David R. Smith Design Inc.

Drafting Service
Toronto ON M4L 2Z5
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Drafting Service
David R. Smith Design Inc.
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Reviews for David R. Smith Design Inc.

Average customer rating:
10 10 (128 reviews)

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Jonathan from Toronto
Jonathan from Toronto
2 reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

Rear Addition and Re-Design of Existing Home

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.

Approximate cost of services:
$8,500.00
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Company Response

A very sincere thank you Jonathan for taking the time to post such a great review, I really appreciate it, especially as I know you guys are gearing up for the reno right now. You and Meghan were fantastic to work with, you guys were considerate of my suggestions and ideas and remained disciplined and pragmatic about your budget. I think the rear addition in combination with the interior changes will dramatically improve the overall feel and flow of the house and really enhance quality of life for the whole family. I can’t wait to see the finished product, please continue to reach out as needed and keep in touch. Thanks again and all the best!

Anne
Anne
0 reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

Basement, 3rd Floor Addition and More!

We first met David when were planning a 3rd floor addition to an old east end row house. David came highly recommended by several neighbours. He understands the "quirks" of old homes in this area extremely well and was a superb collaborator (and guide!) through the design and permitting process. We also engaged David to help us plan a more significant--basement underpinning and general gut--project in an equally old home. David has numerous strengths, but what really stood out to me was his flexibility, patience (with all our questions) and excellent project management. We have already recommended David to others and will continue to do so.

Approximate cost of services:
$8,000.00
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Company Response

Thank you Anne for taking the time to post such a generous and thoughtful review, I really appreciate it. Working with you and Luis on both of your homes was such a fantastic experience and I felt privileged to be able to contribute to each of them. You and Luis were gracious clients that, considering you were tackling these substantial projects for the first time, dealt with all of the stress and variability with pragmatism and a calm demeanour. I think the three of us worked very well together and I was happy to be able to leverage my experience in order to keep things running smoothly. I can’t wait to see the finished product, and wish you and your family the very best. Take care and thanks again!

Joanne
Joanne
2 reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

Great customer service and design!!

I’m so happy we found David to help us design our home renovation. We had an initial idea of the changes we wanted to make to our home, but David brought ideas that we would have never envisioned. David designs with his client in mind. He really understood the utility of our home, challenged us to design to maximize value, and added great design elements we never considered. He is so responsive. We never felt like we were asking too many questions. He walked us through the process. The 3D visuals he provides are so helpful to envision the end result. Overall we really enjoyed working with David.

Approximate cost of services:
$8,000.00
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Company Response

Thank you so much Joanne for the great review and taking the time to post it. I know you guys have a lot going on right now so it means even more to me that you made this happen. It’s always nice to be able to bring new ideas to the table and leverage some of my experience from previous projects. I also really appreciated that you and Mike were open to new ideas and flexible enough to consider them. I think the final design that we landed on is quite unique and will really optimize the way you use the house. In combination with the rear addition and the lowered basement, I think the relationship of the different spaces will really enhance your quality of life and make the building feel entirely new and different. I can’t wait to see the finished product. Take care and all the best!

Caroline R
Caroline R
1 review Toronto, ON
10/10

Home Design & Renovation

I switched to using David after terminating an unsatisfactory engagement with another architect. My experience with him was brilliant from the beginning. He is a great communicator and always responsive to client questions and concerns. He is thoughtful designer and, despite being so talented, remains open minded and will consider alternative suggestions without ego. The 3D-visualisations he prepares make it really easy to envisage what the end product will look like and this makes decision making easy.

Bottom line - David really cares about his clients and getting to the right spot for them. I cannot recommend him highly enough.

Approximate cost of services:
$8,000.00
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Company Response

A very sincere thank you Caroline for taking the time to post such a positive review, I know that you have a lot going on right now so it means a great deal to me that you took the time to do this for me. You were a pleasure to work with and I am very grateful for having had the opportunity to collaborate with you on your renovations. I am also very happy to hear that you found the process and in particular the 3d modeling helpful. I think the modeling is a fantastic tool to truly appreciate elements of the design that simply cannot be communicated in two dimensional plan and as such provides for a level of confidence in decision making that has never existed until now. I look forward to collaborating again in the future, take care and all the best!

D.Wel
D.Wel
1 review Toronto, ON
10/10

New Home from 1915

David has been exceptional and patient while we planned, designed and finalized the drawings for our renovation. David was able to conceive a feasible approach to our project and provided a wealth of knowledge when it came to building with a balance of budget and ROI in mind. He was able to translate feedback well and at the end of it all prepared and delivered a permit package that made our GC say, "wow!"
I would definitely recommend David.

Approximate cost of services:
$4,500.00
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Company Response

Thank you Dylan for taking the time to post such a kind and generous review, it means a lot. When project timelines get extended for one reason or another it’s always a little more difficult to maintain continuity and coordinate everything. Picking something up and then putting it down again for a few weeks or months is not terribly efficient and often leads to miscommunication and dropped balls. Having said that, your oversight and attention to detail and your consideration of the macro really helped make these drawings a success and I expect will contribute to the success of the construction as well. You were great to work with over the course of this project and I look forward to seeing the completed build. Take care and all the best!

Tao in Kitchener
Tao in Kitchener
0 reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

Great designer, Great experience

David helped us plan and design our first home here in Toronto. We did an almost complete gut job and rebuild on a semi-detached house.
Throughout the process David was helpful and insightful, giving us usueful suggestions and recommendations as well as creating an overall design that met all of our needs and requests.
He has remained available and helpful even after the design part of the project was finished, liasing with our contractor to help make are renovations as stress free as possible.

