Renovation Contractors in Toronto

Many insurers will not write or renew a policy on a home with active knob-and-tube wiring. If you are buying in an older neighbourhood, get an electrical assessment before firm closing rather than after.

Heritage designations

Toronto has numerous Heritage Conservation Districts where exterior changes, including windows and roofing materials, may require separate heritage approval on top of a building permit.

More about hiring in Toronto

What renovation work costs in Ontario

Renovation quotes are only comparable when the specification is identical, which it almost never is. Two bathroom quotes $12,000 apart usually differ on tile, fixtures, whether plumbing is being moved, and how much contingency is built in. Ask every contractor to quote the same written specification, or you are comparing nothing.

Job	Typical range
Bathroom renovationMoving plumbing, and the tile specification, drive most of the variance.	$15,000 – $40,000
Kitchen renovationCabinetry is typically 40 to 50 percent of the total.	$25,000 – $80,000
Basement finishing, per square footA bathroom, egress window or legal suite requirements push well past this.	$40 – $90
Legal secondary suite conversionFire separation, egress and parking requirements are what cost the money.	$60,000 – $150,000
Whole-home renovation, per square footA gut renovation approaches new-build cost per foot.	$150 – $350
Addition, per square footFoundation, roof tie-in and servicing make additions expensive per foot.	$300 – $550

Planning estimates for Ontario, not quotes. Always get written quotes against the same written specification.

Questions to ask before you hire

Will you pull the building permit in your company name?

Can I see the written scope, and does it list specific products and models rather than allowances?

What is the payment schedule, and is it tied to milestones rather than dates?

How are change orders priced and approved - in writing, before the work happens?

Who are your electrician and plumber, and can I verify their licences?

What is your contingency assumption, and what happens if you open a wall and find a problem?

How many projects will you be running simultaneously while mine is open?

Can I speak to two customers whose projects finished more than a year ago?

Warning signs

A large up-front deposit. Materials deposits are normal; a third or more of the contract value before work starts is not.

Any suggestion that you pull the permit yourself, or that the job does not need one when it clearly does.

A quote on a single page for a $40,000 project.

Verbal change orders. "We'll sort it out at the end" reliably means a dispute at the end.