Unlock
"Basement floors, tile and fixtures, chosen side by side with you."
your lower
level.
Basement renovations in Vaughan: a rec room or home theatre, a legal suite, an egress window or a walkout. Max and his father Roman lead the work, and 60% of the people we work for hire us again.
What We OfferAny basement finish in Vaughan goes to the City for a building permit, with the heating design, insulation values and ceiling heights drawn up for it. We draw that package, then build the rec room, theatre or bedrooms it shows.
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
For your own cinema or game room, done professionally, we soundproof walls, add acoustic treatments and tiered seating, wire the projector and fit ambient lighting.
Work & wellness
Dedicated workspace or fitness area with proper ventilation, rubber flooring, mirrors, and electrical for equipment. Designed for daily use.
Entertaining essentials
Your vision decides the finish on storage, sinks, custom bars and drink fridges. We plumb and wire plain wet bars and full kitchenettes alike.
Light & access
For garden-level access, the bigger move is a full walkout excavation. Otherwise, proper window wells give you daylight and emergency egress.
Why Choose UsPermit specialists
The Ontario Building Code sets rules for ceiling height, egress, separate utilities and fire separation, and we know them in detail. We have 30+ legal suites behind us.
Dry guaranteed
We tackle moisture at its root with drainage solutions, vapour barriers and proper waterproofing, then finish the walls.
Efficient timelines
Most basement finishing projects complete in 4-6 weeks. Legal suites take 6-8 weeks including permit approval time.
Warm & efficient
No cold spots, and the same comfort as the main floor, because the foundation walls are insulated with rigid boards or spray foam.
Code compliant
For legal suites, we install proper fire-rated assemblies between units: drywall, doors, and sealing. All inspected and approved.
Maximize height
When ceilings are low, we can underpin to lower the floor or fit flush-mount solutions that hide mechanicals and maximize headroom.
30+ legal suites built. We know the code.
We waterproof first, then finish walls.
Done in 4-6 weeks on average.
Even warmth that matches the main floor.
Inspectors check each fire-rated assembly.
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 →FAQThe total depends most on whether a walkout or a suite is in the plan. In Vaughan, a walkout adds its own section to a quote, because it brings a lot grading plan, underpinning design and sometimes a conservation authority sign-off before any digging. A suite has costs of its own: the ceiling under the main house is built as a rated fire separation, and the extra kitchen and bathroom can mean upgrading the water distribution piping under the Ontario Building Code. Each of those is its own line in the quote.
Construction usually takes 4 to 6 weeks. Before it starts, Vaughan wants the heating and ventilation designed and on paper as part of the permit application, so we finish that design work first. That pays off during framing, because the duct runs and insulation are already decided and the crew is not waiting on answers halfway through.
Yes. Vaughan requires a building permit for any basement finish, whether or not a suite is planned. A rental or in-law suite needs a separate permit of its own. A new side door or a wider window needs a building permit too, with a lot grading permit attached. We draw, apply and book the inspections for whichever of these your plan needs.
Yes, on the same drawings. Vaughan requires a permit for work that adds plumbing fixtures, and the basement-finish plans show the bathroom layout, so the new bathroom goes through the same review as the rest of the basement. Its rough-in is inspected before the walls are closed. The 3D renders show it with the rest of the layout, and the fixtures and tile are chosen with you inside the budget.
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 Vaughan 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 Vaughan ask us.
6 answers
With a fire separation in the floor between them. The suite's ceiling is built as a rated assembly, which changes the drywall and how ducts and pipes pass through it. In Vaughan the suite also takes its own permit, separate from the basement finish, so that detail sits on its drawings from the start.
People also ask
Its own building permit, issued before any excavation. Vaughan asks for a lot grading plan signed off by Development Engineering and underpinning details for the foundation, plus Toronto and Region Conservation Authority approval where the lot falls under it.
People also ask
On paper, with numbers. The application includes the mechanical layout, heat loss or gain calculations and an SB-12 energy efficiency design summary. The calculations size the ductwork and the drawings fix the insulation values, so both are settled before framing starts.
People also ask
Mostly a plan for how you will use it: where the screen and seating go, where outlets land, and where ducts run so the ceiling stays as high as possible. Vaughan's permit drawings record ceiling heights and beam sizes, so a low beam shows up on paper before framing.
People also ask
On any wall except the one with the main entrance; Vaughan's zoning keeps the two doors apart. So a suite door usually goes in at the side or back of the house, through an existing door, a new one cut into the wall, or a walkout. We settle which before the suite drawings start.
People also ask
It might. Under article 7.6.3.1 of Division B of the Ontario Building Code, adding a secondary suite can require an upgrade to the house's water distribution piping, since a second kitchen and bathroom draw on the same supply. We check that before the plumbing rough-in, so any upgrade shows up on the quote early.
People also ask
Good to KnowIn Vaughan, a walkout, a suite or a new opening in the foundation wall each adds to a basement quote, alongside the size of the space and the finishes you choose. None of those is a surprise once the quote is written after the free consultation, because each has its own lines for drawings, approvals and construction. If something turns up once the walls are open, you get photos, your options and a price before we carry on.
A Vaughan basement permit is detailed. Along with the mechanical design, the drawings show the bathroom layout, insulation values, beam sizes and ceiling heights. We prepare the whole package, submit it, and book inspections at the points the City sets, so walls are closed only after they pass. If you plan a suite, that permit is separate from the finish permit, and the drawings change with it: fire separations, the entrance, and sometimes larger supply piping. Deciding early saves redrawing later.
Vaughan's zoning sets the tests before anything is designed. The lot needs at least nine metres of frontage and three parking spaces on site. The suite has to be at least 35 square metres and no more than 45 per cent of the main dwelling's floor area. Its entrance cannot share a wall with the main front door, so it usually ends up at the side or rear.
That last rule can turn a suite into a bigger job. A side entrance can mean cutting a new door in the foundation wall, with its own permit and grading approval, or building a walkout. We check frontage, parking and size at the first visit, so you know which you are dealing with before any drawings are made.
Vaughan's zoning rules out secondary suites in the Woodbridge Special Policy Area and on any floodplain lot. If your house is in one of those places, the basement is planned as space for your own household: a family room, a guest room, a gym or a theatre. We confirm where the lot sits before design, so the drawings match what the City will accept.
Woodbridge also has a heritage conservation district plan, as do Maple and Thornhill, and Kleinburg-Nashville carries Heritage Conservation District designation under the Ontario Heritage Act. In those areas, a new basement window or a walkout goes through the City's heritage review, which adds lead time.
Every basement walkout in Vaughan needs a permit before construction. The application carries a lot grading plan approved by the City's Development Engineering Department, underpinning details for the foundation, and, where the property calls for it, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority approval. All of that happens before excavation, so a walkout's schedule starts well ahead of its build. We prepare the drawings, coordinate the approvals and only then dig. For a suite, a walkout can double as the separate entrance the zoning asks for.
Vaughan basements are handled by our Bradford office, with Max and his father Roman leading and licensed electricians and plumbers doing their parts. A free consultation at the house comes first, then the itemized quote with 3D renders, then finishes picked inside the budget. A single project manager keeps you posted each day of the build. When it is done we go over every detail together, and 30 days on we check back. Tim Paulau has hired Max and Roman over more than five years: bathroom remodels, a legal basement apartment addition, a full kitchen in his own home, and work on rental properties.
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
