Kitchen renovations in Toronto
Toronto's stock runs from 1890s brick semis downtown to 1950s bungalows at the edges, on lots that are rarely wider than 30 feet. In those houses in Toronto, the kitchen is usually at the back, walled off from the dining room, and the job is to open it up and bring it into the plan. A kitchen renovation in the GTA is usually a structural job in disguise: the wall that has to come out carries the floor above, and the sink is moving to where the drain is not.
Toronto, on the ground.
In Toronto the usual brief is a second storey on a semi, a rear addition with a new kitchen, or a laneway suite behind a house that already has one. The kitchen comes out behind dust walls, the beam and the services go in, and the cabinets, stone and appliances from the catalogue go in last, with the rest of the house kept clean throughout.
Read more about building in Toronto or the full kitchen renovations page.
On the drawing.
A measured plan and a rendering of the finished kitchen before you sign
Engineered drawings for any wall that comes out, and the building permit if one is needed
Demolition with dust walls and floor protection to the rest of the house
Beam and posts where a wall comes out, plumbing and electrical moved to the new plan
Cabinets, counters, backsplash, lighting, flooring and appliances installed from the catalogue
A deficiency walk with the list closed before the last payment, and a written warranty
Paper first.
A kitchen renovation needs a building permit where a load-bearing wall comes out or plumbing is relocated, and the electrical is inspected under its own permit. Toronto Building issues the permit, and any design outside the zoning envelope goes to the Committee of Adjustment first, so the zoning check comes before the drawings are final.
- A building permit is required where a load-bearing wall comes out or plumbing is relocated.
- Electrical work is inspected under the Electrical Safety Authority's permit, pulled by the licensed electrician.
- A kitchen rebuilt in the same footprint with the same services usually needs no building permit.
The paperwork wall: WSIB, insurance, licences, the HCRA status and the warranty, on one page and dated.
| Driver | What we look at |
|---|---|
| Does the plan change | A kitchen in the same footprint with new finishes, or a kitchen that moves and opens into the next room. |
| Structure | A load-bearing wall coming out is a beam, posts and footings sized by the engineer. |
| Services | How far the sink, the range and the panel circuits move from where they are. |
| Cabinets and stone | Custom versus semi-custom cabinets, counter material, and the length of the run. |
| Appliances | Panel-ready, gas versus induction, a hood that needs a new duct through the roof. |
No price ranges on this site. The measured plan sets the number, and the catalogue lets you move it line by line.
If a wall comes out or the plumbing moves, yes, from the City of Toronto (Toronto Building). A kitchen rebuilt in place with the same services usually does not. We tell you which at the site walk.
Weeks for a kitchen rebuilt in place, longer when a wall comes out and the plan changes. The schedule is written into the contract with the drawings.
It depends on whether the design fits the zoning envelope. A design inside the by-law goes through as a building permit; one outside it goes to the Committee of Adjustment first, which adds months. [Kam confirms typical Toronto permit timing.]
Often, yes. The shared wall is the engineering question: the new floor loads onto a party wall the neighbour also owns, so the drawings have to show how the load is carried without touching their side. We check the by-law height limit for the street before you commit to drawings.