Service · Basement Apartments & Secondary Suites
Legal Basement Apartments & Secondary Suites in Toronto
A legal second suite is one of the few renovations that pays you back monthly. We build basement apartment Toronto homeowners can actually rent and insure — egress windows, ceiling height, fire separation and permits handled from the first drawing.
What is included
Everything this project needs, under one contract
Egress window installation
Window wells cut and enlarged to meet fire code, sized for real bedroom compliance.
Ceiling height & underpinning
Where clearance falls short, we assess underpinning or bench footing options honestly.
Fire separation & soundproofing
Rated assemblies between units, sealed penetrations and self-closing doors done to code.
Separate entrance & parking review
Grading, stairs and municipal parking requirements addressed at the design stage.
Permits & registration
Building permit, zoning review and second-unit registration handled end to end.
Rental-ready kitchens & bathrooms
Durable finishes and separate mechanicals or metering where your municipality requires it.
Legal from the ground up
Every municipality in the GTA treats secondary suites a little differently — minimum ceiling heights, egress window dimensions, parking requirements and fire separation ratings all vary by city. We confirm your address against current bylaws before we draw anything, so you know upfront whether your basement qualifies.
If it does not qualify as-is, we tell you exactly what would need to change — underpinning, a new window well, a relocated furnace — and price that honestly rather than promising a suite your basement cannot support.
Built to be rented and insured
A suite that is not permitted cannot be legally rented and often cannot be insured, which is the risk we are hired to remove. We pull the building permit, register the unit where required, and schedule the fire and building inspections that make it official.
The finishes are chosen for a rental: durable flooring, closed-cell soundproofing between floors, and a kitchen and bathroom built to hold up to tenant turnover.
What it costs
Honest ranges, itemized quotes
A legal basement apartment in the GTA typically runs $60,000 to $150,000, depending on egress window work, underpinning needs, and whether a full kitchen and bathroom are being added. Permit and inspection fees are shown as separate line items.
Get my itemized quoteQuestions
Basement Apartments & Secondary Suites questions, answered
Is my basement apartment legal in Toronto?
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Only if it meets your municipality's requirements for ceiling height, egress, fire separation and parking, and has a registered permit. We assess your basement against these requirements before quoting the work.
What if my ceiling is too low for a legal suite?
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We can assess underpinning or bench footings to lower the basement floor and gain code-compliant height. This adds cost and time, which we quote as its own line so you can decide if it makes sense.
How long does it take to build a legal second suite?
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Most legal basement apartments take 10 to 16 weeks on site once permits are issued, with permit review adding several weeks beforehand depending on your municipality.
Do I need a separate entrance?
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Most municipalities require or strongly favour a separate entrance for a legal second suite. We design the grading and stairs for this during the planning stage, not after.
Where we work
Basement Apartments & Secondary Suites across Toronto & the GTA
Also from CONHECT
Other services
Kitchen Renovation
Custom cabinetry, stone counters and layouts that work.
Learn more →02Bathroom Renovation
Spa-grade washrooms with details that last.
Learn more →03Basement Transformation
Turn unused space into living space, suites or income.
Learn more →04Home Additions
More room to live, matched to your existing home.
Learn more →05Whole-Home Renovation
End-to-end remodels that rethink every room.
Learn more →06Custom Homes
Design-build from the ground up, your way.
Learn more →07Condo Renovation
Renovations planned around your building's rules, not against them.
Learn more →09Garden Suites & Laneway Homes
A full second home in your backyard, built to bylaw.
Learn more →10General Contracting & Project Management
One contract, one schedule, one team accountable for all of it.
Learn more →Get a free quote
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