Design-Build General Contractor · Toronto & GTA
Whole House Renovation has 22+ years in home renovations, kitchens, baths, basements and additions across the GTA. 300+ projects, written warranty registered, $5M liability.
Residential + Commercial Design-Build. Whole House, Kitchen, Bath, Basement, Addition, ADU, Commercial Build-Out.
What does it cost?
T1 $18K-$65K. T2 $35K-$140K. T3 $150K-$600K. T4 $350K-$1.2M+. Every project starts with a written scope and a fixed price before the first shovel, so you know the number you are committing to before design fees and demolition begin.
Rosedale heritage gut: $287K / 2,400 sqft / 14 wks / zero change orders.
See Cost GuideDeposit + payment?
Tier 1 is paid net on completion. Tier 2+ projects pay in six draws of 10/15/20/20/20/15%, aligned to design, permit-ready, demolition, rough-in, substantial completion and the deficiency walkthrough. No large upfront deposit.
Every T2+ client receives a written draw schedule aligned to project milestones.
View Draw ScheduleWhat do you build?
Kitchens, baths, basements, whole-house guts, additions, ADUs and laneway suites, heritage restorations and commercial fit-outs for offices, restaurants and retail. One coordinator runs design, permits and construction from first visit to final walkthrough.
300+ GTA projects. ARIDO-affiliated designer, Red Seal-certified carpenters, in-house permit coordination.
View All ServicesWill price balloon?
Fixed-price contracts with a 5-8% discovery contingency for what older Toronto walls hide. Change orders happen only when you add scope, and they are priced and signed before the work. Allowances are locked in writing before construction.
Most T2+ projects close within 5% of contracted scope. Change orders only for client-initiated scope, signed + priced pre-work.
How Fixed Pricing WorksHow long?
T1 3-6 weeks. T2 4-10 weeks. T3 12-20 weeks. T4 14-24 weeks. Permit and Committee of Adjustment time is planned up front, and you get a weekly client call with the project manager until the deficiency walkthrough is signed.
92% of 2024 projects delivered within quoted range. Weekly client calls.
See Our ProcessLicensed?
$5M CGL, WSIB, WHMIS 2015-trained crews, OBC compliance and Toronto Building permit coordination on every project, backed by a written warranty. Licensed trades handle electrical, plumbing and gas, and the owner signs off every Tier 2+ scope personally.
COI issued promptly on PM + insurer requests, typically within 1 business day.
About Our Team
Recent Project Spotlight Rosedale Heritage Gut | 2,400 sqft, 14 wks, $287K, zero change orders VIEW ALL → Fixed Price Before Design
Written scope + fixed price pre-design. $5M CGL. WSIB. WHMIS 2015. OBC. Written warranty. COI typically within 1 business day. Design-build coordinated.
Client Review · Rosedale
"Delivered in 14 weeks, zero change orders. Design-build made the kitchen island decision in one meeting. Heritage consultant network paid for itself twice over."
Request a Free Written Quote
Reviewed personally by Royce (Roy) S. and Senior PM Nolan K.
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We review every request within 1 business day and will call you to book a site visit.
Toronto Renovation, Straight Talk
Most of the GTA's housing was built before 1980. In Rosedale, Forest Hill, Leaside and the Annex, a good share of it is older than that, with knob-and-tube wiring, lath and plaster, cast iron stacks and 60-amp service behind walls that look fine at a showing. That is why so many Toronto renovations finish over budget: the price was written before anyone knew what the walls held.
We work the other way around. A design-build general contractor since 2003, we visit, open what needs opening, and write a fixed price with a 5-8% discovery contingency before you sign a design agreement. Our ARIDO-affiliated design lead settles layout and finishes early, Red Seal carpenters and a BCIN Part 9 qualified site supervisor build to the Ontario Building Code (OBC), and our permit coordinator files Toronto Building permits and Committee of Adjustment applications in-house.
The paperwork is just as deliberate. We carry $5M CGL plus WSIB, issue COIs typically within 1 business day, and bill Tier 2+ projects on a 6-draw payment schedule tied to milestones, not a large deposit. The result: in 2024, 92% of our projects finished within the quoted timeline range, and most Tier 2+ projects closed within 5% of the contracted scope.
Real Projects
Real projects across the GTA. Drag to compare.
