Frequently Asked Questions

Check out some of our frequently asked questions. If you still have questions but aren’t finding answers on here – shoot us a message!

Don’t you need to do a site visit?

Technology has come a long way! We are fortunate to have access to numerous sources of information that allow us to do a desktop review of your property. When a quote comes in, we might do a quick review of your property address to check if there is access for equipment, and to help us get an initial feel for the surrounding property and neighbourhoods. This desktop review allows us to make educated requests for additional information when we contact you. When you hear from us, you might receive an email asking for pictures of your property. These pictures help paint the rest of the picture missing from the available satellite and street view resources. While some projects still require a site visit to accurately provide a scope of work and price, most of our projects can be quoted without a site visit. This allows us the benefit of being able to focus on getting your project done in a timely manner when you give us the go ahead – and maintain a work-life balance so we can spend time with our families! 

Why do you need my address?

When you submit a quote, our first step involves performing a desktop review of your property. We are fortunate to have access to numerous sources of satellite and street view resources, which allow us to determine quickly whether or not we would be able to access your property. This initial desktop review allows us to make educated requests for additional information when we contact you. 

Why are you asking if I have access for equipment? 

We pride ourselves on owning our own heavy equipment. This allows us the benefit of being able to schedule jobs efficiently, without relying on outside rental companies or hired equipment. It also allows us to complete projects efficiently, compared to manual labour, which in turn, saves you money.  However, owning this equipment comes at a significant investment – and so our focus is on jobs that make the best use of the resources we have available. Regrettably, if your project does not have a minimum of 4ft wide for our smallest piece of equipment to access your property, we are not a good fit for your project. 

How soon can you start?

While we strive to get projects done as quickly as possible, by law, any excavation works in Ontario require the acquisition of locates. We strive to submit these locate requests as soon as a contract is signed, but we are then held to wait until the locate requests have come back. Typical timelines for acquiring locates are 5 to 10 business days, but in the peak season, there may be further delays outside our control. 

For more information about locate services, check out https://www.ontarioonecall.ca/ 

Why do you need locates to regrade my driveway?

As part of our driveway rehabilitation works, we regrade the existing driveway surface. To do so, we make use of a “harley rake”, also known as a “soil conditioner”. This approach re-grades the existing base, and may cause disturbance to the subsurface. While shallow, any disturbance to the main surface can be considered excavation, and runs the risk of impacting subsurface utilities. While not traditionally buried shallow, stranger things have happened. So rather than risking damage to shallow buried infrastructure, we acquire locates so we know what to expect!

Where can I find reviews?

You can check out reviews from our previous clients in various locations:

• Google reviews;
• Homestar reviews;

Links for reviews are also linked on our website – just check out the three stars on the right hand side of the screen!

I submitted a quote to Shade Group – what is your affiliation with SHADE GROUP?

When you contact us, you may notice that our response email is from Shade Group! Shade Group is the parent company to Nepean General Contractors as well as Shade Group. A family owned and operated corporation, our roots are firmly planted in the eastern Ontario, including the City of Ottawa, Lanark County, the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry and Leeds and Grenville.

We are working on growing our web presence as Shade Group Inc., but in the meantime, please feel free to check out our reviews under Shade Group or Nepean General Contractors!