BuildCast Podcast

EP07: A Renovation Budget Is Not a Shopping Allowance
Most homeowners walk into a renovation with a number and spend the entire process trying to figure out what that number will buy. Jonathan and Chris flip that completely in EP07 of BuildCast.
The question is not what does my budget get me. The question is what problem am I actually trying to solve. Because once that is defined, the answer might be a renovation. Or an addition. Or a new build. Or moving. Or doing nothing at all. And knowing that before anything is spent is the only way to make sure every dollar goes to the right place.
In EP07, the brothers are back in the same room and they bring one of the most practically useful episodes of the series. Four real projects Frontier just booked ranging from $50,000 to $1.3 million and what each budget actually means in the real world. The contingency rule every homeowner needs to follow before committing to a number. The hidden costs that show up on almost every renovation including electrical panel upgrades, chimney liners nobody knew were missing, and the Cambridge basement renovation where the drywall came down and revealed junction boxes hidden behind the walls that were completely against code and could not legally be closed back up without being fixed first.
And the story that is impossible to forget: opening walls on three separate projects and finding no studs. Just carpenter ants, OSB, and a house held up on two inches of wood at each corner and nothing in between.
The closing line of the episode is the best one yet: a renovation budget is not a shopping allowance. It is the amount available to solve a specific problem. Define the problem first.
Two brothers. One mic. Zero filter.
TIMESTAMPS0:00 Welcome to EP07, Jonathan and Chris in the same room2:15 Four projects just booked: $50K, $150K, $250K, and $1.3M4:30 Frontier bought a house and is renovating it as a rental investment8:45 ROI vs enjoyment: how investment properties and personal homes have different budget rules12:20 The contingency rule: always keep at least 10% back before you commit16:40 Why additions cost more per square foot than new construction20:15 Electrical panel upgrades: the hidden cost that shows up on almost every project now24:00 The chimney liner nobody knew was missing: a $50,000 addition that became much more28:30 Opening walls and finding no studs: carpenter ants, OSB, and a house held up by a prayer34:10 Junction boxes hidden behind drywall: the Cambridge basement that could not be closed back up38:45 Why homeowners are afraid to share their real budget and why that fear costs them43:20 "Tell me what problem you are trying to solve, not what your budget is"46:00 A renovation budget is not a shopping allowance: the closing line
ABOUT FRONTIER BUILDING GROUPFrontier Building Group is a women-led, family-owned design-build contractor founded in 2007 and based in Waterford, Ontario. We specialize in whole-home renovations, additions, and legal accessory dwelling units, managing every project from feasibility and design through permitting, construction, and after-care. We serve homeowners in Waterford, Brantford, Paris, Simcoe, Brant County, Haldimand County, Norfolk County, Ohsweken, and Six Nations. We are not the cheapest option. We are the one you call so you only have to do this once.
FIND USWebsite: https://www.frontierbuildinggroup.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontierbuildinggroup/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrontierBuildingGroup/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@frontierbuildinggroupTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@frontierbuildinggroupLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frontier-building-group/Call us: 519.448.3946Email: info@frontierbuildinggroup.com