Before After Rosedale Heritage Whole-House Gut
2,400 sqft, full gut, 3 floors · 14 weeks · $287K
Restored a 1920s heritage semi with original red oak and a new structural span. Zero change orders; the kitchen island was settled in one design meeting.
Who We Build For
Most of our clients fit one of these four. Each one needs a different kind of planning before construction starts.
You own a 1920s-40s semi or detached home with character worth keeping and wiring you cannot trust. We preserve the red oak, plaster and millwork while replacing knob-and-tube, cast iron and 60-amp service behind the walls. You value $5M liability and a designer under the same roof as the builder.
Heritage restoration
Your builder-grade home is 5 to 15 years old and the kitchen, baths and basement never matched the price you paid. You want premium finishes, fixed pricing and a timeline you can plan a life around. We upgrade all three on one written scope.
Kitchen renovation
You want a downtown kitchen and bath gut without becoming the building manager's least favourite resident. We handle the status certificate, the alteration request, after-hours rules, elevator bookings and low-dust practice so your board says yes.
Bathroom renovation
You have a lease date, a landlord with design criteria and inspectors who do not care about your opening party. We issue COIs typically within 1 business day, build to OBC Part 3 and invoice property managers on Net-30.
Commercial renovationThe Industry Reality
Three traps derail most GTA renovations. Each one is predictable, and each one can be priced before you sign.
6-16 weeks of approvals and $8K-$40K in consultant fees when design ignores zoning and heritage rules.
Knob-and-tube wiring, asbestos, 60-amp service, lead solder and rot found after demolition with no agreed pricing.
Unrealistic allowances for tile, fixtures and flooring that double mid-build.
In-house permit coordination, a 5-8% discovery contingency on Tier 2+ contracts, and materials allowances locked in writing with a signed change-order protocol.
End-to-End Capabilities
Residential first, then commercial. Every service runs on one written scope, one fixed price and one coordinator, from an $18K bathroom refresh to a $1.2M whole house plus addition.
A whole house renovation takes three or more rooms, or the full main floor plus basement, back to the studs. It is the biggest single decision most Toronto homeowners make about their house, and it is where budgets most often go wrong. We start with a written scope and a hard-cap fixed price before demolition, so you know the number before you commit. Then one coordinator runs design, permits and construction. Walls open, LVL or steel beams go in where a wall comes out, wiring moves to 200-amp service, PEX plumbing and new HVAC replace what was there, and Roxul Safe'n'Sound goes into the walls before drywall. Our ARIDO-affiliated designer settles layout and finishes early, Red Seal carpenters build it, and our permit coordinator handles Toronto Building. Every Tier 3 contract carries a 5-8% discovery contingency for what 1920s-70s walls hide, such as knob-and-tube wiring, asbestos and rot. Our Rosedale heritage gut came in at $287K for 2,400 sqft, delivered in 14 weeks with zero change orders.
Additions are where Toronto zoning, structure and budget collide. Before anyone draws a plan, we check what your lot allows: lot coverage, Floor Space Index (FSI), height, setbacks and any Urban Forestry tree protection zone. Then we confirm the existing foundation can carry new load, and if it cannot, we price underpinning or helical piles into the written scope rather than discovering it mid-build. Design, engineering, the Toronto Building permit and any Committee of Adjustment or minor variance application are handled in-house by our permit coordinator. We build second-storey additions on bungalows, rear family-room and kitchen additions, side additions, garden and laneway suites, and garage conversions. Additions typically run $200K-$600K, garden suites $220K-$450K and garage conversions $85K-$200K. Every qualifying addition is covered by our registered written warranty, and you pay on a 6-draw schedule tied to inspections. Our Thornhill client added 600 sqft and a new kitchen in 18 weeks.
Toronto's 1920s-40s semis and detached homes carry character that cannot be replaced and problems that cannot be ignored. Heritage restoration is where we started in 2003, in Rosedale and Forest Hill, and it is still the core of the work. We preserve brick facades, lath and plaster, crown mouldings, stained glass, original millwork and red oak floors, while replacing what fails behind them: knob-and-tube wiring, 60-amp service, cast iron stacks, lead solder joints and vermiculite insulation that may contain asbestos. If your home is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act or sits inside a Heritage Conservation District, exterior changes need a heritage permit, and we coordinate those approvals in-house with support from our heritage consultant network. Original oak is refinished with Rubio Monocoat or a matched stain so new and old boards read as one floor. Every contract carries a 5-8% discovery contingency because century homes always hide something. Typical heritage scopes run $250K-$800K.
