Ontario Barn Conversion Contractors
We are often asked if we know contractors who know how to build with old barn timber frames. So we have created a short list of a few contractors here. Each will have a different level of experience either in renovations, repairs, conversions, take down and reassembly, etc. It's important to ask the right questions and work with someone you trust and feel comfortable with.
Download our guide on how to hire a contractor, and let us guide you through selecting a contractor.
The first question you are likely to ask the contractor is, "How much will this cost?" They will attempt to give you an answer. But the answer is only going to be as good as the information you can provide.
Information can be in the form of:
- photos
- sketches
- site visits
- structural reports
- drawings
- designs
- lists of needs and wants
- etc.
The more information you can give a contractor, the more accurate their quote will be and the less likely the project will go over budget. It will also make comparing different quotes from different contractors easier. With increased understanding from more information, they are making fewer guesses and assumptions; thus, you can compare quotes like apples to apples.
Some contractors are able to help clients by deciding, designing, and creating a scope of work, permit drawings, and design decisions. But this is not their primary skill or desire, so ensure they are the right fit for helping you make decisions. Their design goals and aesthetics should align with yours.
Otherwise, you can seek out other professionals to help you with these decisions. A professional design team can assist in creating a set of drawing to provide most or all of the information required to make an accurate quote by a contractor.
Barn conversions are fairly rare, so you won’t find a contractor solely dedicated to it nor having a long resume of conversions. But experience is key; we recently had a client not take our recommendations for hiring an experienced contractor based on the lowest quote. This contractor disassembled the frame without labeling a single piece of timber. The barn is now a pile on the ground and going to be a puzzle to put back together!
VELD Architect is quite unique in that we specialize, focus, and seek out barn conversion projects.
We learn from all these contractors during our various projects, so we have a good list of tips and tricks to employ as we design from lessons we’ve learned along the way to being the experts. These lessons are embedded in our design process and construction documents and will lead to better results.
3D drawings for timber frame reconstruction & design
We have worked with or have a very high rating of the following contractors. To help create this list, we pulled descriptions of each contractor directly from their website. It is important to do your due diligence to interview and check the references of each of these contractors.
We want you to find someone that you can trust and feel comfortable with. Or we can always help you find the right fit when we work with you to design your project.
Nostalgic Wood
Triple-braced barn frame supplied by Nostalgic wood converted to Winery starting construction Spring 2023
Nostalgic Wood is an Ontario-based, family-owned and operated company that strives to produce quality reclaimed products that breathe their history and bring character to any home. Nostalgic Wood opened its doors in Mount Forest in 1996, where the original owner began the growth of the company in reclaimed flooring. It is important to know they only deal with barn frames, so you need to have a general carpenter or general contractor to coordinate and deal with other trades required.
- Area served: Southwestern Ontario, Muskoka
- Specialty: Hardwood flooring, Barn disassemble and reassembly
Hamelin Restoration
Springfield farm barn conversion/restoration for occasional events by Hamelin Restoration
Bob doesn’t have a website, so he is hard to find. But he is a kind soul and a hardworking contractor in Eastern Ontario. He loves old barns and specializes in restoring them. Anything from moving a historic house to rebuilding your bank barn.
- Area served: Cornwall, Applehill, Glengary
- Specialty: Barn restoration
Huron Construction
Nostalgic Wood supplied the barn frame; the whole project is by Huron Construction. Conversion to storage shed & games room loft
Do you have an old bank barn on your property that needs some attention? Do you wish to keep the traditional look of the farm? Huron Construction has repaired and restored many old bank barns. The outcome will be stunning!
It is our goal to prevent any dilemmas during your project. This is why we will take the time to build a relationship with you and get to know your needs. Through this, our goal is to make the process enjoyable, so you won’t hesitate to call us for your next project. We strive for excellence so that when we do a job, we ensure it is completed - fully to your satisfaction.
- Area Served: From Chelsey to Tillsonburg
- Specialty: A bit of everything rural, houses, agriculture, barn restoration
EvoBuild Construction
Barn House 1 blower door test, construction by Hulshof Carpentry, now EvoBuild
EVO stands for Evolution. At EVO, we believe in building better homes for the greater good. We understand that building a quality home is an exciting decision and a big undertaking. We are committed to providing the best possible experience for our clients from start to finish. We want you to feel confident that your home will be built with care and precision. Our team works together with a common goal: making sure your home exceeds your expectations while protecting our Environment.
These stylish homes are an innovative take on modern living. Shop Homes offer a versatile living space with options for tall ceilings or creative finishes. They are incredibly popular amongst the growing trend of people that want an open-concept layout that provides the ultimate lifestyle functionality. It is a huge bonus that these layouts are easily fit to meet passive or net-zero standards.
- Area Served: Goderich, Stratford, Grand Bend, Kincardine
- Specialty: Passive House, Barn conversions, Sheds & Agriculture.
HfH
With over 10 years as a company – and 20+ years of experience in construction – we understand that each building is as unique as its owner. That’s why we would tell you that one of the most important qualities a builder can have is the ability to listen. We will always take the time to listen to you and work alongside you to make your dream a reality!
Whether it’s a residential home, a new dairy barn, a horse barn, a Timber Frame structure - or anything else you need, we have the necessary experience and skills to construct a masterpiece that you’ll be proud to show off. We have crews specialized in each area of construction, so you are getting a quality product every time. We deliver premium craftsmanship and customer service.
- Area Served: Rockwood, Cambridge, Guelph, Caledon
- Specialty: Barn restoration, Equestrian, Agriculture
Timmermans Timberworks
Timmerman Timberworks is an industry-leading heavy timber Construction Company located just outside of Barrie, ON, in the town of New Lowell. The majority of our work is performed in this province. However, we have and can build anywhere in Canada. Our reputation is built upon our excellent designs, our hand-cut joinery, our attention to detail, and our ability to satisfy our clients. We are confident in our abilities as a team to design and execute inspired timber construction in any style and at any scale.
- Area Served: Barrie, Ontario, Canada
- Specialty: New timber frame and Mass timber construction
Treehouse Timberworks
Barns are an important part of our region’s heritage. Over the past several years, we have worked with clients throughout Southern Ontario to restore their barns and outbuildings. This has included the repair and replacement of foundations, structural timbers, roof, siding, and other components to maintain the building’s integrity and ensure its longevity. See below for some of our recent projects.
- Area Served: Trenton, PEC, Wolfe Island, Eastern, and Northern Ontario
- Specialty: Barn restoration
Whippletree
We all seem to have personal connections with barns. They are a common thread that helps tie the southern Ontario landscape together. Whether it’s urban sprawl, modern farming or neglect the odds are stacked up against an otherwise resilient structure and we lose more of them every day.
The timber frame barn is such a great example of an efficient structure and cannot be matched in function without great expense with modern building techniques. That’s why we’re committed to saving as many as possible.
We have three general barn services to offer; Barn repair, restoration and consultation. We like to keep our barn repair limited to within a one-hour each-way travel radius, whereas restoration and consultations can be done within a four-hour radius. Certain exceptions may apply to these boundaries.
- Area Served: Oshawa through Peterborough, to Ottawa
- Specialty: Barn restoration