living area. Process: selective underpinning (not full-foundation replacement), permit from City of Ottawa, engineering drawings, careful sequencing to avoid settling the existing walls. Total cost: $12,500. The work was completed over 6 weeks with no settling or damage to the structure above. 'Professional, on budget, explained every step.'
Case Study: Heritage Farmhouse Stone Foundation Repair — Rural Manotick, 100+ Year-Old
A rural property owner with a 100+ year-old farmhouse noticed failing mortar joints, some spalling stone, and minor water infiltration into the foundation room. Modern concrete repair would have been faster but would have trapped moisture and damaged the historic fabric. Stacy's approach: hand-point all mortar joints with lime-mortar matching the original, carefully replace spalling stones where necessary, and install an interior sump for the minimal water that reaches the base. The work took longer — we didn't rush it — but the result respects the age and character of the house. Cost: $6,100. One year on, the foundation is dry and the repointing shows no failure. 'This is an old house. It needed old-school care, not modern quick fixes.'
Leave a testimonial if we've worked for you.
If we've worked on your house, we'd love a testimonial. Honest ones are best — even the things we could have done better. We use them to keep getting better.
Want to read about the services these projects covered?
The case studies above span the full range of foundation work we do: crack repair, wall stabilization, underpinning, parging, waterproofing.