A kitchen renovation in Toronto ranges from a cosmetic refresh on the same layout to a full gut with moved plumbing, a new island and a pro appliance package. Our in-house designer settles layout, cabinetry and surfaces early, so the written price holds; one Rosedale client made the island decision in a single meeting. We build custom inset and semi-custom cabinetry on Blum soft-close hardware, fabricate Calacatta marble, Taj Mahal quartzite, Caesarstone quartz or Dekton porcelain counters, and plan Wolf, Sub-Zero, Miele and Thermador appliances with the dedicated 20-amp circuits, gas sizing and make-up air they need. Lighting is 3000K, CRI 90+ LED so stone and wood look true. When a wall comes out, an engineer sizes the beam and our Red Seal carpenters install it. Condo kitchens include board approvals, elevator bookings and low-dust practice. Kitchens typically run $35K-$140K, condo kitchens $45K-$140K, and most Tier 2 kitchens take 4-10 weeks.
Bathrooms fail at the waterproofing, so that is where we start. Every shower gets a full membrane system, Schluter-KERDI or Wedi building panels, over a properly sloped mortar bed or a linear drain, with Schluter-DITRA uncoupling under floor tile so it does not crack when the house moves. Then come the parts you see: floating vanities, wall-hung toilets on Geberit in-wall carriers, thermostatic mixing valves, DITRA-HEAT in-floor warmth and 10mm frameless tempered glass. We install fixtures from Kohler, Toto, Grohe and Rohl, and tile from Ann Sacks and Daltile. Curbless walk-in showers are one of our most requested upgrades, because they look clean and work for every age. Condo bathrooms include board approvals, after-hours scheduling and noise rules. Primary baths typically run $18K-$65K, powder rooms $12K-$35K and condo baths $15K-$55K. A Tier 1 refresh takes 3-6 weeks and a Tier 2 bath to the studs 4-10 weeks.
Toronto basements are often too low, too damp or both. We fix the envelope first: a Delta-MS dimpled membrane or interior weeping tile, a sump pump with battery backup and a backwater valve, which the City of Toronto Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program can help pay for. Then we lower the floor where needed. Underpinning digs below the existing footings in engineered sequences to reach 8-9 ft ceilings; bench footing is a lower-cost option that leaves a ledge around the perimeter. With a dry, tall space, we build either a finished basement (family room, gym, guest suite, home theatre with Roxul Safe'n'Sound and resilient channel) or an OBC-compliant legal second unit with egress windows, fire separation, smoke and CO alarms and a separate entrance. Permits, inspections and the ESA Certificate of Acceptance are coordinated in-house. Our Erin Mills legal suite came in at $62K, passed inspection on the first visit and started earning rent in month 5. Basements typically run $45K-$180K.
Luxury is in the details buyers notice and the infrastructure they never see. We pair an ARIDO-affiliated design lead with Red Seal finish carpenters to deliver the visible part: book-matched Calacatta marble, Taj Mahal quartzite and Dekton slabs, rift-cut white oak floors finished in Bona Traffic HD or Rubio Monocoat, custom millwork, concealed pivot doors, Rohl fixtures and Ann Sacks tile. Then we build the invisible part properly: panel capacity for Wolf ranges, Sub-Zero columns, Miele steam ovens and Thermador induction, gas lines sized for pro burners, make-up air for large hoods, and lighting control. Our Bayview Hill client's kitchen and main floor came in at $520K, and the panel upgrade it needed was caught in design and written into the contract, so it never became a change order. Luxury projects run in Yorkville condos, Rosedale and Forest Hill homes, Richmond Hill and Oakville. Luxury scopes typically run $400K-$1.2M+ over 12-24 weeks.
