David R. Smith Design Inc.

Stop reading this and call David!!
We were looking for a company that would design and build our reno, and after meeting with several companies we found they either focused more on design vs build, or build vs design, and weren't involved in the end to end process. And to be transparent, they were also charging a lot of money and seemed focused on getting to the new job vs taking the time to understand our asks (how do you spend $100,000+ on a reno without taking time upfront).
When we spoke with David on the phone, he explained his process, came to the house to see our ask, and we knew he was the right person. It didn't matter if this was a bigger or smaller build to David, from the start he kept saying this was 'our build', his goal is to help bring that design to fruition, and he worked with us through multiple revisions and cost analysis to make that happen. That's the thing with hiring David, he doesn't just send you a pretty design with some blueprints, he starts with your high level aspirations (we sent MANY photos to him on the dream reno), he took all the measurements of the house and sent back several potential designs to help us focus on what we'd like, advised of cost implications across them and where tradeoffs would need to occur to best stretch our budget, and then he gets you to the point where you are WOW'd by the design outcome.
He made himself available after hours, via text/email as that is my thing, talked us through alternates down to tile size/shape/colour, and then after all of that provided names of contractors we could reach out to in case we were still looking.
Beyond the design and planning work he signed up for, he was the intermediary with the contractors, with the city for permits, with the inspectors, and with neighbours when we needed clarification, and he guided us through the full process it is because of David we had a clear plan, felt at ease, and know made the right decisions.
He is patient, relaxed, honest, transparent, knowledgeable, responded to all asks no later than the next day, and has a passion to help people.
Without that guidance and ongoing support we would have been lost.
David is the value add!!
So what are you waiting for? Call him.
Chris

We used David's services for a challenging rebuild project of our small wartime home in 2022. His patience with answering all our questions, accessibility to promptly making himself available for us and care to "getting things right" when we were unsure of a window choice at the front of our house was so helpful. He is knowledgeable and has an eye for modern design. His ability to work with the C of A process was outstanding!! We look forward to moving into our new house soon! Thank you David.

We hired David to do plans and permits for an attic remodel. He has been professional, responsive and thorough - highly recommend!

David is more than a design, visualization & permit specialist. David is a trusted partner in a process that can be quite complicated. Since day one, my husband and I felt we had made a strong choice in picking David to help us get approvals for our dream home. He accommodated our schedules, answered emails in a timely manner, acted as a voice of reason when we were debating items, provided honest feedback when we needed to hear it and calmed us when neighbours challenged our plans. Our work with him is wrapping up, but we feel confident that he'll be around if we need advice as we move forward with our build. He's trustworthy and professional, the real deal. If considering David, don't hesitate, go for it.

David was instrumental in the redesign of my East York bungalow. David worked tirelessly to design exactly what I wanted. His insight and knowledge of design and construction made the early stages of the project seamless. He was readily available for meetings and always quick to respond to questions. He took care of every step of the process and communicated with my contractor every step of the way. He even hand delivered my permits! Working with David took a significant amount of stress out of the project.

My wife and I hired David to design our home and take care of the permit process for us. After working with David previously on a custom home that he designed, we knew his professionalism and expertise and were not disappointed when it came to our home.

He patiently worked with us step by step through the design and permit process, and has been a great asset throughout construction thus far. He always answers the phone anytime that questions arise on site which helps to make the construction process streamlined.

We would definitely recommend David to anyone who is looking to renovate or build their home.

Cannot recommend David highly enough. He was a true partner as we envisioned potential changes to our house and made sure we were clear on what we wanted and why. He took our ideas and enhanced them and offered up solutions to challenges that we didn’t think could be solved. He’s meticulous about his designs and ensures practicality in any proposal. We unfortunately had a neighbor opposed to our renovation and David’s preparation for our Committee of Approval hearing was nothing short of stellar. After sitting on the Committee link waiting for over 5 hours for our hearing, I can say that he was the only architect who was complimented by the Committee for the quality of the package he prepared for their consideration. His rebuttal of the points raised by our dissenting neighbors was complete and air tight and he did it with great diplomacy and tact. After he spoke to address the neighbor’s concerns it felt like a mic drop moment and the Committee had no further questions, went straight to a vote and the plans were approved. He is incredibly responsive, answers all the questions we have and is always willing to offer help on adjusting ideas and solving the seemingly impossible. He’s a master at his craft who is committed to clean lines and architectural soundness and beauty. Cannot recommend him enough. Don’t hesitate to engage him on your next project!!!

David had politely declined working with us on a previous project because of his workload (a sign of his professionalism) but we were able to engage him to work on our recent home re-build.

For over a year, from Aug 2020 to Nov 2021, David guided us through the design and submission process carefully, patiently, and thoughtfully. He happily entertained our revisions, our questions, and the 1000 other things that happen while we planned our new home.

David brought an empathetic attitude, a steady guiding hand, and ultimately a wonderful design for a family home that we are excited to build and enjoy. We could not be happier with our experience with David and can only hope that we get a chance to work with him on our future projects.

David was kind and courteous to work with. He provided information in prompt manner as he guided us through the permit process. It was a pleasure working with him in seeing our dreamhome home as a reality.

We approached David through a recommendation, and after our first meeting with him and reviewing prior projects, we were set on working with him.

Our renovation included an addition to the rear of our home, and a redesign of the existing floors and spaces. Never having done this before, we were completely new to the entire renovation process (design, drawings, permits, etc.). David patiently walked us through the entire process, and answered any questions we had along the way.

David has a great design sense and ample experience, he really helped us go in the right direction with our planning. He knows all of the city's bylaws and building codes which really took the weight off our shoulders. After our plans were complete, he took care of dealing with the City of Toronto and permit acquisition. David continued to be involved with our General Contractor by answering questions, and being available whenever required.

We can absolutely say that we could not be more happy with the service that David provided us, and we will be recommending him to anyone that ever needs his services.