A man pulled every dollar of equity from his home to build an ADU above his garage for his son. The contractor told him no permits were needed. No drawings. No investigation. Just started tearing the roof off the garage and building. $200,000 later, he has no roof on his garage, a stop work order on the property, and he is going back to work at retirement age to cover what that contractor cost him.
In the same week, a homeowner called Frontier because his basement renovation is now 180 days in when the contractor promised 90. The budget has ballooned 40% over a number that was already a fraction of what the project actually costs. He was given a quote in the $40,000 to $50,000 range for a $150,000 project.
These are not rare stories. And in EP06 of BuildCast, Jonathan and Chris are not gentle about what causes them.
They also go deep on site management challenges on complex infill and rural builds, the building materials that are changing how custom homes get built including LVL lumber and pressure treated LVL beams, thermal breaking and net zero construction, balloon framing versus platform framing and why the switch happened, and why the process that protects homeowners always starts before a permit is ever pulled.
Jonathan joins remotely from Nova Scotia this episode. The family company DNA runs throughout the whole conversation.
Two brothers. One mic. Zero filter.
TIMESTAMPS0:00 Welcome to EP06, Jonathan joining remotely from Nova Scotia1:53 Site management on complex infill builds in Brantford, Simcoe, and Hamilton3:21 The crane story: how a roof structure almost pushed a foundation in5:33 Family company DNA: why Frontier is built differently from the inside out7:45 Three new home builds this summer including a custom home and a semi-detached infill in Simcoe13:00 The contractor horror stories: a $200,000 ADU disaster and a 180-day basement renovation18:20 "If anybody tells you you don't need a permit, you need a permit"20:35 Minor variances explained: what they are and why they add months to a project26:05 LVL lumber and pressure treated LVL: the building materials changing custom home construction33:14 Balloon framing vs platform framing and why fire safety changed everything35:44 Thermal breaking, net zero building, and what it means for the homes being built right now
ABOUT FRONTIER BUILDING GROUPFrontier Building Group is a women-led, family-owned design-build contractor founded in 2007 and based in Waterford, Ontario. We specialize in whole-home renovations, additions, and legal accessory dwelling units, managing every project from feasibility and design through permitting, construction, and after-care. We serve homeowners in Waterford, Brantford, Paris, Simcoe, Brant County, Haldimand County, Norfolk County, Ohsweken, and Six Nations. We are not the cheapest option. We are the one you call so you only have to do this once.
FIND USWebsite: https://www.frontierbuildinggroup.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontierbuildinggroup/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrontierBuildingGroup/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@frontierbuildinggroupTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@frontierbuildinggroupLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frontier-building-group/Call us: 519.448.3946Email: info@frontierbuildinggroup.com

Most homeowners walk into the design phase of a renovation thinking the hard part is picking what looks nice. Then they find out one vanity triggers eight to ten decisions minimum. Multiply that across an entire project and you are looking at over 100 selections for a single renovation. Without guidance, without a process, and without a professional to help navigate it, decision fatigue sets in fast. And rushed decisions in renovation cost a lot of money to undo.
In EP05 of BuildCast, Chris sits down with Karen Rocha from the Frontier team to break down how the design and selections process actually works from the inside, why the explosion of product options available today makes professional guidance more important than ever, why box kitchens almost never save the money homeowners think they will, and why layout matters more than aesthetics when it comes to how much you will love your renovation ten years from now.
The episode closes with a story that every Ontario homeowner needs to hear. A retired man hired a contractor for an accessory project, was told he did not need permits, watched most of his budget disappear, and is now thinking about going back to work because that contractor stopped returning calls entirely.
The line that closes the episode is the best one in the series so far: find out what's possible, design it, permit it, and then buy it.
Two brothers. One mic. Zero filter. Plus Karen.
TIMESTAMPS0:42 Meet Karen Rocha from the Frontier team1:15 What is the most time consuming part of planning a renovation?4:07 How many iterations of the selections process has Frontier gone through in one year?5:30 One vanity: the cascade of decisions nobody sees coming9:38 Design is so difficult because nobody has it fully figured out10:03 How decision fatigue sets in and what Frontier does to prevent it15:18 Feasibility always comes first: why not every project can actually be built20:31 The explosion of product options and why it breaks most homeowners' brains22:03 Box kitchens: do they actually save money?32:22 The dishwasher in the island story: why layout matters more than aesthetics43:40 Frontier's goal of less than 5% variance from the proposed budget44:52 Find out what's possible, design it, permit it, and then buy it
ABOUT FRONTIER BUILDING GROUPFrontier Building Group is a women-led, family-owned design-build contractor founded in 2007 and based in Waterford, Ontario. We specialize in whole-home renovations, additions, and legal accessory dwelling units, managing every project from feasibility and design through permitting, construction, and after-care. We serve homeowners in Waterford, Brantford, Paris, Simcoe, Brant County, Haldimand County, Norfolk County, Ohsweken, and Six Nations. We are not the cheapest option. We are the one you call so you only have to do this once.
FIND USWebsite: https://www.frontierbuildinggroup.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontierbuildinggroup/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrontierBuildingGroup/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@frontierbuildinggroupTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@frontierbuildinggroupLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frontier-building-group/Call us: 519.448.3946Email: info@frontierbuildinggroup.com

