Where we build · Scarborough, City of Toronto

Custom home builder and renovation contractor in Scarborough

Scarborough is second-storey country. Most of the houses went up between 1950 and 1975 as bungalows and side-splits on 40 and 50 foot lots, which makes them the easiest houses in the GTA to add a floor to: the footprint is already there, the lot has room to work, and the neighbours are far enough away to keep the crane simple.

Scarborough in detail

Scarborough, on the ground.

The jobs that make sense here are a full second storey on a bungalow, a rear addition that opens the back of the house to the yard, and whole-home renovations that take a 1960s plan and rebuild it for a family that wants to stay on the street. Basement underpinning shows up where the owner wants a legal suite with real ceiling height.

Scarborough has been part of the City of Toronto since 1998, so the building permit comes from Toronto Building, not a Scarborough office. Lots near the Bluffs and the ravines fall under the conservation authority, which adds a review before the permit.

Permit office

City of Toronto

Permits come from Toronto Building; Scarborough has had no separate office since amalgamation in 1998, and lots near the Bluffs add a conservation review. [Link to the Scarborough building permit page and typical processing time.]

Housing stock

What the lots allow

Scarborough is mostly 1950s to 1970s bungalows and side-splits on 40 to 50 foot lots, the easiest houses in the city to add a floor to.

Projects here

[n] in Scarborough

[Kam confirms how many Savino projects have been built in Scarborough and which ones can be shown.]

Questions from Scarborough

Most can, with new footings at the corners or a steel frame to carry the load, which the engineer decides after looking at the foundation. We open a test pit at the site walk stage so the answer comes before the drawings, not after.

The City of Toronto. Scarborough has been inside the City since 1998, so the application goes to Toronto Building.

It adds a review. Lots within the conservation authority's regulated area need its sign-off before the permit, and the setback from the edge governs where an addition can go. We find that out at the zoning check.