Commercial work runs on deadlines, documents and building rules. We carry $5M CGL and WSIB, issue Certificates of Insurance naming landlords and property managers typically within 1 business day, provide WSIB clearance certificates on request, and invoice property managers on Net-30. Scopes cover offices, restaurants and cafes, retail stores and medical or professional clinics, built to OBC Part 3 with proper 1-hour and 2-hour fire separations, fire dampers, metal stud framing, T-bar acoustic ceilings and AODA barrier-free washrooms, counters and entrances. We schedule noisy work after hours so neighbouring tenants keep operating, coordinate rooftop unit (RTU) and HVAC changes with the landlord, and handle change of use permits when a space is changing what it is used for. Crews are WHMIS 2015-trained. We have rebuilt a 20-person Liberty Village office, delivered a Yorkville retail flagship inside a 10-week window and opened a King West restaurant on schedule. Clinic fit-outs run $150K-$500K.
We rebuilt a dated Liberty Village loft into a 20-person workplace with meeting pods, working nights on the noisy demolition, sending the COI to building management the next morning and invoicing the property manager on Net-30. That is how office projects should run: around the business, not over it. We plan phasing so teams can keep working, schedule noisy and dusty work after hours with an after-hours work permit from building management, and coordinate IT and furniture moves. Scope typically includes demountable glass partitions, meeting pods and boardrooms with the right acoustic STC rating, T-bar acoustic ceilings, commercial LVT or carpet tile, Cat6A data cabling, LED lighting and VAV HVAC rebalancing so new rooms are not too hot or too cold. Everything is built to OBC Part 3 with AODA barrier-free washrooms and paths of travel, by WHMIS 2015-trained crews. Office fit-outs typically run $60K-$280K, with T-bar ceilings at $4-$8/sqft and commercial flooring at $4-$12/sqft.
A restaurant opens only when it passes health, fire and building inspections, so that is how we plan the build. Commercial kitchens get NFPA 96 exhaust hoods with Ansul fire suppression, make-up air sized to the hood, a grease interceptor installed before the floor goes down, NSF-certified equipment connections and quarry tile or poured epoxy floors that clean easily. Fire separations under OBC Part 3 protect neighbouring units, and AODA washrooms meet accessibility counts for your seating. In the dining room and bar we build the space that carries your brand: banquettes, millwork, lighting and finishes. When a space changes from retail or office to restaurant, we file the change of use permit and plan the extra plumbing and fire requirements it brings. Our King West client opened on schedule after we walked the fire inspector through the hood and suppression system; the $238K budget held. Restaurant build-outs typically run $120K-$500K, and commercial kitchens alone $80K-$250K.
Retail fit-outs are judged on one date. We delivered a Yorkville retail flagship with landlord approvals inside a 10-week window and hit the deadline, and the client's deficiency list was short. The work starts with the landlord's design criteria: we prepare drawings that meet them, get approval, file permits and order long-lead items like display millwork, storefront glazing and signage early so they are not what holds up the opening. On site we handle sprinkler head relocation, architectural track lighting, porcelain tile or other high-traffic flooring, fitting rooms, cash wraps and storage. In malls and busy streets we work nights to keep neighbouring stores trading. Every store is built to OBC barrier-free design and AODA requirements for entrances, counters and washrooms, and we close the turnover deficiency list before you stock the shelves. A tenant improvement allowance may cover part of the cost. Retail fit-outs typically run $80K-$350K, with flooring at $4-$12/sqft, over 6-12 weeks.
Transparent Pricing
Every project starts with a written scope and a hard-cap price before design fees or demolition. These are the ranges most GTA projects land in.
Tier 1
$18K-$65K
Single-room cosmetic
Tier 2
$35K-$140K
Kitchen or bath to studs
Tier 3
$150K-$600K
3+ rooms or full main floor + basement
Tier 4
$350K-$1.2M+
Addition with written warranty + whole house
Tier 1 is paid net on completion. Tier 2+ pays in six draws tied to milestones. No large upfront deposit.
22+ yrs
300+ GTA projects since 2003
Why Whole House Renovation
Six commitments written into every Tier 2+ contract.
Written scope and a hard cap before the first shovel. Allowances locked in writing, change orders only when you add scope.
ARIDO-affiliated designer, Red Seal-certified carpenters and in-house permit coordination on one contract.
About 5x what most GTA renovators carry. COI typically within 1 business day for boards, landlords and lenders.
From an $18K bath to multi-room additions and commercial fit-outs, under one roof and one standard.
