Period features restoration workshop

Owners of older homes, building managers, churches and institutions, and heritage bodies or municipalities running restoration projects.

Fixed quotes per project or item (for example, per restored window), plus day rates for on-site work. Repeat work from architects and property managers helps fill the calendar.

• Carpentry, joinery or plastering skills
• Knowledge of traditional materials and methods
• Project planning and pricing
• Managing a small team

• Commercial general liability insurance and WCB/WSIB registration once you hire (rules differ by province)
• Trade certification for carpentry and other trades varies by province, check with your provincial regulator
• Heritage-designated buildings often need municipal approval before changes, check before quoting
• Lead paint and asbestos are common in older buildings, so check testing and safe handling rules
• Workshop zoning, fire rules and finishing-product storage, check with your municipality
• Public and heritage contracts can be slow to pay and may require bidding, so plan your cash flow

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $20,000 to $80,000, depending on your workshop space, tools, materials and insurance. Costs also depend on how large a team you plan to start with.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $8,000 to $35,000, depending on the projects you win, your team size and your pricing. Public and heritage contracts can be slow to pay, so plan your cash flow.

Check trade certification for carpentry and other trades with your provincial regulator, municipal approval for heritage-designated buildings, and testing and safe handling rules for lead paint and asbestos. Also check liability insurance, WCB/WSIB once you hire, and workshop zoning and fire rules.