Ontario's Plain-English Guide to Custom Home Building📞 705-533-1633 | ☎️ 1-866-868-6606 | ✉️ info@icfhome.ca
About Us
Ontario construction knowledge—written by a builder
Straight Answers About Building in Ontario
BuildersOntario.com was created by Harvey Juric to give Ontario homeowners, land buyers and future builders practical information before they make expensive decisions. The site is based on more than four decades of real construction experience—not recycled marketing copy.
BuildersOntario is an Ontario-wide information website. ICFhome.ca is Harvey’s local custom-home building company serving Simcoe County and the Georgian Bay region. The two work together, but they have different jobs.
Province-wide information
BuildersOntario.com
BuildersOntario explains the parts of building that confuse people most: buying land, understanding soft costs, getting permits, comparing construction methods, planning site work and recognizing incomplete estimates.
The goal is not to make construction look easy. The goal is to make the important decisions clearer before money is committed.
Explore BuildersOntario
Local construction company
ICFhome.ca
ICFhome.ca is Harvey’s custom-home building company, specializing in Insulated Concrete Form construction, radiant-floor heating and high-performance homes in Simcoe County and the Georgian Bay area.
Local clients can send plans, discuss a building lot, request an early budget review or arrange a visit to a completed ICF home.
Visit ICFhome.ca45+Years working in residential construction
300+Custom homes completed across Southern Ontario
1995Building with Insulated Concrete Forms since
OntarioLocal experience, local climate and local approvals
Why BuildersOntario Exists
Most people build one custom home in their lifetime. That means they are making decisions about land, drawings, contracts, permits, excavation, foundations and finishes while dealing with professionals who work with those subjects every day.
That imbalance creates predictable problems. A building lot is purchased before anyone confirms what can be built. A floor plan is designed before a real budget exists. A quote looks cheap because half the work is missing. Permit drawings are submitted before the site, grading or servicing questions are resolved.
Harvey’s reason for creating this site: homeowners should not have to learn every expensive lesson after construction starts. The best time to prevent a mistake is before the lot is purchased, before the plans are complete and before the contract is signed.
Meet Harvey Juric
Harvey Juric
Master BuilderFounder of BuildersOntario.com
Founder of ICFhome.ca
Harvey has spent more than 45 years building and managing residential construction in Ontario. His experience includes conventional custom homes, ICF homes and foundations, radiant-floor heating, excavation, site development and the day-to-day decisions required to move a custom project from a vacant lot to a finished home.
He began building with ICF in 1995, when the system was still unfamiliar to many Ontario homeowners and trades. Since then, high-performance envelopes, energy efficiency and long-term durability have remained central to his work.
Harvey’s writing style is intentionally direct. Construction already has enough jargon. Homeowners need useful explanations, honest limitations and practical next steps.
What We Know Best
Lots and Site Work
Access, slope, drainage, clearing, excavation, soil, wells, septic systems, driveways and the costs that live outside the house itself.
Permits and Approvals
What a complete application needs, why submissions stall, how zoning differs from the Building Code and when other authorities become involved.
Construction Budgets
Hard costs, soft costs, site costs, allowances, exclusions, contingency and the difference between a real estimate and an attractive headline price.
ICF Construction
Foundations and above-grade ICF walls, concrete, reinforcing, openings, waterproofing, insulation continuity and the practical advantages and limits of the system.
High-Performance Homes
Energy-efficient envelopes, air sealing, windows, ventilation, radiant heating and building mechanical systems that suit the house instead of fighting it.
Custom-Home Management
Sequencing, selections, change orders, trade coordination, communication and the decisions that protect both budget and schedule.
Our Approach to ICF and Energy-Efficient Homes
ICF is not magic and it is not the right answer for every project. It is a reinforced-concrete wall system with continuous insulation on both sides. When it is properly designed and built, it can provide a strong, quiet and energy-efficient shell with excellent resistance to air leakage and temperature swings.
Harvey has used ICF since 1995 because the system addresses several problems at once: structure, insulation continuity, air control and durability. But the wall is only one part of the house. Windows, roof insulation, ventilation, waterproofing, heating equipment and workmanship still matter.
What homeowners commonly notice
More stable indoor temperatures
Reduced drafts when the complete envelope is detailed properly
A quieter interior because of the concrete mass
A durable structural wall with continuous insulation
What still has to be done properly
Engineering, reinforcing and concrete placement
Waterproofing and drainage
Window and door installation
Roof, air sealing, ventilation and mechanical design
For Local Custom-Home Clients
Through ICFhome.ca, Harvey works with a limited number of custom-home projects so each one receives direct attention. Typical projects include complete custom homes, ICF foundations and shells, high-performance heating systems and early lot or plan reviews.
Primary service area
Simcoe County and the Georgian Bay region, with project suitability reviewed individually.
BarrieSpringwaterOro-MedonteInnisfilWasaga BeachCollingwoodTiny TownshipTay TownshipMidlandPenetanguishene
How a Custom-Home Conversation Usually Starts
1
Tell us where you are in the process
You may be considering a lot, already own the property, have preliminary plans or hold a building permit. Each starting point needs a different conversation.
2
Review the lot, plans and budget together
A plan cannot be priced honestly without understanding the site. A site cannot be evaluated properly without understanding the intended house.
3
Identify the expensive unknowns
Servicing, excavation, conservation restrictions, septic requirements, grading, structural complexity, windows and finishes can change the budget substantially.
4
Decide whether the project is a good fit
Not every project is a fit for every builder. A useful first review should clarify scope, location, timing and budget before either side invests heavily.
No Secrets. No Miracle Numbers. No Pretending Every Project Is the Same.
Our commitment is to give you information that is useful enough to change what you do next.
Plain-English explanations
Ontario-specific context
Clear distinction between general rules and local requirements
Realistic warnings about site and budget risk
Practical calculators and checklists
Corrections when a page needs updating
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BuildersOntario.com a home-building company?
BuildersOntario.com is primarily an Ontario home-building information website. Local custom-home construction is handled through ICFhome.ca in Simcoe County and the Georgian Bay region.
Who writes the information on BuildersOntario?
The site was founded by Harvey Juric, a Master Builder with more than 45 years of residential construction experience in Ontario. Some pages also rely on official provincial, federal and municipal sources where current rules or programs are involved.
Does ICFhome.ca build only ICF homes?
ICF is the company’s specialty, particularly for foundations and high-performance custom homes. Project scope and construction method are reviewed based on the lot, design, budget and location.
Can you help before I buy a building lot?
Yes. Early review is often the most valuable time to ask questions because access, setbacks, servicing, slope, conservation restrictions and septic requirements can change what the lot is worth to you.
Can I send plans for review?
Yes. For projects in the local service area, plans can be submitted through ICFhome.ca with the property location, project stage, approximate size and intended timeline.
Does the website replace a designer, engineer or building department?
No. BuildersOntario provides general education and planning tools. Project-specific drawings, engineering, municipal approvals and official interpretations must come from the appropriate qualified professionals and authorities.
Start With the Information You Already Have
Send the property location, plans or sketches, approximate size, project stage and the main question you are trying to answer. A good construction conversation starts with the facts—not a sales pitch.
Important: BuildersOntario.com provides general educational information. Building requirements, permit procedures, planning rules, product approvals and costs can change by municipality, property and project. Confirm project-specific requirements before construction or purchase decisions.
