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"Your basement suite, planned with the lot's next units in mind."
your lower
level.
Basement renovations in Collingwood from our Barrie headquarters: rec rooms, theatres, legal suites, egress windows, walkouts and finished family space. Our Google rating is 5.0 from 40 reviews, and each job ends with a walkthrough and a 30-day check-in.
What We OfferA basement renovation in Collingwood is either finished space for the household or a legal second unit, and the two are drawn and permitted differently. We decide which fits at the first visit, after measuring headroom and checking where the sump pump drains.
Rental income ready
A full legal secondary suite gets a separate entrance, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. To make it rental-ready, we sort out permits and fire separation and meet every code requirement.
Raw to refined
Unfinished concrete becomes beautiful living space. The whole build-out is ours: framing, electrical, insulation, drywall and flooring.
Entertainment space
Game rooms and private cinemas, done to a professional standard: soundproofing in the walls, acoustic treatments, projector wiring, tiered seating and ambient lighting.
Work & wellness
We design a dedicated workspace or gym for everyday use. It gets electrical for the equipment, mirrors, rubber flooring and proper ventilation.
Entertaining essentials
Custom bars, beverage fridges, sinks, and storage. From simple wet bars to full kitchenettes, we plumb, wire, and finish to your vision.
Light & access
Proper window wells let daylight in and give you an emergency way out. Bigger still, a full walkout excavation adds access at garden level.
Why Choose UsPermit specialists
We've built 30+ legal suites. We know Ontario Building Code requirements for fire separation, ceiling height, egress, and separate utilities inside and out.
Dry guaranteed
Proper waterproofing, vapour barriers, and drainage solutions. We address moisture at the source before finishing walls.
Efficient timelines
A typical basement finishing project wraps up in 4-6 weeks. Allow 6-8 weeks for legal suites, permit approval time included.
Warm & efficient
Rigid or spray foam insulation lines the foundation walls. The basement feels like the main floor: comfortable, without cold spots.
Code compliant
Between legal suite units, we fit proper fire-rated assemblies of doors, drywall and sealing, each checked by an inspector and approved.
Maximize height
Underpinning lowers the floor, or flush-mount solutions hide mechanicals. We can do either to get the most headroom from low ceilings.
Fluent in the code after 30+ legal suites.
We waterproof first, then finish walls.
Averages 4-6 weeks to complete.
Warm as the main floor, no cold spots.
Fire-rated assemblies, fully inspected.
Concealed mechanicals, maximum height.
Client Reviews40
“… They would work until 7-8pm but got it done in 2 weeks, something other contractors suggested would take 3 weeks and cost extra for the rush. … Pricing matched the quote and the site was spotless at the end. …”
Amy An
Google · Sep 2025
“… Four minutes later I get a call from the owner himself … he gave me a ±5% quote which I accepted. … The final price went up by 3% because we decided to add a coffee bar. …”
Mark Milovanov
Google · May 2026
“… Top quality workmanship, communication and integrity. … I was sent a detailed breakdown of the cost … Max messaged me everytime he was coming and going from my home, which provided great peace of mind. …”
Brent Ste-Croix
Google · May 2026
“I’ve worked with Max and Roman in Barrie for over 5 years on everything from bathroom remodels to a legal basement apartment addition … They’ve consistently delivered top-notch work …”
Tim Paulau
Google · Sep 2025
“Reno Raptors where punctual, kind, friendly and someone who kept their word. … He had some challenges with a 150yr old Century Home bathroom, BUT the way it turned out was phenomenal. …”
Kathleen Rusk
Google · Sep 2026
“We went online to book an appt to get a quote & 2 minutes later my phone rang. … Next day we got a quote, 3 days later they started. It took them the 3 days he told us it would. …”
Gayle Martin
Google · Apr 2026
“We had our storage room converted into a home gym by Reno Raptors and couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. … He was very thorough during the quoting process, took the time to walk through every detail, offered fair pricing …”
Kevin Boodoosingh
Google · Apr 2026
“… They completed 2 bathrooms in our house and we couldn’t be happier. … Paint, tile, plumbing, trim, electrical, these guys know what they’re doing and kept the house spotless while doing it!”
Paul Moniz
Google · Aug 2026
“Max from Reno Raptors did an amazing job getting our new home move-in ready! They installed all our floors, trim, and doors, repainted the whole place, redid our stairs, and even finished our basement. …”
Raul Shamkhalov
Google · Oct 2025
“Max finished our basement and did an incredible job! The space looks amazing and was done exactly how we wanted. Great communication, fair pricing, and quality work, highly recommend them. Worked with a few GC’s in the past, but Reno raptors are the best in Barrie!”
