David R. Smith Design Inc.

I really enjoyed working with David. He has been very patient through the entire design process...even thought we changed our mind several times.
I really liked the way he utlisizes every corner of the house to create the flow.
Lastly, he is very well versed with the city by-laws and knew how to handle our permit and the hearing . He takes personal interest in every aspect of the design process.

David was a pleasure to work with from the beginning. After taking considerable time to listen to our vision, he came up with a plan that totally worked, including things we wouldn’t have thought of. We extended the back of our semi to maximum width and extended the upstairs rear bedroom to include an en-suite. David mercifully obtained our permits and communicated regularly throughout the process. Thrilled with his work. Everything was efficient, transparent and professionally handled. Would totally recommend him. Well worth the money. Saved us money in the end.

I reached out to David after reading the reviews about him on HomeStars, and am happy to have the opportunity to provide one of those reviews to help guide others to him!

Working with David was totally stress-free. He listened, offered meaningful suggestions, and I felt that he really wanted to take the time needed to get it right. Not that it took a lot of time on his end... to be honest, I created huge delays and David was incredibly patient with me. Though I was not always able to be as responsive as I might normally be (my excuse would totally excuse me :), he never once made me feel that he was frustrated or put out in any way. Truly a genuine, lovely guy & I found him to be quite brilliant at what he does!

I was introduced to David by a neighbour who had retained him and spoke very highly of his experiences working with him. Having now used him myself I would happily recommend him and will be moving forward.

In the end David worked on both my home where we proposed a substantial multi-storey rear addition and a full gut of the existing building, as well my fiances commercial office space.

For the house we had to go through a lengthy municipal review process including the Committee of Adjustment and it was not without its headaches and hurdles. David was there through all of it, helping us navigate concerned neighbours and liaising with City staff to ensure our application moved smoothly.

In the end we received unanimous approval and are now planning our next steps. Overall I can say that working with David was a pleasure, he is relaxed and very approachable, confident in his knowledge of the process and the building code and highly experienced.

We leveraged his experience numerous times both in the design of both properties and in answering a number of questions that otherwise would have kept us guessing and sleepless.

I would recommend him without hesitation, thank you David for all that you did!

I wholeheartedly recommend David. We spoke with other design/permit specialists about our renovation, but had no hesitation in engaging David. He is very patient and knowledgeable. We had a lot of questions about the process and he was always happy to explains things to us. The whole process went very smoothly. David is fantastic!

David was recommended to us by a mutual acquaintance. When I contacted him he had the patience to explain to me the difference in qualifications between architects and designers. That patience has been one of David's most valuable qualities that we have depended on all through our design and permitting process. At times he literally acted as a referee for my husband, John, and me when we couldn't come to agreement about design details. Our project is to add a 2nd storey to our bungalow and also enlarge the main floor area as much as possible without delaying acceptance of the plans by the City. David is extremely good at the design element of the work and also at understanding what is likely to pass the City's zoning provisions. David reworked our plans until he delivered what we think is the best that could be done with our existing home and lot. Everyone who sees the drawing of the "proposed elevation" is impressed. David treated us and our project as if we were the only clients he was working for, always responding quickly to our questions and comments. Although David provides design only services (not design/build) he is well versed with the construction aspect of the renovation process, which was very important for John who is a shipwright and craftsman. We have relied heavily on David's knowledge and expertise in this area. And, in fact, it is David who introduced us to a contractor who was likely to be able to deal with clients as challenging to work with as we know we are. As part of our vetting process before hiring David he referred us to his reviews on HomeStars, a resource I had never referenced until then. Now we can honestly say that the near perfect ratings and excellent reviews he continues to receive are not exaggerations but are well-deserved.

This was the second and largest project David has completed for us in as many years. (previously: Detached garage drawings & permits).

This project has been more of the same excellent design and collaboration. From our first meeting, to the presentation of his design, through to the permits being issued - David kept us updated and informed of progress. Questions were answered quickly. David is an encyclopedia of solutions.

If you're looking for the best design service in the GTA, you've found him.

Thank you David for all your extra effort coordinating mechanical + truss design, and that last push getting the permits approved. We look forward to working with you again on future projects.

Thank you David!!!

My wife and I found David on HomeStars, and based on his previous reviews on we can honestly say that the positive reviews are all true. David was amazing throughout the whole process. He was always patient, professional, and was also available for any questions we may have had. David right from our initial meeting took pride in our home renovation + design - first design proposal, changes, permit applications, CofA, structural engineer, permits, etc. David handled it all.

We will forever be thankful to David, for designing our soon to be family home.

Thanks David

We engaged David to design two new homes for us, and we couldn't be more satisfied with the service we received. Very knowledgeable, easy to work with and direct, i would definitely use him again.

We are really glad to have gone with David for our whole house redesign, and have his help throughout our very lengthy process (the lengthy part is because of us, David was super responsive and communicative, even having a newborn child in that time). Without him, we would not have made it through all the hurdles in our design, committee, applications, neighbours, and permits.

David is professional, receptive, and honest. I asked him for an ensuite, even though my wife didn't think it could work; and there it was. His advice was definitely helpful in guiding us towards our goals.

David even made referrals along the way, which we took advantage of, including our structural engineer and general contractor. We would definitely go with David again in the future for other jobs given our experience. Even though the design process is over and the build begins, David still offers to chime in and help on things. Thanks again, David!