Home renovation acrossthe GTA, town by town.

Construction on a basement renovation in Richmond Hill, Markham, Vaughan or Toronto typically takes 6 to 10 weeks. The whole process, design and permits included, usually runs 2 to 4 months. Small cosmetic updates can finish sooner. Legal basements, secondary suites and jobs with plumbing or structural work can push construction closer to 10 to 12 weeks. Careful planning and a properly prepared permit application are what keep the schedule predictable once work begins.

Nuance Design Build visits your home. We talk about how you use the space today and what needs to change, and take the measurements needed to start the design accurately. We also look at layout options, structural limits and where the utilities run, so the project starts from a realistic direction rather than a wish list. From there we prepare a detailed, transparent quote for the full scope, worked out around your budget and priorities.

Every Nuance Design Build project has a dedicated project manager who is your single point of contact. They coordinate the trades, run the schedule, oversee quality and keep you informed through demolition, rough-in, installation, finishing and the final walkthrough. You get a detailed construction schedule, updates before you have to ask, budget tracking and quality-control inspections, so you never have to chase different people for answers.

It depends on the scope and the municipality. Structural changes, additions and legal basement suites need a building permit, and the application itself can depend on where the home is. Nuance Design Build prepares the drawings and paperwork, works through the by-laws and zoning rules with the city and stays on it until the permit is approved. During construction we schedule and manage every required inspection.

A basement suite is legal in Ontario if it is a self-contained unit (a secondary dwelling unit) that meets the Ontario Building Code and local zoning by-laws and has passed municipal permit inspections. It usually needs a separate entrance, a full kitchen with proper ventilation, a 3- or 4-piece bathroom, bedrooms with egress windows, fire-rated separation between units, an independent or properly balanced HVAC system, soundproofing, ESA-certified electrical, and interconnected smoke and CO alarms. Without permits, it cannot legally be rented.

Not every basement qualifies as it stands. Before anything is designed, Nuance Design Build runs a feasibility assessment of the ceiling height, the foundation and structure, existing plumbing and electrical capacity, the HVAC system, zoning eligibility and where a separate entrance could go. Some basements need larger windows or mechanical upgrades to comply. You get an honest answer at this stage, before you commit to design or permit drawings.

Yes. Nuance Design Build is fully licensed and insured. We carry WSIB coverage and $5 million in commercial liability insurance, which protects your home and investment for the whole renovation. Every project is professionally managed, with clear scheduling, daily coordination and supervision from demolition to final detailing, so workmanship, safety and cleanliness stay consistent at every stage.

Nuance Design Build’s warranties run from 3 to 10 years, depending on the scope and category of work, so the coverage lasts well past the end of the project. Every renovation finishes with detailing, a post-construction quality inspection and a final walkthrough before handover. Legal basement conversions also come with clear documentation of the approved work and ongoing support once the unit is complete.

Nuance Design Build works in 18 cities across the GTA: Richmond Hill, where we are based, plus Vaughan, Markham, Thornhill, King City, North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, Brampton, Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Aurora, Newmarket and Stouffville. We take on kitchens, bathrooms, basements (legal basement conversions included), home additions and full home renovations. Condo and commercial renovations are not offered yet.