Basement renovation in Toronto

A basic finish runs $35 to $55 per square foot. A mid range basement with a bathroom lands around $55 to $80, and a legal basement apartment runs $90 to $150. On a typical 500 square foot basement, that means roughly $20,000 to $30,000 for a basic finish and $35,000 to $50,000 once a bathroom is in the scope. All of it is line itemized in our basement renovation cost guide, and the number we quote you is fixed before demolition.

Take the per square foot bands and do the multiplication: about $35,000 to $55,000 for a basic finish, $55,000 to $80,000 for a mid range space with a bathroom, and $90,000 up if you are building a legal suite. Bigger basements cost a little less per foot than small ones, because the fixed costs like permits and drawings get spread across more area.

For cosmetic work like flooring and paint, no. You do need a City of Toronto permit for structural changes, new plumbing, moving walls, adding bedrooms and anything to do with a secondary suite. We prepare the drawings, pull the permit in our own name and attend the inspections, so none of it lands on you.

The short version: a building permit for the conversion, proper ceiling height, a safe way out through an egress window or separate entrance, fire separation between the units, interconnected smoke alarms and correct ventilation, then registration with the city. Plenty of Toronto basements are rented without any of that, and it works fine right up until it does not. We build suites that pass inspection, like the legal walkout suite in Richmond Hill.

A basic finish takes 4 to 6 weeks on site. Add a bathroom and you are at 6 to 8. A legal apartment runs 10 to 14 weeks because of the extra rough ins and the inspection schedule. Permit review happens before any of that starts, so we file drawings early and you barely notice it.

Yes, though not dollar for dollar the way a kitchen can. Where the math gets interesting is a legal suite: it adds a rental unit in a city where those are scarce, and the income changes what a buyer can pay. A finished basement also makes a listing move faster, which agents will tell you is worth real money on its own.

We deal with it first, not after. Before quoting we look at the foundation, grading, the floor drain and any history of water, and price crack injection, membranes, a sump or a backwater valve into the job where the house needs them. We have rebuilt basements after full floods, including this Toronto project you can watch above.

Almost always. If the builder left a rough in, it is straightforward. If not, we cut the slab and run new drains, which costs more but is routine work for our plumbers. Budget $15,000 to $25,000 for a standard three piece downstairs. Details are on our bathroom renovation page.

Yes, and nearly everyone does. The basement has its own footprint, we contain the dust at the stairs, and where a separate entrance exists the crew uses it. The noisy parts are the first two weeks of demolition and framing, and we warn you before the loud days.

Basement specialists sub out the plumbing, the electrical and the cabinetry. Ours are staff, the cabinets for basement kitchens and built ins come from our own Markham facility, and the same company warranties all of it. One contract, one project manager, one number that does not move. We have worked that way since 2004.