About us
A foundation company that measures first
Ottawa and area since 2011. Four people you will actually meet, a small crew, and a habit of telling people when nothing needs fixing.
Our story
Why we are called Datum
A datum is the fixed reference line that surveyors measure everything from. Our founder, Marc Thibodeau, picked the name in 2011 because he wanted every quote to start from a measurement, not a feeling.
Marc spent eleven years on foundation and waterproofing crews first. He saw a lot of good repairs, and a lot of frightened homeowners talked into work their houses did not need. Datum was his answer: inspect for free, write everything down, and let the readings make the case.
Since then we have inspected about 2,100 homes across Ottawa. A good share of those reports end with "no repair needed." We are proud of those too.
How we work
Four rules
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01
Measure before we quote
Crack widths, floor levels, moisture readings. The quote is built on numbers you can see.
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02
Cosmetic is a real answer
A normal shrinkage crack does not need a repair. Saying so is part of the job.
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03
Prices on paper
Fixed written prices, every line shown, held for 60 days.
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04
Leave it cleaner
Plastic down, dust controlled, yard restored. We clean up every day, not just at the end.
The team
The people you will meet
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Marc Thibodeau
Founder and lead inspector
Founded Datum in 2011
Marc spent eleven years on foundation and waterproofing crews before starting Datum. He still does most inspections himself, and he would rather leave without a quote than sell a repair a house does not need.
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Priya Raman
Project manager
With Datum since 2016
Priya books the crews, pulls the permits and lines up the engineer when a job needs one. If your start date moves, she calls you before you notice.
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Owen Kowalczyk
Crew lead, waterproofing and drainage
With Datum since 2014
Owen has cut more drain tile channels than he can count. His rule: the basement is cleaner when he leaves than when he arrived.
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Lise Gagnon
Office and financing
With Datum since 2019
Lise answers the phone, books inspections and walks people through payment options in plain language, in English or French.
The paperwork side
- $5 million liability insurance (fictional figure for this demo)
- City building permits pulled whenever the work requires one
- Independent structural engineers review pier and multi-wall repairs
- Our own employed crews, no subcontracted sales reps
- Inspectors are paid a salary, not a commission
Where we work
- Ottawa
- Kanata
- Orléans
- Nepean
- Barrhaven
- Gloucester
- Stittsville
- Manotick
- Riverside South
Just outside the list? Ask us. We go a little further for bigger jobs.
Book a free inspection
Meet us at your house
Most first meetings are an inspection. Marc or one of our inspectors measures, explains, and sends the report within 2 business days.
- Free in our service area
- Written report in 2 business days
- Quotes held for 60 days