About OakWood
A Legacy of Craftsmanship and Innovation
OakWood is a family-run Design & Build business in Ottawa with a rich history spanning four generations. Founded in 1956 as a small carpentry and renovation venture, it has evolved into Ottawa’s most recognized name in Design and Build.
The legacy began with John Liptak, a Master Carpenter and Cabinet Maker from Germany, passing down his skills to his son, John Liptak II, who brought the family’s craftsmanship to Canada. In 1956, OakWood was founded and continues to uphold its proud legacy.
John Liptak III, the founder’s son, modernized the company by combining traditional building practices with cutting-edge technology. As the President and CEO, he maintains the company’s values.
The next generation, Patricia Liptak-Satov and Angela Mallon, play crucial roles. Patricia, as COO, combines her construction passion with her business expertise, while Angela, as CFO, manages the financial resources. Both bring a fresh perspective and diversity to the traditionally male-dominated industry.
Their dedication, inherited from previous generations, solidifies OakWood’s position as a trusted name in Ottawa’s Design and Build industry. OakWood has a strong reputation for innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction, earning industry awards and accolades.
High quality. On-budget. Well managed.
Whether you’re planning your dream kitchen, a custom home, an investment property or commercial building, OakWood provides a unique, one stop Design & Build service.
Over 65 years of experience
Professional, credentialed in-house experts
High performance solutions
Largest selection of Design & Build services
On-budget guaranteed
Material selection made easy
Eco-wise builder
Best Trade Partners and Suppliers in Canada
Honored with many awards
Largest Selection
One call is all you need.
OakWood provides the largest suite of specialized Design & Build services in Ottawa with solutions tailored to specific needs and budgets. And we’ve assembled the largest Team of Design & Build experts all under one roof. Whether you’re planning your dream custom home, a renovation or any type of residential or commercial building, we provide you with all the services you need from one trusted and reliable company.
Our comprehensive services now include: Architectural Design, Renovation Experts, Panic Rooms, Age-in-Place, Custom Homes, Estate Lots, In-fill Projects, Commercial Services, and Property Investments. We also have a dedicated production line inside Cabico, North America’s largest independent manufacturer of customized cabinetry, enabling you to get customized solutions at affordable prices.
Our Mission
What You Can Expect
OakWood’s vision is to support individuals, families, and businesses in pursuit of a Great Life. Our mission is simply to create beautifully designed buildings that are energy-efficient, healthy and eco-friendly—while providing exceptional client support. Our vision and mission are guided by a Code of Ethics that establishes the highest quality standards of business integrity and honesty on every Design & Build project. Our Code of Ethics is more than a collection of ideals: it is a commitment to a way of doing business and an explicit promise of how we will operate as a company. All individuals employed by or engaged by OakWood will be held accountable for adhering to this Code.
What You Can Expect
- Fair price for quality work.
- Access to the award winning OakWood Design Centre for all material selections.
- Eco-wise construction methods with reusable materials being donated to Habitat for Humanity and other great causes.
- Meticulous planning and project management using state-of-the art, construction specific software and tools.
- Fast and accurate estimates.
- A dedicated Production Manager to provide one point of contact.
- True passion and the experience you need to make your dream renovation, custom home, or building a reality today.
- Courteous, professional workers who will be respectful of your home and on-time.
- Your project completed on-budget with no surprise “extra” costs.
- Access to a password protected Client Portal to get real-time updates on your project. 24-hour emergency hotline service.
- Comprehensive 1 to 10-year warranty on all products and services.
- Access to the best Design + Build Team of professionals in Ottawa.
At OakWood we value our relationships. Where would we be without our relationships? Our connections with families, friends, coworkers, trade partners and clients are vital to our success.
Our Commitment to Clients
We will treat our client’s home or building and property with utmost respect and leave them as clean as when we started their project. All work being performed will meet or exceed building codes. From start to finish we will demonstrate integrity, honesty, and the highest levels of professionalism. We will work hard to deliver more than we promised through value added services.
Our Commitment to Employees and Trade Partners
Our employees and Trade Partners are a vital and respected part of the OakWood family. We will treat all employees and Trade Partners equally and fairly. In an effort to improve and uphold the highest quality and performance standards we will foster training opportunities on an ongoing basis. The health and safety of our employees and Trade Partners is the highest priority and we will enforce stringent health and safety practices on all projects. Above all, we will only hire certified professionals with the highest integrity and who will uphold our Code of Ethics.
