There are a wealth of resources to help you prepare for your renovation project. We’ve included a few below to help you get started.
Getting Started
National Survey on Renovation: A national study conducted by Ipsos, survey reveals that 7 in 10 Canadians have difficulty finding a contractor they can trust for a renovation of $5,000+. The study also highlights that Toronto is the Canadian city where people are most likely to have their deposits stolen (9% of our sample), get unforeseen extras billed (27%) and require work to be redone due to sloppiness (22%). It is also the city where it’s most difficult to find a trustworthy renovation contractor: 78% find it difficult.
Changing Lanes: The City of Toronto’s Review of Laneway Suites: On June 28, 2018, Toronto City Council adopted the Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments permitting laneway suites in R zones under Zoning By-law 569-2013 in the Toronto and East York District.
City of Toronto Homeowner’s Guide to Building Permits: This guide provides a general outline of the building permit process and will help first time applicants complete their projects.
Protecting Yourself
Construction Lien Act: It is a little know fact that homeowners in Ontario undertaking a renovation are required by law to hold back 10 percent of every payment made directly to any Contractor or Sub Contractor until the payee’s right to lien the subject property expires or is otherwise satisfied. The Ontario Construction Lien Act (CLA) is the legislation that creates both the trades’ right to lien the property and the home owner’s right/responsibility to withhold 10% to potentially pay off the any liens filed. Here we’ve provided a link to the complete CLA as well as a summary of the legislation done by a prominent Toronto law firm.
Rebate Programs
Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program: The City of Toronto offers owners of single-family, duplex and triplex residential homes a subsidy of up to $3,400 per property to install flood protection devices.
GST/HST Rebate for New Housing Purchases and Substantial Renovations: If you substantially renovate your home, you may qualify for a rebate of a portion of the GST/HST paid on labour and materials. To determine how much of an HST rebate you may be eligible for, use this HST calculator.
Our Renovation Partners