- 17+ years in business
- 500+ projects completed
- WSIB certified
- $5M liability insurance
- Written workmanship warranty
- Every trade in-house
One Crew From Bare Concrete to Move-In Ready
Most basement jobs are one of three kinds. An open rec room is one big finished space. A basement with a bedroom and a 3-piece bathroom adds walls, doors and a new plumbing rough-in. A legal basement apartment, also called an additional residential unit, is a separate home. It needs a building permit, and municipal building inspectors review the work at stages during construction. We build all three, and every trade is in-house.
Framing and insulation
New walls, bulkheads around ducts and pipes, and insulation on the exterior walls before anything is closed in.
Drywall and ceilings
Drywall hung, taped and finished on the walls and ceiling, so the basement looks like the rest of the house.
Electrical, plumbing and HVAC
Potlights, outlets and circuits, new plumbing rough-ins, and heating and ventilation work for the finished space.
Bathrooms
A new basement bathroom with a new rough-in, from the shower and tile to the vanity and fixtures.
Flooring, trim and paint
Vinyl plank, laminate, tile or carpet, then baseboards, doors, trim and paint to finish every room.
Permits, drawings and separate entrances
Permit applications and drawings, and below-grade separate entrances for legal basement apartments.
How a Basement Job Runs, Step by Step
A basement is a bigger project than most rooms, so the order matters. The owner personally oversees every job from the first visit to the last inspection.
-
You call or send the form
Tell us how you want to use the space and roughly how big it is. We answer Monday to Saturday, 8am to 10pm, and respond to inquiries within 4 hours on average.
-
Site visit
We look at the ceiling height, the windows, the mechanical room and where a bathroom could go, and talk through how you plan to use the space.
-
Free written quote
You get a written quote that spells out the scope. Our contracts are fair to both sides, and we keep general contracting costs down because most of the work is done by our own crew.
-
Design, drawings and permits
We handle the design with you. When the job needs a permit, and every legal basement apartment does, we prepare the application, pull the permit and book the inspections.
-
The build
Framing, rough-ins, insulation, drywall, then the bathroom, flooring, trim and paint. Our own people do each stage, with no hand-offs to outside trades.
-
Inspections, walkthrough and warranty
We meet the inspector at each stage the permit calls for, then walk the finished basement with you and fix anything that is not right. Every job comes with our written workmanship warranty.
Basement Finishing Questions
How much does it cost to finish a basement?
Before HST, an open rec room typically runs $35 to $55 per sq ft (about $25,000 to $39,000 for 700 sq ft), a basement with a bedroom and 3-piece bathroom $45,000 to $85,000, and a legal basement apartment $80,000 to $150,000. The apartment price mostly depends on a new side entrance, egress windows, fire separation and HVAC; underpinning for ceiling height is extra, and permits and drawings usually add $2,000 to $6,500. Every job gets a free written quote after a site visit.
How long does it take?
Once work starts, a rec room usually takes 3 to 6 weeks and a basement with a bedroom and bathroom 6 to 10 weeks. A legal basement apartment takes 12 to 18 weeks of construction, plus permit approval that often takes 4 to 10 weeks depending on the city.
Do you handle the permits and drawings?
Yes. We handle the design and drawings, pull the permits and book the inspections. You do not have to deal with the city on your own.
What does a legal basement apartment need?
Ontario's Building Code requires a fire separation between units, safe exits and smoke alarms, and sets a minimum ceiling height for basement units. The electrical work needs its own permit and an inspection by the Electrical Safety Authority, and your city's zoning rules, including parking, also apply.
What that means for your house depends on the layout you have now. We work through it during the design and permit process, and the inspections confirm the work as it goes.
Can you add a bathroom to my basement?
Yes. A new basement bathroom needs a new plumbing rough-in, and we do that ourselves along with the framing, tile and fixtures. See our bathroom renovations page for more on how we build bathrooms.
Do you use subcontractors?
No. Every trade is done in-house by our own crew, from framing to paint. That keeps the schedule in our hands and the general contracting cost down.
Are you insured, and is the work guaranteed?
We are WSIB certified and carry $5M in liability insurance. Every job comes with our written workmanship warranty, and the owner personally oversees every job.
Thinking about a rental unit? Read How to Turn Your Basement into a Legal Second Unit.
Basement Finishing Across the GTA
We finish basements in these cities and the neighbourhoods around them. Not sure if you are in our area? Call and ask.
- Toronto
- Etobicoke
- North York
- Scarborough
- Mississauga
- Brampton
- Vaughan
- Markham
- Richmond Hill
- Oakville
- Burlington
- Milton
- Halton Hills
- Caledon
- Orangeville
- Ajax
- Pickering
- Whitby
- Oshawa
- Hamilton
- Kitchener
- Waterloo
- Cambridge