EP04: Your Basement Has Been Lying to You
A homeowner had water in his basement three years in a row. Three different contractors. Three different fixes. The same problem every spring.
The first handyman painted over the cracks in the concrete floor with what looked like clear shellac, charged $4,000, and told him the problem was solved. It was not solved. The water came back. The insurance company came in next, fixed the drywall, replaced the flooring, and put everything back to the way it looked before the damage. The water came back again. On the third year he called Frontier.
In EP04 of BuildCast, Jonathan and Chris break down one of the most important conversations a homeowner in Ontario needs to hear before they spend a single dollar finishing their basement. Why insurance companies are built to repair damage and never fix the actual problem. What hydrostatic pressure is doing underneath your basement floor right now. Why 8,400 gallons of water draining against a foundation wall is not as uncommon as you think. And why radon, the colorless odorless gas coming up through the soil beneath your basement, is a serious health risk across Norfolk County and Brant County that most homeowners have never tested for.
The closing line of the episode is the one every Ontario homeowner needs to write down: if you cannot afford to mitigate water, radon, and pests, you cannot afford to finish your basement.
Two brothers. One mic. Zero filter.
TIMESTAMPS0:30 Welcome to EP044:24 The client with water in his basement three years in a row6:04 What the previous handyman actually did: painting over cracks with shellac7:37 Why insurance companies fix damage but never the actual problem8:58 The brake fluid analogy: the most important thing you will hear about insurance today13:39 Three tons of concrete broken up to solve the real problem19:08 How water actually gets into a basement: hydrostatic pressure explained22:09 8,400 gallons of water draining against one foundation wall25:19 Two types of concrete: cracked and about to crack29:47 Radon: the silent gas coming up through your basement floor34:07 The rule that protects every basement investment: water, radon, and pests first
ABOUT FRONTIER BUILDING GROUPFrontier Building Group is a women-led, family-owned design-build contractor founded in 2007 and based in Waterford, Ontario. We specialize in whole-home renovations, additions, and legal accessory dwelling units, managing every project from feasibility and design through permitting, construction, and after-care. We serve homeowners in Waterford, Brantford, Paris, Simcoe, Brant County, Haldimand County, Norfolk County, Ohsweken, and Six Nations. We are not the cheapest option. We are the one you call so you only have to do this once.
FIND USWebsite: https://www.frontierbuildinggroup.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontierbuildinggroup/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrontierBuildingGroup/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@frontierbuildinggroupTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@frontierbuildinggroupLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frontier-building-group/Call us: 519.448.3946Email: info@frontierbuildinggroup.com

Simple does not exist inside the walls of your home.
Jonathan and Chris have heard those words more times than they can count. And every single time, it has cost someone more than they expected. The walls lie. Every time. What looks like a straightforward kitchen renovation is hiding load bearing structure, rotten framing, relocated plumbing, and conditions nobody could see without opening things up.
In EP03 of BuildCast they break down why simple is the most expensive word in construction, what is actually hiding inside the walls of your home right now, and why skipping the planning step never saves money. It just delays when you pay it. And the later always costs more.
The takeaway that closes the episode is one of the best lines of the show so far: simple is not something you get to declare. It is something the project gets to earn.
Two brothers. One mic. Zero filter.
TIMESTAMPS0:33 Welcome to EP031:36 "It's just a simple project" — the most expensive phrase in construction3:39 Jonathan's generator story: how a "straight run" became a 30% overrun7:32 Contractors are not trying to hit you with surprises either8:17 Frontier's internal goal: stay within 3% of the original quoted price10:19 What happens when you skip design: the HVAC miss that cost a family their timeline15:16 Mid-project changes: why adding scope after construction starts is death by a thousand cuts17:29 Concrete that cracks and concrete that will crack: why contingency is non-negotiable21:36 "The house was always this complicated. You just hadn't met that version of it yet."25:16 20 years of mistakes: why a PhD in dumb is the best credential a contractor can have33:27 Simple should always be treated as suspicious in an old home43:03 The final takeaway: simple is not something you get to declare
ABOUT FRONTIER BUILDING GROUPFrontier Building Group is a women-led, family-owned design-build contractor founded in 2007 and based in Waterford, Ontario. We specialize in whole-home renovations, additions, and legal accessory dwelling units, managing every project from feasibility and design through permitting, construction, and after-care. We serve homeowners in Waterford, Brantford, Paris, Simcoe, Brant County, Haldimand County, Norfolk County, Ohsweken, and Six Nations. We are not the cheapest option. We are the one you call so you only have to do this once.
FIND USWebsite: https://www.frontierbuildinggroup.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontierbuildinggroup/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrontierBuildingGroup/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@frontierbuildinggroupTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@frontierbuildinggroupLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frontier-building-group/Call us: 519.448.3946Email: info@frontierbuildinggroup.com

