Meet TV’s Contractor Ryan, Ottawa’s home renovations coach who will help you navigate your home improvement project from start to finish.
In fact, you may already know something about Ryan Branton. He has over a million social media views in Ottawa alone. Contractor Ryan’s expert craftsmanship, engaging online tutorials and impressive home renovation projects have garnered praise and built a vibrant referral network.
His show about home improvement is a local favourite on Rogers TV and he’s made multiple stage appearances at the Ottawa Home Show, sharing his extensive knowledge and passion for home renovations with enthusiastic audiences.
Since stepping into the renovation industry in 2012 when he opened Ottawa’s Branton Renovations — now part of Branton Construction Group Inc. — Branton has seen every imaginable situation, from poorly and even dangerously done home renovations that demanded a ruthless gut-and-redo approach to homeowners with dreams that exceeded their budgets and others who just wanted a fresh, thoughtful makeover of the place they love to call home.
“Renovating homes is the most rewarding work I’ve ever done,” says Branton, formerly an IT professional in the federal government.
“People work hard and deserve to have welcoming, attractive homes that function the way they want them to. What could be better than helping homeowners achieve that goal? Plus, I really like helping families out of a jam when they make a reno mistake.”
Blending his education in business administration with specialized training and hands-on experience in construction techniques, building codes and home inspection, Newfoundland-born Branton built his renovation business into an award-winning operation with a team of tradespeople second to none.
But he also realized that homeowners, busy with their own lives and families, were at a potential disadvantage when it came time for a renovation project. They didn’t understand how all the parts of a home need to work together to create a satisfying whole, they didn’t grasp the ins and outs of renovation planning and contracting, and they had heard the worrying stories of other homeowners left high and dry by an incompetent or untrustworthy contractor.
So, he did something about it.
Why home renovations need professional oversight
Let’s say you’ve run the numbers and decided you have $125,000 to spend on that long-dreamed-of renovation project. Now the tough part starts:
- Which renovators should you contact?
- Do you understand how to analyze their estimates to ensure you’re comparing apples with apples?
- How will you know that each stage of the project has been correctly completed?
- What happens if communication breaks down between you and your renovator?
If you’re like many homeowners, you could wind up so paralyzed by the complexity of the renovation process that you never go ahead with it, or you hire a renovator only to discover later you didn’t fully understand what you were signing up for.
“Ottawa has many excellent renovators,” says Branton, “but renovations can be complex, and most homeowners don’t know the right questions to ask. They might feel intimidated by their lack of knowledge. Sometimes people worry about looking too picky or just assume they’ll wind up getting what they want. But if you don’t understand what you’re getting into, you probably won’t end up with a happy result.”
That’s why he established Contractor Ryan. The innovative, Ottawa-based service offers independent, knowledgeable expertise to help guide homeowners through the renovation process from A to Z.
“Right now, I want to spend time educating Ottawa homeowners about home improvement, supporting them at every stage of the renovation process to make sure their interests are protected,” he says. “We discuss their renovation dreams before they ever contact a contractor. We check out the estimates and make sure the municipal permits are in place. We work with the contractor to identify potential issues before they happen and figure out a solution if they do occur. We’re not there to cause problems, we’re there to minimize the chance they’ll happen.”
Education, support and realism
Contractor Ryan’s television shows and short online tutorials are key parts of his commitment to educating and supporting homeowners as they work their way through each stage of the renovation process.
Now going into its fourth season, his popular series on Rogers TV (Channel 22) spotlights some of his most revealing renovation projects, from The Diamond Project, which turned a secondary dwelling unit from a botched reno into a safe, comfortable one, to Ottawa’s Ugliest Bathroom, the makeover of a room that represented despair for a vulnerable homeowner into a space that is a sanctuary and source of renewal and positive mental health.
Branton’s series of short online tutorials on the top things to know about hiring a contractor are a free and invaluable resource for anyone thinking about home improvement. From checking references properly to spotting red flags that say, “Be wary of this contractor,” these short videos are a must-see before setting out on a renovation. Like his Rogers TV episodes, they are available on the Contractor Ryan website.
His goal is to support homeowners through home renovations but also to nurture transparency, accountability and professionalism in contracting. That nurturing will help make the local industry even better, with everyone from contractors to suppliers to homeowners coming out ahead.
Branton is also realistic about renovations and wants homeowners to be the same.
“Home improvement is often difficult, time-consuming and, if you’re not careful, it can cost a lot. Our support services won’t make the whole process a breeze, but they will take a lot of the headache, stress and uncertainty out of a renovation project. And that means a happy homeowner in the end.”
For more on Contractor Ryan, visit contractorryan.com
This article was created by All Things Home on behalf of Contractor Ryan.