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"A basement suite, from the first drawing to its occupancy permit."
your lower
level.
Basement renovations in Richmond Hill: rec rooms and theatres, legal units, egress windows and walkouts. We hold a 5.0 rating from 40 Google reviews, and three in five clients hire us again.
What We OfferYour basement renovation in Richmond Hill can be a rec room, a theatre or a legal unit with its own kitchen, and the City allows up to three extra units on a detached or semi-detached lot. We draw and permit it before we build.
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
We take on the complete build-out (electrical, framing, insulation, flooring and drywall) and turn bare concrete into a beautiful living area.
Entertainment space
Soundproofed walls, acoustic treatments, tiered seating, projector wiring, and ambient lighting. Your personal cinema or game room, professionally built.
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
A simple wet bar or a full kitchenette, plumbed, wired and finished the way you picture it, with storage, sinks, beverage fridges and custom bars.
Light & access
Emergency egress and natural light come with proper window wells. A full walkout excavation goes further and opens up garden-level access.
Why Choose UsPermit specialists
We've put up 30+ legal suites and know the Ontario Building Code thoroughly where it covers separate utilities, fire separation, egress and ceiling height.
Dry guaranteed
Walls stay unfinished until moisture is handled at the source through drainage solutions, proper waterproofing and vapour barriers.
Efficient timelines
Expect 4-6 weeks for most basement finishing work, or 6-8 weeks for a legal suite with permit approval time counted in.
Warm & efficient
Spray foam or rigid insulation on foundation walls. Your basement will be as comfortable as the main floor, with no cold spots.
Code compliant
We separate the units of a legal suite with proper fire-rated assemblies: sealing, doors and drywall. Inspectors sign off on all of it.
Maximize height
When ceilings are low, we can underpin to lower the floor or fit flush-mount solutions that hide mechanicals and maximize headroom.
Fluent in the code after 30+ legal suites.
Waterproofing before finishing walls.
On average it takes 4-6 weeks.
Main-floor warmth, with cold spots gone.
Full inspection of fire-rated assemblies.
We hide mechanicals for 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 →FAQOne Richmond Hill rule that shows up in the price is the wall assembly. Where existing insulation is altered or missing, the City wants full-height insulation on the inside of the foundation wall, and in a house no more than five years old, insulation running over 900 mm below grade needs a drainage layer as well. That changes the materials and the framing depth, so we price it from the start.
Usually 4 to 6 weeks of construction. A basement finished for your own family is done when its final inspection passes. For a legal unit, the date that matters is later: Richmond Hill issues the Occupancy Permit only once every inspection is complete, so the last inspection, not the last coat of paint, decides when someone can move in.
Yes, with a detailed set of drawings. The City's finished-basement checklist asks for room names and uses, wall construction and insulation, the washroom layout with every plumbing fixture and floor drain, window and door sizes, stairs, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. We prepare that set, submit it and book each inspection.
Yes. If the kitchen is part of an additional residential unit, its electrical work needs its own permit from the Electrical Safety Authority, separate from the City's building permit, because the Electrical Safety Code adds requirements for an added unit. That shapes how we plan the panel and circuits before the walls go up.
Didn’t see yours? Call (249) 444-4533 and ask.
Project TypesFour kinds of renovation, one in-house crew. Doing two rooms at once? We plan them together on one timeline.
We run Richmond Hill jobs out of our Bradford location, about 30 min away.
Your written quote comes after a free site visit.
Book a Free Site VisitHomeowners AskShort answers to what homeowners in Richmond Hill ask us.
6 answers
In most houses, yes. By-law 143-24 permits additional residential units on lots with a single detached, semi-detached or certain townhouse dwelling, subject to zoning and a building permit, so a basement apartment can be designed and permitted as a unit from the start.
People also ask
Measuring and a budget talk at the house, then an itemized quote with 3D renders. Next come the permit drawings the City's checklist asks for, then selections and the build under one project manager. Inspections close each stage, and a legal unit ends with the Occupancy Permit.
People also ask
Whatever matches how the house is used: a theatre or rec room, extra bedrooms, or a self-contained unit to rent. Richmond Hill's permit drawings name every room and its use, so the layout is settled before the application goes in.
People also ask
With full-height insulation on the inside of the foundation wall wherever the existing insulation is altered or missing. A drainage layer goes in too where insulation reaches deeper than 900 mm below grade, unless the house is more than five years old. We plan that wall assembly before any framing goes up.
People also ask
When the plan adds a sixth bedroom or a wood-burning fireplace. Richmond Hill's finished-basement checklist calls for an HRV in either case, which brings the unit and its ductwork into the mechanical design, so we decide on it before the duct runs are fixed.
People also ask
It adds a step at the start. Richmond Hill keeps an Inventory of Buildings of Architectural and Historical Importance, and owners planning exterior changes to a listed building are asked to talk to the Heritage Richmond Hill coordinator before applying. A side entrance or walkout changes the exterior, so that conversation comes before the permit drawings are finalised.
People also ask
Good to KnowA family basement's cost mainly moves with size, finishes and Richmond Hill's wall rules on insulation and drainage. A legal unit adds professional design, mechanical calculations and a separate electrical permit, and each appears as its own line in the itemized quote, which comes after a free consultation. Nicholas Milano said his finished basement was "done exactly how we wanted" and fairly priced.
Richmond Hill allows up to three additional residential units on most house lots, so a basement can be designed as a self-contained unit from day one rather than converted later. The City wants the unit's drawings prepared and reviewed by a qualified professional, and the mechanical drawings must include heat loss and heat gain calculations, so we bring that work in at the design stage. The unit's electrical is permitted and inspected on its own track by the Electrical Safety Authority. The unit is complete only when the City issues its Occupancy Permit after the final inspections, and we book those inspections as part of the job.
The company that draws your permit set is the one that builds to it, so the plan the City approved is the plan the crew follows, and we call in each inspection when its stage is ready. Licensed electricians and plumbers handle the wiring and plumbing, one project manager reports to you every day, and dust is controlled throughout. Richmond Hill basements are run from our Bradford location. Once the last inspection has passed, we go through the finished basement with you, and we check in again a month later.
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
