'Demand is so crazy': Homeowners staring down contractor shortage

Contractors in high demand in Waterloo Region From CTV Kitchener's Daryl Morris: With home owners choosing renovating over relocating, the demand for contractors has never been higher.

Home renovations are challenging at the best of times.

Homeowners often have to deal with an overwhelming abundance of options, disruptions to their daily lives, and escalating costs as they move through the projects.

Now many people looking to renovate their homes are finding themselves trying to solve a new problem: finding somebody to do the work.

“As us older guys start retiring, there’s nobody replacing us,” says Brian Walls, owner of Kitchener-based Bricon Contracting.

“Demand is so crazy here. Construction in this area is the busiest it’s ever been.”

Walls says he’s now seeing people looking to renovate rooms every five to seven years, possibly spurred on by television shows or websites showcasing renovation work.

Complicating things further is what Walls and others describe as a shortage of skilled trades workers interested in residential projects. More often, they’re attracted to the commercial sector, where the projects can be bigger – and so can the paycheques.

“It’s easier to get into commercial because the projects are bigger, so they need more (people),” Walls says.

The result is that homeowners often face long waits to get work performed by skilled tradespeople, and residential contractors have trouble finding specialized subcontractors.

Walls says busyness in his industry means it often takes him three weeks to put together a quote for a customer. Jamie Adam, the president of Pioneer Craftsmen, says he’s aware of some cabinetry companies that have full schedules for the next 16 to 18 weeks.

“All that means is longer construction times for our homeowners,” he says.

“It’s just that much more difficult to be able to get jobs completed on-time.”

Also juggling full schedules, according to Adam, are carpenters, electricians, plumbers and particularly masons.

Some contractors have started working with post-secondary institutions to encourage more students to pursue careers in residential trades. Adam says he would like to see those efforts start at a younger age, in high schools or even elementary schools.

“Right now there’s still that feeling of ‘Go to university; get your degree,’” he says.

“The more that we promote trades as a really rewarding career, the more it will become accepted.”

Additionally, Adam says, creating new apprenticeship positions would be another way to help solve the skilled trades shortage.

Walls says some contractors have seen success by hiring tradespeople who have decided to move away from Toronto due to high housing prices.

With reporting by Daryl Morris