eQ Homes - Ottawa, Ontario

Henry

False Accusations and invasion of privacy. We’ve had an extremely upsetting and disappointing experience with this builder/company. After allowing tradespeople into our home for needed Tarion repairs, we were falsely accused—twice—of serious misconduct.

We were reported to the police for animal abuse after scolding our large, excitable rescue dog when it barked at an EQ employee. This was a normal, firm correction for a high-energy breed. Despite that, the situation was grossly misrepresented without any attempt to speak to us or assess the dog’s well-being.

Secondly, we were falsely accused of verbally abusing a plumber, even though the individual barely spoke English and entered private areas of our home without permission and violated a guest's privacy even though we left large signs for them not to enter that area. Again, we were simply setting firm but respectful boundaries — not acting abusively.

These allegations were taken out of context, but they’ve made us feel unsafe, disrespected, and surveilled in our own home. Instead of working toward solutions or showing professional courtesy, the builder has allowed tradespeople to retaliate against us while several repair issues remain unresolved. We have reported the situation to Tarion.

Homeowners should not have to fear retaliation or false reporting for managing their home and pets responsibly. We strongly urge others to think twice before trusting this company with your home purchase or your privacy. Better hope your kids are behaving when they come to fix a doorknob or who knows they might call child protective services!

Maryanne S.

For Pathways-Findlay Creek

This is not our first new-build but our first time using eQ homes, after coming from a reputable GTA new-build.

The review being left is due to the corners cut in construction and continuing negligence. We purchased a move-in ready home in late-October 2024, and the construction quality is not that of a near-million dollar home.

eQ is liable for issues such as:
-uneven outdoor tiles which are tripping hazards which they refuse to deal with until spring,
-poor caulking and sealing quality around cabinets (despite thousands of dollars of “upgrades” being advertised- this heavily cheapens the look),
-neglecting to set up a dryer vent to the point where the dryer has been venting into our attic since we moved in, causing water damage and posing a significant fire hazard.

The list could go on, but these are the most important issues.

To add insult the injury, within a couple of weeks of moving in, they lowered the price of the adjacent “move-in ready homes” by $20,000, after refusing a price adjustment for us in the sales phase days prior.

Their customer care coordinator also failed to inform us of when the driveway was getting asphalted, giving zero notice for when I was unable to use my driveway or garage for 7 days, meaning I had to drive my car out of the garage over freshly laid, hot asphalt to be able to use it for the week. Although our interactions have always been pleasant, there is negligence at every stage. Tradesmen themselves who have come by to complete work for eQ and the mistakes made mentioned how this is not uncommon for this builder.

Stick with Richcraft or other builders who at least offer better value for the house you’re getting.

Although the experience of dealing with new-build builders and issues isn’t unique, issues of this caliber and eQ’s inflated prices do not match the quality they are promising.

Edit: changed my review to 3 stars as the warranty and customer care team seem to resolve issues quickly and are considerate. However, these issues shouldn’t be happening in the first place with a home of this caliber.

Ann B.

This is my first time buying a house on my own. The support from both the online and site office has been top notch. The employees are very professional, helpful and responsive. It has been very pleasant experience and easy process. I highly recommend EQ Homes to any first time (or repeated) buyers.

Guy M.

Our experience since our starting to shop for a new home has been impressive. From the first visit to the experience center to the final stages of the build have been great. The communication strategy keeps us informed at every step so we don't have to guess at anything.

The trades are very respectful of our new home and treat it as if it was theirs. The staff at eQ have all been welcoming and attentive to every question we have had. We have built with other builders before and I must say, eQ is very well organized and methodical in their approach, leaving nothing to chance.

We truly look forward to moving into our new home two months from now.

Thanks eQ

Guy and Cindy Marcotte

Amy C.

Every step of the process with EQ Homes has been wonderful. The representatives are all very lovely to deal with. One thing that we have really enjoyed is that after every step of the construction, drywall wall up, mechanical put in etc. We received updates!! I would definitely recommend WQ Homes!!!

Nathalie E.

We feel we are being generous with two stars. EQ completely lacks in customer service. This is our third new build and the first two were a charm compared. We are not unhappy with the house, EQ builds nice homes, if you don't consider the state of our inside walls. So two stars to the buying process and afterwards, and mostly deserved by our designer at the design centre, who was great. EQ is caught in this sell/deliver madness and is unable to follow through once you get your house. We are still spending our own money to fix things while we wait. We had another heat vent put in the floor, were freezing all winter (one of our vents was mistakenly covered. December move in, and late April, we are still waiting). Finally getting shower enclosure installed today. Still can't get our built-in fridge delivered, the kitchen company seems unable to provide the necessary fridge panels for a kitchen that went in early November. We are paying plumber to put laundry tub in basement, electrician to put electrical so there can be a light fixture in stairwell (Willow buyers add it at design) etc. Meanwhile, we are still waiting on shower fixtures and the list goes on. If only EQ would pay attention to customer service after sale, they could stand there as a good builder.

Nancy M.

I moved into my new eQ town home nearly two years ago. Like all new homes, I had a number of items that needed attention. Nothing major, and some really small. All problems were addressed in a timely manner, but what has impressed me the most is the polite, conscientious service I have received from both office and tradespeople. I would not hesitate to recommend eQ homes to anyone.

Anis S.

Very responsive they provide the best and greatest customer service, prices on point they look at clients as family, my clients are very happy with the products. different than other builders, dealing with this builder they make the transaction very smooth. I wish every builder had professional staff like EQ.