Dundas St E. Custom Build
Design-Build Custom Home
Challenges & Objectives
Our Dundas St E project, located near Coxwell, transformed an old bungalow that was discovered to be built on a former landfill site. Facing serious structural challenges, we engineered a solution using helical piles and structured footings to safely rebuild. The result was a three-storey custom home—including a 9 ft basement with a separate two-bedroom apartment and a garage—that sold within just two days of listing
Key hurdles we tackled:
Landfill Excavation: The existing bungalow was set on unstable fill, requiring engineered deep foundations.
Helical Pile Foundation: Required to support a full rebuild and ensure structural stability.
High-Ceiling Basement & Separate Suite: Designing a 9 ft basement featuring a self-contained apartment with walk-up access.
Timely Sale: Delivering a quality custom home that attracted buyers immediately—sold in two days .
Our main objective was to provide a new modern custom home that would serve as a great family residence, along with the added plus of rental income.
Design Solutions
Our team deployed advanced structural and design strategies:
Helical Pile System: Installed engineered piles to bypass the landfill material and support all loads.
Robust Footings: Combined structured footings and micropile caps to support the multi-storey build.
High-Ceiling Basement: Excavated and framed for a 9 ft ceiling height, maximizing living comfort.
Separate Apartment: Designed with independent kitchen, bathroom, utility systems, and walk-up access.
- Stunning Concrete walkouts from both the front and the rear of the home. To improve access for all residents
Modern Design & Functionality: Open-concept layout, high-end finishes, energy-efficient systems, and structured for market appeal.
Construction Process
A phased and meticulous rebuild approach:
Site & Foundation Prep: Demolished the old structure, removed unsafe fill, and installed helical piles and footings.
Basement & Apartment: Excavated for a high-ceiling basement, framed a separate suite with full utilities and walk-up.
Custom Home Construction: Built the three-storey main home with integrated finishes and energy-efficient systems.
Final Touches & Sale Prep: Ensured complete quality control; the home listed and sold within two days
Results
The Dundas St E property is a modern, high-value custom home that brilliantly addressed its challenging foundation conditions. The inclusion of a well-designed basement suite significantly boosted market value—it sold almost immediately at listing. The homeowners are delighted with the outcome, and the rapid sale speaks for itself
Our Clients' Experiences Say It All
At Woodsmith Construction, we believe our clients’ experiences highlight our commitment to exceptional customer service. Explore what real homeowners say about partnering with us to achieve their home renovation goals.
The Woodsmith team did a phenomenal job of rebuilding our house to match our dream on-time and within our budget. Chris (the owner) was always accessible, open to ideas and patient with questions. This made all the difference for us. He understands that a job of this scale is something that an owner will likely only do once, and he offered great advice and put all our fears at ease. We constantly knew exactly how we were tracking to our budget (to the dollar) and our job site was clean and orderly at all times (which our neighbours very much appreciated). We were nervous about our year-long adventure in renos (we've all heard horror stories), but Chris helped us spread out decisions over time and provided clear options for any challenges his team encountered, making that year a surprisingly pleasant one. All of the work was top-quality and has garnered unsolicited positive comments from anyone who sees our home (including other contractors working in our neighbourhood). I have no problem recommending Woodsmith; you will be in very good hands.
Dave Duncan
We were very pleased with the results of our renovation project completed by Chris and his team at Woodsmith Construction. As well as a great end-product, Chris provided excellent customer communication services throughout the whole process that were greatly appreciated! We would have no hesitation in recommending Woodsmith Construction and in fact have already booked them for a second project.
Lynn
We had a great experience working with Chris at Woodsmith Construction. He is honest, transparent, realistic, easy to get in touch with and makes himself available to his clients whenever they need him. I would gladly recommend Woodsmith Construction to anyone doing a renovation as Chris made a complicated process a positive experience.
Matthew Bernstein
We worked with Chris Smith and Woodsmith Construction Inc. on the design for a garage addition, and the experience was fantastic. The project included adding attic trusses to create a new walk-in closet and laundry room that seamlessly connected to our existing main bedroom. Chris’s goal was to make the addition feel like it had always been part of the home, and he absolutely nailed it.From the start, Chris took the time to understand what we needed and came up with a design that not only maximized the functionality of the space but also kept the style consistent with the rest of the house. He paid close attention to every detail, from the layout to the finishes, ensuring everything worked perfectly with our main bedroom.The design makes such smart use of the space, and it feels like a natural extension of the home rather than an afterthought. Chris was great to work with—responsive, creative, and incredibly knowledgeable. He even provided advice on how to approach the construction phase, which made us feel confident moving forward.If you’re looking for someone to bring your vision to life with a thoughtful and practical design, we highly recommend Chris Smith and Woodsmith Construction. The design he created for us has truly enhanced our home. Our construction is well under way and we are already seeing the great design come to life!
Steve F
Woodsmith Construction completed a project for us in a timely and professional manner. The quality of their workmanship is superb. Communication between them and us was informative, courteous and collaborative. We would highly recommend them.
Rick Wilson
Woodsmith Construction Inc. recently completed a full-home renovation on our place, including underpinning and adding a third floor. We couldn't be happier with the results and the level of service that we received from Chris and his entire team. Chris is an absolute professional who is extremely knowledgable, dedicated to his craft and was exceptionally responsive at all points in the project to all of our questions and concerns. For us, this timely communication provided a level of comfort and assurance - I cannot imagine doing a project of this scale without it! During the project, the worksite was kept so clean - our neighbours consistently commented on how great and respectful the team was. We were able to complete a huge project with very little tension and to me, that speaks volumes about the manner in which the project was carried out. In terms of the results, we are thrilled. The workmanship, detail and solid construction of our home are all that we hoped for. This workmanship and level of service continued through the final stages of the project, when we were completing the finishing touches. Chris ensured that every small detail was arranged for and completed. Obviously, we highly recommend Woodsmith Construction and are grateful to Chris and his team for the amazing work, professionalism and service they provided.
Natalie Zawadowsky




