CedarCoast Timber Homes

As a past client of CedarCoast Homes we are very comfortable with recommending them wholeheartedly. We discovered CedarCoast at the Toronto Cottage Life show at a time when we were starting to think about building a new cottage on our property on Lake Muskoka. We were hoping to use a timber frame design and had spoken to several builders and had visited a number of timber frame cottages on the real estate market to get ideas. When we ran into the CedarCoast display what struck me the most on that first impression was the beauty of the timbers both because of the reddish colour of the fir and that the timbers were essentially free of large checks, the long cracks that you see in most timber frame timbers. We arranged with Pat and Bert to do a tour of a couple of their completed cottages and came away impressed with the quality and the beauty of the builds, but also with the enthusiasm of the owners. In the end, although it took a couple of years, when we were finally in a position to proceed it was an obvious decision to choose CedarCoast. Our cottage was built in 2008, and the project went very smoothly from start to finish. For a variety of personal reasons, we chose to have them do a shell build where they completed the structure and we completed all of the inside finishing work. As the inside work progressed I could always count on their staff to recommend a tradesman for the various jobs who would invariably do an excellent job. They remained approachable and willing to assist even though they no longer had a horse in the race. After 8 years the timbers are more beautiful than ever as the fir slowly ages and changes colour, and there is not a single timber with a significant check. The screened-in porch is simply stunning and the design works well with our needs and the characteristics of the property. The overall quality of the build is very obvious and we have never had even a single issue with the construction. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend CedarCoast to anyone.

My brother, who is a professional forester always told me to build my dream post-and-beam cottage with BC Douglas Fir; it is one of the most beautiful timber lumbers, with a gorgeous red tinge to it and a beautiful grain that resists splitting. Living in Ontario, most timber frames homes around here are build with Ontario Pine. My timber knowledge at the time was very limited but I took his advice seriously and began my hunt for an Ontario builder that used BC Douglas Fir. I met Patrick and Bert Bongers at the Cottage Life Show in Toronto and after a few meetings to discuss our plans, I was satisfied that they were the team I wanted building our dream home and they had a mill in BC and could ship the timbers across Canada. My search was over. Bert and Patrick are not just home builders, they're relationship builders. In the final analysis, a good builder is a good builder, but what really sets them apart is how they handle the "hard stuff". It's when things go wrong or not exactly as you hoped or anticipated that a contractor's true colours show and this is where the Bongers brothers stepped up to the plate. While we didn't experience many things that went wrong and certainly nothing major, but whenever there was a concern, either Bert or Patrick were immediately available to discuss the issue on the phone or to meet at the site in person to offer an explanation and if needed, a resolution. Ben, their project manager who we dealt with the most, shares their temperament and desire to satisfy their customers. We have been using our cottage for almost 10 years now and are just as happy with it today as we were when Cedar Coast built it and I know the team is easily available to me today should I need any help from them.

CedarCoast has made every aspect of building our custom seasonal home a delightful process. Their ‘Smart Plan’ was the perfect starting point as it encouraged input from every member of our extended family. This small company run by Bert and Patrick Bongers is singularly focused in delivering a quality and sustainable product that meets our budget and timetable as well as compliment our lakeshore property. The staff are remarkable, very qualified and are excellent communicators: they always have, or will seek out answers to every question. They strive to educate us at every stage and with over 25 years of experience have a broad and deep knowledge base to draw from. They have presented many creative solutions to the inevitable problems encountered along the way, as a result of geography and the site, weather and materials.

We recently completed construction on our new home in the Muskoka's. CedarCoast supplied the design, timber frame package and structural drawings. From initial concept to completion CedarCoast was an excellent company to work with. True visionaries, they understood our needs and adapted them to our site location with an architectural plan that delivered outstanding results. The timber frames they supplied are of exceptional quality and workmanship. CedarCoast was a great support through the entire process and I would highly recommend them to anyone considering building their dream home, we couldn't be more pleased .

Out of the nearly 14 years in private architectural practice it has been a privilege to work with such a customer-oriented company as CedarCoast Timber Homes. The several projects we have cooperatively worked on have been some of the most challenging and rewarding ones. The people who work at CedarCoast, Patrick and Bert Bongers, bring a high level of experience, customer response and dedication to each project. Projects often start out just on how comfortable a potential client can be with a timber frame company or professional helping them realize their dream. CedarCoast Timber Homes brings that to the project each and every time. I always try to educate clients regarding the concept of "value for service" and how the right person can help far more than what you compensate them. CedarCoast Timber Homes does just that: they provide a high level of "value for service" to the client. I would not hesitate working with them or recommending their services to any client of mine.