Professional, High Quality Services
OakWood will only undertake jobs for which we are qualified given our experience and technical competencies. We will perform all work to the highest quality construction and service standards. Clients can count on us to stand behind our work and if required we will take care of call-backs while ensuring minimal inconvenience to our client. Services will never be provided under terms or conditions that may compromise the integrity of our trade or profession. OakWood’s services will always be advertised honestly and without deception, exaggerated claims or any misrepresentation. We will always maintain a wholly professional attitude and behavior towards those we serve, our fellow contractors, our own employees, suppliers, and the public at large.
Social Responsibility
We will strive for the highest quality in all our endeavors and always act responsibly and with honesty in a quest to be excellent corporate citizens. OakWood will foster better health and safety of our communities by sharing knowledge of new environmental developments and technological advancements with the communities we serve. We will embrace new environmentally friendly technologies and building practices and incorporate Green practices to minimize pollution and waste to reduce the environmental impact of our construction projects.
Awards & Recognition
Innovation Leader
Over the past six decades, OakWood has become a recognized innovation leader in both residential and commercial construction, and a company of many firsts.
- The first and only Canadian contractor to Design & Build its own award winning, Design Centre and Corporate Headquarters to LEED Platinum standards to showcase the most innovative materials and technologies available today
- The first Ottawa contractor to win the Consumer Choice awards for Best Home Designer and Renovator, every year since these awards were introduced in 2008
- The first to win Ontario Renovator of the Year award, and then to win it again
- The first and only contractor to guarantee a fixed-price contract for all work with everything itemized by brand name, fit and finish
- The first and only Canadian contractor to Design & Build its own award winning, Design Centre and Corporate Headquarters to LEED Platinum standards to showcase the most innovative materials and technologies available today
- The first Ottawa contractor to win the Consumer Choice awards for Best Home Designer and Renovator, every year since these awards were introduced in 2008
- The first to win Ontario Renovator of the Year award, and then to win it again
- The first and only contractor to guarantee a fixed-price contract for all work with everything itemized by brand name, fit and finish
A Name You Can Trust
Since 1956, OakWood brings trusted Design & Build experience to your investment property project. Along the way, we have been honoured with many of the industry’s most prestigious awards including:
- Consumer Choice Award for Excellence in Home Renovation & Design every year since 2008
- Houzz Best Design and Best Service
- The only contractor to win the coveted Torch Award for Marketplace Trust from the Better Business Bureau – twice
- Best Design Centre in Canada (Canadian Home Builders’ Association)
- Renovator of the Year (Ontario Home Builder’s Association)
- Most Outstanding Renovation award for up to $100,000 (Ontario Home Builders Association)
- Two-time winner of the Best Ottawa Business (BOB) Award for
- Most Outstanding Company
- Many other Design and Build awards from the Ontario Home Builders’ Association as well as the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association
Credentialed In-House Experts
You never get a Jack-of-all-Trades
OakWood brings together a specialized team of in-house experts to support every step in our unique Design & Build approach for both residential and commercial projects. We only hire the very best credentialed expertise to ensure every task of your project is completed by the right pro.
Our Team Includes:
- Project Consultants
- Certified Designers
- Architectural Technologists
- Project Managers
- Construction specific Estimators
- Interior Designers
- Material Selection Coordinators
- Quantity Surveyors
- Resource Schedulers
- Other Experts
Energy-Saving Solutions
Today, OakWood specializes in high performance Design & Build solutions for custom homes, renovations, and any type of residential or commercial building. By high performance we simply mean giving you the ability to choose the most innovative products, materials and technologies, based on your priorities, in four, fast changing areas:
- Energy-efficient, low-cost renewable energy products for reducing your energy costs and carbon footprint.
- Technology enablement, including the Smart Home and intelligent building automation, all in a wireless format.
- Healthy living and work environments through toxin-free materials.
- Sustainable, green-building materials and environmental leadership through responsible construction practices.
Leading by Example:
How we support eco-friendly methods and fight climate change.
OakWood practices the most environmentally sound construction methods in the industry today. Any reusable material from a renovation or construction site is redirected where possible to families in need or directly to our Partner, Habitat for Humanity, and used to support new building & renovation projects for families in need. Material that cannot be reused is recycled: OakWood subcontracts with the leading environmental services company in Ottawa to ensure compliance with the Environmental Protection Act while embracing the practice of reducing waste, reusing, and recycling.
“Even in good economic times, financing can be challenging. OakWood may be able to help by introducing qualified clients into our financial and investor network to more quickly secure the capital they need to move forward with a home or building project.”
John Liptak, , President & CEO