Our process
Understand the stages and the questions at each one. The specific communication, documentation and handover arrangements should be confirmed in your project agreement.
Start your project
Your first enquiry
You do not need finished drawings or an exact budget to start. Sending an enquiry does not confirm a site visit, price or start date; those arrangements are separate from the initial request.
01 / Project stage
Start with the goals, the property and the timing. Identify what needs review before a proposal.
02 / Project stage
Review the site, scope, assumptions and selections so the proposed work is understandable.
03 / Project stage
Consider the sequence, trades, access and decisions that influence the work.
04 / Project stage
Agree how the finished work, outstanding items and applicable documents will be reviewed.
The written scope
Included work, exclusions, selections and schedule dependencies belong in the same conversation. This illustrative outline shows the kinds of questions a scope document can help organise; it is not an approved GCO contract template.
Ask how changes are documented, and how price and timing implications are reviewed before approval. Confirm who can approve a change and how the updated scope is recorded.
/ Scope outlineIllustrative example01 / Proposed commercial interior renovation
Example project plan · Not a delivered project or contractual promise.
Confirm the person responsible for communication and the agreed update approach before work begins. Ask which decisions need your input and how questions should be raised. No default weekly update or response deadline is implied.
Clarify how the walkthrough, outstanding items and applicable documents will be handled. Any warranty or aftercare terms should be confirmed in the project documents, rather than assumed from a website statement.
Planning questions
Describe the work and your priorities, ask two or three Ottawa contractors for written proposals based on the same scope, compare what is included and excluded, confirm insurance and WSIB clearance, check who obtains the building permit, and agree in writing how changes and payments are handled.
Yes. GCO leads with commercial renovations and tenant fit-ups, and also takes on residential projects in Ottawa, including kitchen, bathroom, basement and whole-home renovations.
GCO welcomes residential and commercial project enquiries in Ottawa. The exact service fit is reviewed against the work you describe.
Share the city or neighbourhood, a short description of the space, your priorities and any target timing. Drawings and a precise budget are not required for an initial enquiry.
Yes. Indicate what information is already available and what is still being considered. Any drawings or professional input required will depend on the scope.
Project extent, existing conditions, layout changes, selections, access, material availability and any required professional review all influence the proposal.
Ask how a change is recorded and how its price and timing implications are reviewed before approval. The agreed approach should be clear in your project documents.
Sometimes, but not every space can remain occupied. Feasibility depends on the scope, safe access and sequencing. Raise occupation requirements at the start.
The next conversation
Share a few details about the space, the work you have in mind, and your timing.