Henley Contracting Ltd. 905-576-9714 Tell Us About Your Project
KAWARTHA LAKES

WATERFRONT HOMES · BALSAM LAKE, ON

Custom Waterfront Home Builder in Balsam Lake, ON

Henley Contracting builds luxury custom waterfront homes on Balsam Lake: year-round homes, custom cottages, cottage renovations and additions, and boathouses, from Coboconk to Rosedale. Balsam Lake is our main waterfront market, and every project is planned around the shoreline, the view and the approvals the lot needs, from the first visit to handover.

Tell Us About Your Project View Our Projects
SERVICE
Waterfront Homes
AREA
Balsam Lake, ON
REGION
Kawartha Lakes
CALL
(905) 576-9714
Stone and timber luxury waterfront home with a private dock on Balsam Lake (illustration) – Custom Waterfront Home Builder in Balsam Lake, ON
01 / OVERVIEWWATERFRONT HOMES · BALSAM LAKE

WATERFRONT HOMES · BALSAM LAKE

Luxury custom waterfront homes on Balsam Lake

Balsam Lake is the summit of the Trent–Severn Waterway, the highest point boats reach on the route between Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay. Coboconk sits at its north end and Rosedale at the south, where the lock leads down to Cameron Lake. Clear water, limestone shoreline and long views make it one of the most sought-after lakes in the City of Kawartha Lakes.

Balsam Lake is where we focus most of our waterfront work. Many projects start with an older cottage the family has owned for years. The goal is a home that works in January as well as it does in July, set on the lot so the lake is the first thing you see.

  • 01 / BUILT FOR THE VIEW

    Rooms, windows and decks placed around the lake.

  • 02 / ALL FOUR SEASONS

    Insulated and heated for full-time living.

  • 03 / SHORELINE FIRST

    Setbacks and approvals checked before design.

  • 04 / ONE TEAM

    Design, permits and construction under one contract.

02 / WHAT WE BUILDWATERFRONT HOMES · BALSAM LAKE

Custom cottages and year-round homes

We build new custom homes and cottages on Balsam Lake, including tear-down and rebuild projects where an older cottage is replaced with a new home on the same lot. Each one is planned around the shoreline, the grade down to the water and how the family uses the property through the year.

Year-round lake houses

Full-time homes with large glass facing the water and warm, efficient walls behind it. See Custom Homes.

Custom cottages

Cottages sized for weekends and summers, with room to grow. See Custom Cottages.

Tear-down and rebuild

A new home in place of an older seasonal cottage, within what the lot and the rules allow.

03 / IN FOCUSWATERFRONT HOMES · BALSAM LAKE

Cottage renovations and additions on Balsam Lake

Not every family wants to start again. A well-placed cottage can often be renovated and extended instead: a larger kitchen and great room, more bedrooms, a lower-level walkout or a better connection to the water. Work on an existing building is planned around what is there, its foundation, its distance from the lake and what the zoning allows.

See Major Renovations and Home Additions.

Vaulted great room with a stone fireplace overlooking Balsam Lake (illustration) – Custom Waterfront Home Builder in Balsam Lake, ON
04 / IN FOCUSWATERFRONT HOMES · BALSAM LAKE

Boathouses on Balsam Lake

A boathouse on Balsam Lake is planned with the home, so the two share materials and style and the property works as a whole. Because the lake is part of the Trent–Severn Waterway, a boathouse, dock or shoreline wall involves Parks Canada as well as the City of Kawartha Lakes, so we start those approvals early. See Boathouses.

05 / IN FOCUSWATERFRONT HOMES · BALSAM LAKE

What building on Balsam Lake involves

Much of the shoreline here is flat limestone, often with thin soil over the rock. That shapes where the foundation can go, how deep it can be and how the septic system is laid out, so we look at the rock and the grades on the first site visit.

The City of Kawartha Lakes issues the building permit and sets the setback from the water, and the conservation authority may need to review lots near flood-prone land. Access matters too: some lots are reached by long private roads, which affects deliveries and the construction schedule.

06 / APPROACHWATERFRONT HOMES · BALSAM LAKE

Engineer-led, with design and approvals in one place

On the water, design and construction are hard to separate. We bring the pieces together under one team, so the plans, the permits and the price stay in step.

  1. 01

    Architecture and design

    The home or cottage planned around the lot and the view.

  2. 02

    Engineer-led site planning

    Foundations on rock, grading, septic and access, working with your own engineer or one we bring in.

  3. 03

    Permits and approvals

    City, conservation authority and Parks Canada.

  4. 04

    Interior and landscape design

    Finishes, outdoor living and the path to the water.

  5. 05

    Garages and outbuildings

    Planned with the rest of the property.

See Design-Build & Planning and Garages & Accessory Buildings.

07 / PROCESSWATERFRONT HOMES · BALSAM LAKE

How a waterfront build works with us

  1. Lot review

    Shoreline, rock, septic, access and the setback from the water.

  2. Design and budget

    The house and the price are worked out together.

  3. Approvals

    Building permit from the City of Kawartha Lakes, plus any conservation or Parks Canada approvals.

  4. Construction

    One team runs the site, with photos and updates in our client portal.

08 / IN FOCUSWATERFRONT HOMES · BALSAM LAKE

Around Balsam Lake

We also build waterfront homes on Cameron Lake and Sturgeon Lake, and custom homes in nearby Fenelon Falls and across Kawartha Lakes. See all our waterfront homes.

Own a lot or cottage on Balsam Lake, or looking at one? Tell us about your project.

CLIENT REVIEWSIN THEIR WORDS

Henley Contracting Ltd.

50 Google reviews

Write a review

  • Abraham Omogeroh

    Great person to work with
    I will always recommend.

  • Marilyn Caccamo

    The quality of work is exceptional, and the owners are friendly, approachable, and have a wealth of knowledge in the industry.

  • Vsevolod M

    Great company to work with. Attention to details, customer service and friendly communication.
    Highly recommend.

Read all reviews on Google
QUESTIONSBALSAM LAKE, ON

Frequently asked questions

Can't find your answer? Tell us about your project and ask us directly.

Can you build on a rocky Balsam Lake lot?
Yes. Limestone close to the surface is common here. It changes how the foundation and septic are designed and can affect cost, so we look at the rock before design starts.
Do I need Parks Canada approval for a dock or boathouse?
Balsam Lake is part of the Trent–Severn Waterway, so in-water work such as docks, boathouses and shoreline walls usually needs Parks Canada approval. We plan for it alongside the building permit.
Can my cottage become a year-round home?
Often, but it depends on the zoning, the setback from the water and the condition of the existing building. In many cases a new home is the better route. We look at both with you.
Should we renovate our cottage or tear it down and rebuild?
It depends on the foundation, the building's distance from the water and what the zoning allows for a new home. We review the lot and the existing building and walk you through both options before design.
Can you coordinate the design and engineering too?
Yes. As an engineer-led builder, we coordinate the design, the engineers, site planning and permits as part of how we work, so the plans and the price are developed together.
NEXT STEPSTART A CONVERSATION

YOUR PROJECT

Planning a waterfront home on Balsam Lake?

Send us the address or the listing. We will look at what the lot allows and walk you through the next steps.

Tell Us About Your Project View Our Projects
NEARBYWATERFRONT HOMES

Waterfront Homes in other areas

KAWARTHA LAKES

Memberships & accreditations

Fully insured · WSIB coverage in good standing · clearance certificate on request

ROOTED IN ONTARIO

Durham Region · Kawartha Lakes

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROJECT