
We renovate Muskoka cottages without erasing what made them feel like a cottage. Additions, full guts, second storeys, and four-season conversions on legacy properties.
Every specialty within cottage renovations, with its own scope, timeline, and fixed-price proposal. Pick the one that matches your project.
Down-to-studs Muskoka cottage renovations with new envelope, mechanicals, and finishes.
View Full Gut Renovations detailsSide, rear, and lake-side additions that look original from day one.
View Cottage Additions detailsAdding a second floor to a Muskoka cottage with engineered lift or rebuild.
View Second Storey Additions detailsConverting three-season Muskoka cottages for year-round use.
View Four-Season Conversions detailsLifting Muskoka cottages off failing foundations onto new full basements or piers.
View Foundation Lifts & Repairs detailsMain-floor updates, bedrooms, mudrooms, great rooms, trim, flooring, and finish upgrades.
View Interior Cottage Renovations detailsSiding, windows, doors, trim, entries, porches, and weather-exposed exterior upgrades.
View Exterior Cottage Renovations detailsLoad-bearing wall removals, beam installs, open-concept conversions, and engineered supports.
View Structural Wall Removals & Beam Work detailsCrawlspace insulation, moisture control, access improvements, and basement finishing support.
View Crawlspace & Basement Upgrades detailsReplacement windows, exterior doors, patio doors, siding, trim, flashing, and weatherproofing.
View Window, Door & Siding Upgrades detailsDurable entries, boot rooms, storage walls, laundry tie-ins, and cottage drop zones.
View Mudroom & Entry Renovations detailsLicensed plumbing rough-in, fixture, and repair work tied to your cottage renovations project.
View Cottage Renovations Plumbing detailsLicensed electrical rough-in, fixtures, and panel work tied to your cottage renovations project.
View Cottage Renovations Electrical details
Named #1 by the Quality Business Awards for craftsmanship, transparency, and on-time delivery across Muskoka.
"We had an excellent experience with Northern Oaks Contracting. Rob was always friendly, professional and very knowledgeable in many different areas. Not only did he do a great job with our renovation but he noticed and helped us out in some other areas too."
"I hired Northern Oaks for a driveway extension as part of my home renovation so I could park two additional cars, and I'm really impressed with the results. The quality of the work and craftsmanship really stand out. It's been over 6 months and it's held up perfectly."
"The Northern Oaks Contracting crew has been amazing to work with from start to finish. Their ability to keep both customers and trades well-coordinated has made the entire process smooth and stress-free. Highly recommended to anyone looking for a reliable and professional team!"
"Rob did a full renovation at my cottage. He listened carefully to my vision and worked closely with me to bring it to life. He was fair with his pricing and friendly to work with. I recommend Rob for your renovation project!"
"Rob was amazing to work with. His diligence and hard work really transformed our home into more than we ever expected. It was a pleasure working with Rob, always went above and beyond."
"Amazing experience! We worked with Rob, who was friendly, respectful and knowledgeable from start to finish. Part-way through overhauling our powder room he identified some issues that no one could have foreseen, but offered to come back and make it right."










Tell us about the space. A real project manager replies within 4 to 8 hours with next steps.
Four things we do on every job, no matter the size. It's how we make sure the finished work still looks and functions the way it should years down the road.
Before we quote or design anything, we walk the site, take real measurements, and ask what you actually want out of the space. The best projects start with a clear picture, not a guess.
Every material gets picked for how it'll look, feel, and hold up over years of real use. We'll tell you where to spend and where you can save without regretting it later.
Straight walls, tight joints, level floors, clean finishes. We take the extra hour it costs to do it right because it saves you the callback and it's the work we want our name on.
One project manager from first quote to final walk-through. Punch lists get closed, the site gets cleaned, and you get a warranty in writing. No loose ends.
All workmanship backed by a 5-year warranty in writing.








