Scarborough — City of Toronto (Scarborough Community Council)
Basement Renovation & Second Suites in Scarborough
No corner of Toronto has stronger second-suite economics than Scarborough. Wide post-war lots make separate side entrances straightforward, transit expansion keeps rental demand deep, and the basements themselves — full-footprint, block-wall, often seven feet or better under Agincourt splits and Guildwood ranches — were practically drawn for conversion.
We build suites that survive scrutiny: registered with the City, egress windows sized to code, fire separations tested assemblies rather than hopeful drywall, and sound isolation that keeps two households on good terms. The same crews deliver family space where income is not the goal — theatres, gyms, and in-law suites for the multi-generational households that define this part of the city.
Every project starts below the slab: drainage assessment, foundation inspection, and moisture strategy sized to your lot — not a boilerplate spec.
- Serving
- Guildwood · Scarborough Bluffs · Agincourt · Highland Creek · Centennial
- Permits
- City of Toronto (Scarborough Community Council)
- Response
- Within 24 hours
- Warranty
- 5-Year workmanship
Why Scarborough basements convert best with us
The suite math only works when the build passes every inspection the first time. Our drawings anticipate what City of Toronto inspectors check in Scarborough conversions — ceiling-height calculations through ductwork zones, window-well drainage, furnace-room separation — and our registration paperwork is complete the day the final inspection clears. Tenants can move in the same month.
Water discipline matters here too. Lots near Highland Creek and the Bluffs tablelands can carry perched water tables, and older block foundations wick moisture through parging season by season. We camera-test weeping tile, install backwater valves and sumps where the risk profile calls for them, and help owners claim Toronto’s basement-flooding subsidy when eligible.
Second-suite rules and permits in Scarborough
Creating a second suite in Scarborough requires a building permit from the City of Toronto Building Division covering fire separation, egress, ventilation and plumbing — reviews run about two to three weeks for complete applications. The finished unit must then be registered with the City. Underpinning or new side-door openings need structural drawings alongside.
Zoning permits second suites across most of Scarborough’s residential neighbourhoods, but entrance placement, parking and floor-area rules vary block to block — Agincourt’s splits and Centennial’s two-storeys each have their quirks. We run the zoning review before design so the suite we draw is the suite you can register.
Basement conversions across Scarborough
- Agincourt
Split-Level Suite & Separate Entry
A lower-level two-bedroom suite with a new side entrance cut and underpinned stairwell, registered and rented within a month of final inspection at $2,350.
- Guildwood
Ranch-House Guest Wing Below
An in-law suite under a 1958 ranch — heated floors, curbless bath, oversized egress windows onto the garden, built for parents with mobility needs.
- Highland Creek
Student-Smart Rental
A three-bedroom legal suite minutes from UTSC with sound-rated ceilings, keyed room locks and separate laundry — designed around the campus rental market.
Client Words — Scarborough
“Registered, inspected, tenanted in five months from the first phone call. The rent covers our line of credit with room to spare.”
“My mother’s suite is warmer than our main floor and completely private. The team thought of handrails and lighting we never would have.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Service Area — Scarborough, Ontario
Start Your Scarborough Project
Prefer to talk?
(647) 876-4070Site visits across Scarborough within the week. Estimates are fixed-scope and itemized.
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