Nicholson BrosDevelopments
the north shore of Lake Ontario

Custom builds in Northumberland.

Nicholson Bros builds custom homes and estates across Northumberland County — Cobourg, Port Hope, Warkworth, Brighton, and the farmland and lakeshore in between — from our yard in Trent Hills.

Northumberland runs from the Lake Ontario shoreline up into the drumlin country and the Oak Ridges Moraine, and the ground changes as you climb. Lakeshore lots near Cobourg and Port Hope deal with high water tables, mature trees, and established neighbours who'd rather not watch a bin sit at the curb for a season; the farmland and estate parcels inland give room for a fuller build — a house, a shop, outbuildings — but reward a design that frames the rolling grade rather than fighting it. We read the site first.

A lot of Northumberland building is people leaving the city for a property they mean to stay on, and they care as much about how the work is run as the result. Owning our own equipment and hauling every load of debris in our own trucks lets us work an established lot without turning it into a construction zone for a year — and being the family whose name is on the work, an hour from Toronto but rooted here since 1993, is the accountability these owners are looking for.

What we build in Northumberland

Four ways we work.

Custom Home Builder in NorthumberlandCustom Estate Builder in NorthumberlandHome Renovations & Rebuilds in NorthumberlandCustom Shops & Outbuildings in Northumberland
Common questions

Building in Northumberland.

What's an owner's representative, and how is it different from a general contractor?
A general contractor runs their own crews and answers to their own margin. An owner's representative answers to you. We sit on your side of the table — managing the architect, the trades, the budget, and the schedule on your behalf — so your interests are the only ones in the room. On most of our builds we do both: represent you and run the work.
Will the budget I start with be the budget I finish with?
Closer than you're used to. Every allowance is named in writing during the Design phase, so you choose finishes against real numbers rather than guesses. Surprises come from vague budgets and undocumented decisions — we remove both. Where the world moves on us, you hear about it the week it happens, not at the end.
Do you build on land I already own, or help me find it?
Both. If you own the land, we start by walking it with you before anyone draws a line. If you're still looking, bring us in early — we've spent three decades reading sites across this region, and the right answer often starts with the wrong-looking lot.
How involved do I have to be?
As involved as you want, and never more than you have to be. The decision schedule tells you exactly what we need from you and when. Between those points, you get a weekly photographed site walk — whether you're down the road or in the city. The point of hiring us is that you don't have to become the contractor.
How many projects do you take on at once?
A small number each year, by referral and direct inquiry. We'd rather run a handful of builds properly than spread two brothers across a dozen. It's worth reaching out early — often years before you break ground.
Nearby
Trent HillsQuintePrince Edward CountyRecent builds
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