Ottawa · Established 1994
Licensed plumbing and hydronic heating services for Ottawa homes and small commercial properties
Licensed plumbing and hydronic heating for homes, small apartment buildings and renovation projects across Ottawa and the western suburbs.
Standing
Licensed, insured and warranted
- LicensedOntario plumbing contractor licence
- $5,000,000Commercial general liability
- Two yearsWarranty on labour
- 32 yearsIn business
Who we work for
Two kinds of client, one trade
Homeowners
Homeowners across Ottawa and the western suburbs, for emergency repair, water heaters, hydronic heating and renovation plumbing.
Property managers and contractors
Property managers responsible for small apartment buildings and mixed-use blocks, and general contractors requiring a licensed plumbing trade on residential renovations.
Scope of work
What we undertake
Emergency plumbing repair
Drain and sewer service
Water heater supply and installation
Hydronic heating and boilers
Bathroom and kitchen renovation plumbing
Backflow prevention testing
Sump pumps and backwater valves
Water treatment and softeners
Commercial maintenance contracts
New construction rough-in
Rates in brief
What the work costs
| Emergency attendance | $185 first hour, $135 each hour thereafter |
|---|---|
| Service call to diagnose a fault | $95, credited in full against the invoice |
| Backflow prevention testing | $145 per device |
| Tank water heater, supplied and installed | $1,850 to $2,600 |
| Parts | At cost plus fifteen per cent, itemised |
| Deposit on supply-and-install over $3,000 | Twenty-five per cent |
How we quote
The terms we work under
- A fixed hourly rate quoted in advance and held for the duration of the work.
- Written quotations for any work exceeding four hours.
- All parts itemised at cost plus a stated margin.
- A two-year warranty on labour, which exceeds the industry norm of one year.
From the van
Hydronic heating
Boilers, radiators and circuits
Service, repair and replacement of hot water boilers, circulating pumps, expansion tanks, zone valves and radiator systems. We maintain a substantial stock of parts for older systems that other firms decline to work on. Annual maintenance contracts are available and include a written condition report each autumn.
Completed work
Installations, photographed on site
Client references
In our clients' words
Calderwood replaced the boiler in a twelve-unit building over two days in February without interrupting heat to a single tenant. The written condition report we received afterwards was more thorough than the engineer's.
Property manager, Westboro
They quoted the work, held the quoted price when the job proved more difficult than expected, and itemised every part. I have used a great many trades and that combination is rare.
H. Prendergast, Kanata
We have used Calderwood on custom homes for eleven years. Their rough-in is clean, it passes inspection first time, and their apprentice is always supervised. That matters to us.
General contractor, Stittsville
They told us our water heater had four or five years left and did not need replacing. They had every opportunity to sell us one. We have called nobody else since.
D. Marchetti, Barrhaven
The firm
Thirty-two years in Ottawa
Alistair Calderwood completed his apprenticeship with a Bells Corners firm in 1991 and established Calderwood Plumbing and Heating in 1994, initially as a single-van operation serving Nepean and the western townships. The firm has grown to fourteen employees and six service vehicles, and has operated from the Capital Drive premises since 2006. The founder remains active in the field several days each week, principally on hydronic heating work. The firm has never advertised on radio or television and does not intend to; it has grown entirely on referral.
Our tradespeople
Who attends the property
Alistair Calderwood
Founder and master plumber. Licensed in Ontario since 1991 and in business under this name since 1994. Holds gas fitter certification G2.
Marguerite Ouellette
Operations manager. Coordinates scheduling, permits and the commercial maintenance portfolio.
Desmond Achebe
Journeyperson plumber and certified backflow prevention tester. Fourteen years with the firm.
Service area
Where we attend as a matter of course
Ottawa, Kanata, Stittsville, Richmond, Carp and Dunrobin. Work beyond that boundary is undertaken by arrangement, with travel charged at a stated rate disclosed before the appointment is confirmed.
Hours
When we are open
- Monday to Friday, 7:00am to 5:00pm
- Saturday, 8:00am to 12:00pm, scheduled work only
- Emergency attendance outside these hours by telephone
- Office closed on statutory holidays; emergency line monitored
Contact