Tier 2+ payments tied to design, permit, demolition, rough-in, substantial completion and walkthrough.
Royce (Roy) S. reviews and signs off every Tier 2+ scope personally. One person accountable, start to finish.
How It Works
One coordinator runs design, permits and construction. Permit and Committee of Adjustment time is planned up front.
We review your request within 1 business day, then visit to measure, photograph conditions and talk through priorities.
You get a written scope, hard-cap price, tier timeline and draw schedule before any design agreement.
Layout, structure, cabinetry and finishes settled in a few focused meetings with our design lead.
Toronto Building permits, Committee of Adjustment and heritage applications filed by our coordinator.
Demolition, structure, rough-ins, inspections and finishes, with a weekly call from your project manager.
We walk every room with you, close the deficiency list and hand over your written warranty.
Tier 2+ payments follow a 6-draw schedule: 10% design, 15% permit-ready, 20% demolition, 20% rough-in, 20% substantial completion, 15% deficiency walkthrough.
Free Tool
Estimate the value lift by scope and property type, plus rental income for a legal basement suite. Informed by published Canadian renovation return studies.
Send a few details and a photo or two. We will tell you the likely tier, timeline and permit path within 1 business day, at no cost.
Client Reviews
Recent reviews from heritage, condo, infill and commercial clients, shown as initials and neighbourhood.
"Delivered in 14 weeks, zero change orders. Design-build made the kitchen island decision in one meeting. Heritage consultant network paid for itself twice over."
"Registered second-unit suite with a written warranty. Rental income started month 5. Inspection passed first visit."
"Status cert, strata approval and building management. These guys handled every form. Finish date hit to the day."
Who Builds Your Project
One founder who signs off every Tier 2+ scope, one project manager who runs your weekly call, and a design, site and permit team that has worked together for years.
Founder since 2003
Founder & Principal General Contractor
Royce (Roy) S. founded Whole House Renovation in Toronto in 2003, starting with heritage semis in Rosedale and Forest Hill before adding commercial build-outs in 2010 and ADUs in 2018. He personally reviews the scope and signs off on every Tier 2+ project across the GTA.
The promise: free estimate, fixed-price written quote, scheduled delivery and a written workmanship warranty.
Senior Project Manager · 11 yrs
Nolan runs the schedule, the trades and the weekly client call on Tier 2+ projects. He builds the draw schedule around inspections so you only pay for signed-off work.
Head of Interior Design · 8 yrs
Yasmin turns budgets and wish lists into cabinetry, surface and finish specifications that hold their price. She settles layout decisions early so the written number holds.
Site Supervisor + Lead Carpenter · 14 yrs
Diego is on site every day. He sequences structural work like beams and underpinning, checks every inspection item and leads finish carpentry on heritage and luxury jobs.
Permit + Office Coordinator · 6 yrs
Ingrid manages permit and Committee of Adjustment filings, liaising with Toronto Building and GTA municipalities so approvals are planned before design is final.
Service Areas
Dedicated teams cover nine primary areas, with regular projects across the wider GTA. Every area has its own permit office, housing stock and rules, and we plan for them before design.
BramptonBurlingtonMiltonAjaxPickeringWhitbyOshawaAuroraNewmarketKing CityCaledonBoltonWoodbridgeThornhillStouffvilleUxbridge
View all service areasDon't see your Ontario city?
We service the GTA. Call (647) 800-3733 or request a quote, coverage confirmed within 1 business day.
Got Questions?
Straight answers on cost, permits, timelines, warranty and how we work.
Most whole house renovations in Toronto fall in Tier 3, $150K-$600K, for 3+ rooms or a full main floor plus basement. Tier 1 single-room cosmetic work runs $18K-$65K, Tier 2 kitchen or bath to studs $35K-$140K, and Tier 4 whole house plus addition $350K-$1.2M+. You get a written scope and hard-cap price before any work starts. The biggest swing factors are structure (beams, underpinning), mechanical upgrades such as a 200-amp panel or new HVAC, and finish level. Our Rosedale heritage gut, for example, came in at $287K for 2,400 sqft over 14 weeks with zero change orders.