Nicholas Milano
Google · Oct 2025
“Roman and his crew did an amazing job on our office renovation. Everything was done properly and up to code … I already booked them for my master bath at home in Friday harbour.”
luka gogolashvili
Google · Oct 2025
“Max and Roman updated the bathrooms in my cottage. Their tiling skills are unmatched. It was a breeze working with this father-son team. Would 100% recommend to anyone in simcoe county”
Inna Rotar
Google · Nov 2025
1–3of 12 reviews
Our Basement ProjectsTwo LocationsHeadquartered in Barrie, with a second location in Bradford. We take on projects within an hour's drive of either, from Muskoka and Georgian Bay down to York Region and the north GTA.
Simcoe County, Georgian Bay and Muskoka, all within an hour.
York Region, Caledon, Dufferin and the north GTA, all within an hour.
Not on the list? If you're within an hour of Barrie or Bradford, we can likely help.
Contact us to check availability →FAQIn Collingwood, what sits under the finish can add to the cost: a sump pump draining into the floor drain gets rerouted outside, and a sewer lateral check before finishing is worth doing. A legal suite costs more than family space, because of the fire separation, egress window and separate way out.
The construction typically takes 4 to 6 weeks. Collingwood also wants a Zoning Certificate before you apply for the building permit, and a suite's drawings need to be settled before anything is filed. A zoning-compliant unit, one of up to two on the lot, is exempt from the Town's servicing capacity allocation, so it doesn't wait in that line.
For a second suite, yes, and the Town spells out the drawings: the fire separation between units, the basement egress window, and existing and proposed ceiling heights, including under bulkheads and over stairs. Where a basement job needs a building permit, the Zoning Certificate comes first. We draw, file and book the inspections either way.
The suite rules drop away. A family room, gym or theatre has no second unit, so there is no fire separation between units to design and no independent exit to plan, both of which the Town requires for an additional residential unit. The sump and sewer lateral checks apply either way.
Didn’t see yours? Call (249) 444-4533 and ask.
Project TypesSix kinds of renovation, one in-house crew. Doing two rooms at once? We plan them together on one timeline.
We run Collingwood jobs out of our Barrie headquarters, about 45 min away.
Your written quote comes after a free site visit.
Book a Free Site VisitHomeowners AskShort answers to what homeowners in Collingwood ask us.
6 answers
Yes. The Town's secondary suite permit drawings have to show the basement egress window, so where it goes and how big it is are worked out while the suite is laid out, together with the fire separation and the ceiling heights.
People also ask
Yes. Under the Town's zoning by-law the unit needs independent access to the outside, though the route can run through a hallway it shares with the main house. Where that door goes is one of the first things we settle on the plan.
People also ask
At every low point. The Town wants the heights under ductwork bulkheads and above the stairs shown on the plans, as they are now and after the work, so we measure those spots before designing anything.
People also ask
An evaluation of the existing septic system. The Town requires it so the new unit won't reduce the system's performance, and the result can change the scope or stop the suite, so it comes before the design is final.
People also ask
Not if it meets zoning. The Town's Water and Wastewater Capacity Allocation Policy doesn't apply to adding up to two additional residential units on a lot that comply with zoning, so a compliant basement suite doesn't wait for a share of servicing capacity.
People also ask
Because the Town names a blocked sewer lateral, the pipe from the house to the street, as the most common cause of basement flooding and backed-up drains. Finding a problem there before the finish goes in beats discovering it under new flooring.
People also ask
Good to KnowA Zoning Certificate comes first: Collingwood requires one before a building permit application for a residential renovation, so that step leads the schedule. For a basement suite, the permit set then has to show how the two units are separated for fire, where the egress window goes, and the headroom at its lowest points. We measure the basement, draw and file the full set, and book inspections as the work reaches each stage.
Getting out of the unit is the first design question. Collingwood's zoning by-law requires an additional residential unit to have independent access to the outside, though it can share a hallway with the main house, so the design either adds a separate entrance or routes a shared hall to one. The fire separation and egress window shape the layout too. The Town now allows up to three additional units per residential lot, four in total, which is a reason to plan the basement around anything else you might add later.
Water is the check we make before any framing. The Town asks that sump pump and downspout water go onto the lawn or into the ground, never into the basement floor drain, because that drain feeds the sanitary sewer. A pump tied into it gets rerouted outside while the walls are still open. The Town also names a blocked sewer lateral to the street as the most common cause of backed-up drains and basement flooding, so we suggest having the lateral checked before the finish goes in.
Measuring, drawing, filing and building all stay with one company, and Collingwood jobs are run from our Barrie headquarters. Licensed trades do the wiring and plumbing, under a project manager who updates you daily. Raul Shamkhalov's review covers a new house Max made ready to move into, with the basement finished as part of it, and says everything "was done on time." Reno Raptors has completed 600+ projects since 2018, and 60% of clients come back for more work.
Serving your areaContact us today for a free consultation and a detailed quote.
Every room starts as a drawing.
Track record
Sheet A-203Reno Raptors
Basement finishing
