About
Design first. Then we break ground.
Ernst Construction & Design Inc. opened its doors in 2021 with one conviction: the cheapest place to change your mind is on paper.
So we front-load the design phase. Our BCIN-certified designers draw the plan, then we build it again in rendering software — exteriors from the angles you'll actually see, and interiors room by room: materials, sightlines, the way afternoon light lands on the island. Clients almost always change something once they see it rendered, and every one of those changes is free.
By the time drawings go out for permit and pricing, the decisions are made. Trades quote against a set that doesn't move. You stop discovering things mid-build. And the home you get is the one you already walked through.
We work out of Scotland, Ontario, and take projects across southwestern Ontario — Brant, Norfolk, Oxford, Waterloo Region and the surrounding counties. Most of what we do is custom homes, additions and rural builds: farmhouses, lake houses, barndominiums.
It isn't only new builds. We also help with interior renovations, additional dwelling units, duplexes, multi-residential, decks, sheds and more. If you're trying to upgrade your house, we can help.
Meet RJ
The person drawing your house
I'm RJ — founder, and the one at the table for your design meetings. My background is Architecture — Construction Engineering Technology out of Conestoga College, and I hold BCIN qualification in House, Small Buildings, On-site Sewage Systems and General Legal — which covers the full scope of what a residential build needs stamped.
I've worked all three sides of this business — production homes, custom homes, and inside municipal building departments — so I know how a set gets built, how it gets priced, and how it gets reviewed before a permit is issued.
What that mix means in practice: I draw with the build in mind. Details get resolved on screen, where changing them is free, instead of surfacing as questions once the walls are up.
- Certification
- BCIN-certified designer, Province of Ontario
- Qualified in
- House · Small Buildings · On-site Sewage Systems · General Legal
- Education
- Architecture — Construction Engineering Technology, Conestoga College
- Experience
- Production homes, custom homes, and municipal building departments
- Founded
- Ernst Construction & Design Inc., 2021
What we're built on
A Christ-centred firm, stated plainly
Faith isn't decoration on this business — it's the standard we're held to. It's why we give straight answers, answer the phone, and would rather lose a job than overpromise on one. You don't need to share our faith to work with us. You just get the version of us it produces.