Approximate cost of services:
$8,000.00
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Company Response

A sincere thank you Tao for taking the time to post such a generous and thoughtful review, I really appreciate it! I know you’ve got a lot on the go right now, so submitting this on my behalf means that much more. You and Sean were fantastic to work with and made the entire process very efficient and enjoyable. You guys had a very clear idea of what you wanted and had no trouble making decisions, these two elements helped to ensure that the process moved seamlessly from start to finish. I hope that the final renovation is everything that you guys envisioned it would be and look forward to seeing the finished house in the future. Thanks again and all the best!

Dori
Dori
0 reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

New Home Design

David,

Grant and I want to sincerely thank you for designing our home and steering us through the Toronto Committee of Adjustments with your expertise. You are a true professional and a pleasure to work with. We so appreciated your sound advise, how you took the time to really listen to and work with us to achieve both a buildable and beautiful home design. We wish you all the best in your future endeavours and business.

Approximate cost of services:
$8,000.00
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Company Response

Thank you Dori for taking the time to post such a kind and considerate review. You and Grant were a pleasure to work with and I am very grateful for the opportunity to have been able to collaborate with both of you. I think that the final design was truly exceptional and a clear reflection of your aesthetic tastes and vision. Hopefully one day after the construction environment has stabilized a little you guys will feel comfortable with breaking ground. Until then all the best and take care!

James
James
2 reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

2nd Story addition totally gut renovation

We cannot recommend David highly enough. We found David after wasting several months with a different architectural designer and wasting a lot of time and money. In desperation we reached out to David who literally saved us, and our major renovation project.
David walked us through the design process with patience and insight, showing a great deal of expertise in all aspects, and with patience as he indulged us in several exterior revisions. We really liked his efficient floorplans with no wasted space, and clean sightlines.
David was fantastic in both our Committee of Adjustment hearing, and our Building Permit application dealing with all of the issues arising from the COVID shutdowns, on top of the usual process. He took on all the coordination with Engineers and HVAC designers, and the city for the applications processes, and made the process seem almost easy.

Approximate cost of services:
$10,000.00
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Company Response

I cannot imagine a better way to close out the year then to receive two such kind and generous reviews!

Thank you James for taking the time to post such a substantial review! I know that you and Vivian are exceptionally busy with work right now, on top of dealing with the reno, so it means a great deal to me that you still managed to make this happen. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to have been able to work with both of you on this project, you guys were thoughtful, creative and very thorough and considering how you started this process, I am happy that it ended on such a positive note. I can’t wait to see how everything turns out and very much look forward to seeing it come together in the next few months. Thank you again, happy holidays and all the best for 2021!

Christian
Christian
1 review Toronto, ON
10/10

Home Renovation with 3rd story addition

We were looking to completely gut our home and add a 3rd story addition. We interviewed a few different architects, but we knew we wanted to work with David very soon after meeting him. What we particularly appreciated was David's ability to walk us through the process and he conveyed a strong understanding and empathy to what we were (and would be) going through on such a large project and investment. He's a straight shooter and very honest about the ups and downs of such a large project. After we began working with David, we also really liked his ability to produce visual renderings of what our home would become. He was great through the permitting process, and we loved how he took the time to interact with us and our kids. We would recommend David in a heartbeat, and in fact, we already have!

Approximate cost of services:
$15,000.00
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Company Response

I cannot imagine a better way to close out the year then to receive two such kind and generous reviews!

Thank you Christian for taking the time to post your review, I know that you and Josee have a lot on the go right now with the reno and the Holidays so it is greatly appreciated that you found the time to get this in. You guys were an absolute joy to work with and I am so happy that things ran so smoothly considering all that transpired throughout this year. I am very much looking forward to the finished house and can’t wait to see what the kids do with their bedrooms :) A heartfelt thank you again and wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and a fantastic 2021!

Derek Baker from Old Toronto
Derek Baker from Old Toronto
2 reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

Precision permitting

We turned to David to help us design a modern carport with smart storage options. David was easy to work with, incredibly creative and very precise in his approach to city permitting. Everything went exactly to plan despite COVID challenges.

We're thrilled with his work and highly recommend his services.

Approximate cost of services:
$3,500.00
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Company Response

Thank you Derek for the kind words and taking the time to post this review, I really appreciate it. You were a pleasure to work with and I am happy that everything moved as quickly as it did, all things considered. Can’t wait to see the finished build, thanks again and take care!

The reviews on this page are the subjective opinion of the Author and not of HomeStars Inc.

More about David R. Smith Design Inc.

Providing an honest and relaxed approach to the design experience.

David Smith is a registered BCIN Designer with almost two decades worth of experience in the industry of Architecture and Design/Build. Specializing in residential additions, alterations and new buildings in the Toronto area.

CATEGORIES
Drafting Service
SERVICES
Simply put, our services encompass the spectrum required to fully meet the needs of our clients. As a boutique firm we never over sell our time, ensuring that there is always adequate man power available to effectively meet the needs of our clients immediately. We understand that with a renovation of any size, a budget is a necessity and it’s for this reason that we offer fixed fee proposals for all projects. We quote on projects of all sizes and complexities and work with a network of Architects and Engineers, if we are not in a position to meet the needs of your specific project, we can put you in touch with the professionals that can.
SPECIALITIES
Design, visualization and the permit process.
WEBSITE
https://davidrsmith.ca
YEAR ESTABLISHED
2010
PAYMENT METHOD
Email Money Transfer, Cheque, Bitcoin
LICENSES
BCIN# 41498 & 43686 House & Small Buildings
LIABILITY INSURANCE
Yes
PROJECT RATE
Fixed Fee Proposal
WRITTEN CONTRACT
Yes
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