No mystery, no ghosting between steps. Here's the exact path from first phone call to final walk-through, with what happens, who's on it, and what you'll have in your hands at the end of each stage.
Structural and envelope review before scope is locked.
Fixed-price proposal with allowances called out clearly.
Protected access, dust containment, weekly photo logs.
Walkthrough, warranty book, and a Muskoka-tuned maintenance schedule.
Same project manager from first call to final walk-through.
We run the full scope or with vetted partners on a single contract. Here's what typically lands inside this kind of project.
Selective demo with dust control and protection for finished areas.
Beam swaps, post relocations, and engineer-stamped openings.
Bringing legacy systems to current code while you're already opened up.
Upgrading R-values and air tightness during reno is the cheapest time to do it.
Mudrooms, libraries, window seats, and bunk rooms built on site.
Hardwood, engineered, tile, and heated floor systems.
Full repaint, stain matching, and trim refresh after work is complete.
Two ways to kick things off. Whichever is easier for you.
We'll meet you at the property, pull tape, take photos, and walk the scope with you in person.
Book a site visitPrefer to stay put? Hop on a video call and we'll walk the space or the plans together from anywhere.
Schedule a callSometimes, depending on scope. We sequence work so kitchens or main living areas stay usable when possible.
Yes. Load-bearing removals, foundation lifts, and engineered beam swaps are routine for us.
Yes. Spray-foam envelope, slab or crawlspace insulation, HVAC sizing, and freeze-protected plumbing make it a properly winterized home.
Yes. Dormer adds, full second storeys, and side additions are some of our most common projects. Engineered and permitted before demo.
Interior-only work usually doesn't. Footprint or height changes do. We check setbacks and lot coverage before quoting.
Zip-wall containment, floor protection, negative-pressure HEPA filtration, and dedicated entry/exit so dust never reaches finished rooms.
Often. We salvage original beams, fireplaces, hardwood, and stone whenever the condition allows, and document what we save before demo.
Kitchens and baths run 6 to 10 weeks. Full guts run 5 to 9 months. Additions add 3 to 5 months beyond that, depending on permits.
Most of our reno clients live in Toronto or further. Weekly photo logs, video walkthroughs, and coffee meetings in the city between site days.
We come to the site (or hop on a video call, whichever is easier), walk through the space with you, take measurements and photos, and ask questions about how you actually use the property. There is no sales pitch. You leave the meeting with a clear next-step plan and a rough sense of scope and timing, and we leave with enough information to start putting a real proposal together.
Local sourcing is absolutely an option and something we lean into whenever it makes sense, but it is not the only path. We source based on each client's needs, budget, and the specific goals for their project. Sometimes the right material is a local Muskoka supplier or a nearby millwork shop. Other times it's a specialty product from further away that better fits the look, performance, or lead time. We walk you through the options and make the call together.
A dedicated project manager owns your file from the first conversation through the final walk-through. On the ground you'll see our own carpenters and site lead running the day-to-day, plus vetted trade partners for plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and specialty finishes. Everyone on site works to the same standard and reports up through the project manager, so you always know who to call and never get bounced between subs.
You get a single project manager as your point of contact, weekly photo updates so you can see progress even if you're out of town, scheduled check-in calls at major milestones, and any change to scope, timeline, or materials in writing before it happens. Most of our clients live in Toronto or out of province, so the whole process is built to work without you needing to be on site.
Change orders happen on almost every project once things are open and real conditions are visible. When something needs to shift (a hidden condition, a design tweak you want, a material swap) we document exactly what's changing, the impact on schedule, and the impact on the number, then send it to you for sign-off before any work happens. No surprises on the final invoice.
Every day. Site gets broomed and organized at the end of every workday, materials get stored properly, and containment stays in place so dust doesn't migrate through the rest of the house. At the end of the project the site gets a full detail clean before handover, and we do a joint walk-through with you to catch anything that needs a final touch.
A full two-year workmanship warranty on everything we build, in writing, handed to you at closeout along with a maintenance schedule and a folder of all product manuals, paint colours, and finish specs. If something isn't right we come back and fix it, no debate. On new builds you also get the applicable structural warranty coverage on top of that.
Real projects, real progress shots. Tap through for the full story on any of them.

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