Most Tier 2+ projects need a permit: moving kitchen plumbing or bath drains, adding a basement bedroom, structural changes and any addition. We handle Toronto Building, Committee of Adjustment and minor variance applications in-house. Approvals typically take 6-16 weeks depending on heritage and variance needs. Cosmetic work like new cabinets on the same layout, paint, flooring or swapping fixtures in place usually does not. Our permit coordinator, Ingrid M., checks zoning and heritage status before design so the drawings go in once, not three times.
Every project comes with a written workmanship warranty, and every qualifying addition or new build is registered under our written warranty program. The warranty terms are set out in your contract before work begins, so you know exactly what is covered and for how long. If something we built needs attention during the warranty period, you call one number and the same team that built it comes back to fix it.
For most renovations, design-build is faster and easier to manage because design and construction run under one coordinated contract. Decisions happen in one meeting, nobody points fingers between drawings and site, and you have a single point of contact. Whole House Renovation coordinates ARIDO-affiliated designers and construction trades on one contract. The separate architect route still makes sense for a signature new build or a complex heritage designation, and we are happy to build from an architect's drawings when you already have them.
Every Tier 2+ contract includes a 5-8% discovery contingency for hidden conditions common in 1920s-70s homes, such as knob-and-tube wiring, asbestos, undersized electrical and rot. Work within the contingency proceeds with no change order. Anything beyond it is priced and signed by you before work continues. Unused contingency stays with you. On our Forest Hill underpin, the contingency covered a cracked clay drain found under the slab, so the project finished without a change order.
Tier 2+ projects use a 6-draw schedule tied to milestones: 10% design, 15% permit-ready, 20% demolition, 20% rough-in, 20% substantial completion and 15% at the deficiency walkthrough. Tier 1 projects are paid net on completion. There is no large upfront deposit.
Tier 1 takes 3-6 weeks, Tier 2 4-10 weeks, Tier 3 12-20 weeks and Tier 4 14-24 weeks of construction, plus 6-16 weeks for permits or Committee of Adjustment where needed. In 2024, 92% of our projects were delivered within the quoted range, with weekly client calls throughout.
We carry $5M Commercial General Liability, about 5x what most GTA renovators carry, plus WSIB coverage and WHMIS 2015-trained crews. Certificates of Insurance for condo boards, landlords, property managers and lenders are typically issued within 1 business day.
Yes. We handle the alteration request, status certificate review, board approval, elevator bookings and building work-hour rules for downtown condos. Condo kitchens typically run $45K-$140K, baths $15K-$55K, a 1-bedroom gut $85K-$200K and a 2-bedroom gut $120K-$280K.
Yes, if the space can meet Ontario Building Code second-unit requirements for ceiling height, egress windows, fire separation, smoke and CO alarms and a separate entrance. We assess the basement, underpin or bench-foot if needed, file the permit and coordinate inspections. Our Erin Mills suite came in at $62K and passed inspection on the first visit.
Yes. We build office, restaurant/cafe, retail and medical or professional clinic fit-outs across the GTA, with after-hours commercial dispatch, OBC Part 3 compliance and Net-30 invoicing for property managers. Commercial projects range from $60K office refreshes to $500K restaurant build-outs.
Sometimes. Phased projects that keep one bathroom and some kitchen function can be lived in, but full guts, asbestos abatement or weeks without water or heat usually mean moving out. We plan phasing during design so you can budget for temporary housing early if you need it.
We serve the GTA, with dedicated coverage in Toronto, North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Mississauga, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill and Oakville, and regular projects in Brampton, Burlington, Milton, Aurora, Newmarket and other GTA communities. Call (647) 800-3733 or request a quote and we confirm coverage within 1 business day.
Yes. Heritage work has been the core of our business since 2003 in Rosedale and Forest Hill. We coordinate heritage permits for exterior changes, preserve original facades, plaster and millwork, and replace failing systems behind the walls. Heritage projects typically run $250K-$800K.
We review your request within 1 business day, then book a site visit to measure, photograph conditions and discuss priorities. You then receive a written scope with a fixed price and tier timeline before any design agreement. Contact is by our form or phone only; we never ask for payment to quote.
Still have a question?
Call the 24/7 line or send your project details. We reply within 1 business day.
Quote requests reviewed within 1 business day
Tell us about your home or space. We review every request within 1 business day, visit the site and send a written scope with a hard-cap price before any design agreement.