Most contractors say yes to everything. We said no to most of what came in this month. That is not a flex. That is the job.
In EP02 of BuildCast, Jonathan and Chris get into something the construction industry almost never admits out loud. Saying yes to the wrong project does not just hurt the contractor. It destroys the homeowner. The company that takes on everything it cannot handle is the exact company that leaves you without a kitchen, without a timeline, and without anyone accountable when things go wrong.
They also break down why accountability is the single most valuable thing a general contractor provides, what happens when every trade is doing their own thing with nobody in charge of the whole picture, and why the cheapest contractor on your list is almost always the most expensive decision you will ever make.
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Welcome to EP02, first time recording in person
2:11 Why Frontier said no to most projects that came in this month
3:32 Is the renovation even the right solution?
7:36 What good leadership actually looks like on a construction project
9:34 What happens when nobody is accountable for the whole project
13:00 The school addition story: what acting as your own GC really costs
18:14 Talk to a builder before you talk to a designer
20:20 The general contractor is the family doctor of your renovation
24:13 Not all water is good for you: choosing the right fit over desperation
25:53 Frontier does not sell. It consults.
29:33 Hot tip: your local contractor has better sub access than you do
30:30 Why the cheapest contractor is always the most expensive mistake
 
ABOUT FRONTIER BUILDING GROUP
Frontier Building Group is a women-led, family-owned design-build contractor founded in 2007 and based in Waterford, Ontario. We specialize in whole-home renovations, additions, and legal accessory dwelling units, managing every project from feasibility and design through permitting, construction, and after-care. We serve homeowners in Waterford, Brantford, Paris, Simcoe, Brant County, Haldimand County, Norfolk County, Ohsweken, and Six Nations. We are not the cheapest option. We are the one you call so you only have to do this once.
FIND US Website:
https://www.frontierbuildinggroup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontierbuildinggroup/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrontierBuildingGroup/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@frontierbuildinggroup TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@frontierbuildinggroup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frontier-building-group/ Call us: 519.448.3946 Email: info@frontierbuildinggroup.com

You haven't even started your renovation and you're already making your first mistake.
The very first question almost every homeowner asks a contractor is "what's the price?" And according to Jonathan and Chris, that question arrives about six months too early.
Not because the price doesn't matter. It does. But because asking it first is like walking into a car dealership and saying "what does a car cost?" You haven't told us what you're building, what's inside your walls, what your home needs, or what you actually want. And without those answers, any number a contractor gives you is a fiction. A fiction that will cost you later.
In the very first episode of BuildCast, Jonathan and his brother Chris have the conversation the renovation industry doesn't want you to hear. Why contractors who give you a price on the first visit are either guessing or setting you up for change orders. Why the average contractor margin is in the single digits and what that means for what happens when the budget gets tight. And why the fight you need to have with your contractor should happen before a single hammer swings, not after your kitchen is in pieces.
This is not a polished renovation show. This is two brothers who have been in construction and real estate long enough to stop pretending the industry has clean answers.
 
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 The cold open that sets the tone for everything2:20 The debate: is "what's the price?" already the wrong question?5:47 Why renovation has no sticker price (and what to ask instead)9:03 Is the construction industry broken by design?13:41 The hidden cost of acting as your own general contractor22:11 Frontier runs 28 steps before a single hammer swings24:12 Why ballpark prices always turn into promises (Jonathan's own story)37:12 Industry insider: the profit margin number contractors never tell you38:46 "If we're going to fight, let's fight up front"44:34 The takeaway: start with feasibility, not fantasy
 
FIND US Website:
https://www.frontierbuildinggroup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontierbuildinggroup/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrontierBuildingGroup/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@frontierbuildinggroup TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@frontierbuildinggroup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frontier-building-group/ Call us: 519.448.3946 Email: info@frontierbuildinggroup.com