Home Renovation in St. Clair West
St. Clair West Home Renovation: Older Houses, Two-Unit Plans
Home renovation in St. Clair West mostly means older housing: in the City’s Corso Italia-Davenport census area, 72% of homes were built in 1960 or earlier, and nearly half are detached or semi-detached houses. Earlscourt began around 1906 as a self-built settlement of British labourers whose first homes were often little more than shacks, and a few still stand. After the Second World War the area became the heart of Italian Toronto, and today about one dwelling in ten is a duplex flat.
Ashford has no finished project on this strip yet. The closest is just south-west in Junction Triangle, where our Wallace Avenue basement became a separate rental suite with its own front entrance, the kind of basement underpinning and two-unit work owners here ask about. For bigger changes, our second-storey additions and whole-house renovations are designed and permitted in-house.
Neighbourhood file
Inside the St. Clair West Strip
This stretch of St. Clair Avenue West covers Earlscourt and Corso Italia, from Old Weston Road east to just past Dufferin Street. It joined Toronto in 1910, became the centre of Italian Toronto after the war, and got its own streetcar right-of-way between 2005 and 2010.
Nearby neighbourhoods we renovate
- Main building era
- 1960 or earlier for 72% of homes
- Typical house
- Brick detached and semi-detached, nearly half the stock
- Two-unit homes
- About one dwelling in ten is a duplex flat
- City ward
- Ward 9 Davenport; Ward 12 east of Winona Drive
- Variance panel
- Committee of Adjustment, Toronto and East York
- Our work nearby
- Wallace Ave suite, just south-west in Junction Triangle
Renovating an Older St. Clair West House: What Comes Up
Houses along this stretch have been added to, divided and patched by several owners over a century. These are the problems we expect when we open one up, and how we handle each.
Behind the Walls
- Older houses altered in stages over many decades
- Two-unit houses without proper fire separation or exits
- Low basements under pre-1960 brick houses
- Original wiring, plumbing and plaster still in place
- A busy streetcar corridor with little room to stop
What We Do About It
- Opening up and measuring the structure before final drawings
- Legal secondary suites with fire separation and separate entrances
- Underpinning for a code-height suite or family room
- Full rewiring and new plumbing as part of the gut
- Side-street deliveries and staging planned before demolition
Services Along the Streetcar Line
Renovation Services for St. Clair West Houses
Two-unit work and basement underpinning lead here, because so many owners want a suite for family or rent. Whole-house renovations follow, as older homes come up for a full update.
01
Whole-Home Renovation
Full renovations of pre-1960 brick houses: new wiring, plumbing and insulation, with the layout rethought for how your household lives now.
02
Basement Underpinning
Lowering basements in older Earlscourt and Corso Italia houses for a legal suite or a family room with real ceiling height.
03
Home Additions
Second-storey and rear additions on detached houses, where Toronto and East York zoning and multiplex rules can allow more space or units.
04
Home Extensions
Rear extensions that add a bigger kitchen or a ground-floor bedroom for an older parent, built around multi-generational living.
05
Interior Redesign
Separating a two-unit house properly, or joining two units back into one home, with new stairs, entrances and fire-rated walls.
06
Architectural Design & Permits
Measured drawings of houses that have changed over decades, plus suite, multiplex and permit applications prepared by our BCIN-qualified team.
Wards, Units and Heritage on St. Clair West
Most of the Corso Italia stretch is in Ward 9, Davenport, and the blocks east of Winona Drive are in Ward 12, Toronto-St. Paul’s. Both are Toronto and East York wards, so variances go to that Committee of Adjustment panel, and both allow up to six units in a detached house. There is no Heritage Conservation District along this part of St. Clair, though some individual buildings, including churches, are designated one by one. Laneway suites are possible where a lot shares a property line with a public lane. Any private tree 30 cm or wider needs a City permit before it is injured or removed.
What Shapes the Cost on This Strip
Old wiring, basement depth and whether you add a second unit move the price more than finishes do. We price your house after seeing it, not from a chart.
Why Choose Us
Why St. Clair West Families Hire Ashford
Suites Planned for Family
Many owners here want a parent, an adult child or a tenant downstairs. We design suites that meet ceiling, exit and fire rules, and keep the second unit smaller than the main one, as the City requires.
Old Houses Measured First
Houses on this strip have been altered for a century. We measure and open up what we need to before final drawings, so surprises show up on paper, not mid-build.
Designers Who File Permits
Our BCIN-qualified team draws your plans and submits the permit and suite applications, so nothing waits on an outside office.
Covered for Five Years
Your renovation carries a 5-year warranty on labour and materials, and JobTread keeps the budget, schedule and site photos in front of you.
Renovating on St. Clair West, Stage by Stage
Our Closest Work and the Areas Next Door
Our closest finished project is just south-west in Junction Triangle: the Wallace Avenue basement suite, underpinned and given its own front entrance. Larger detached houses and the Wychwood Park heritage district to the east are covered on our Wychwood page, and the former stockyard lands at the west end of the streetcar line are on our Stockyards page.
St. Clair West Renovation Questions
Can I legally add a second unit to my St. Clair West house?
In most cases, yes. Toronto allows a secondary suite in a detached, semi-detached or row house, with a building permit. The second unit must be smaller in area than the main one, and a basement suite needs a ceiling of at least 1.95 m, or 1.85 m under beams and ducts, under the 2024 Ontario Building Code.
Could my St. Clair West lot hold more than two units?
Possibly. Wards 9 and 12 are Toronto and East York wards, where the City now allows up to six units in a detached house, and fourplexes are allowed citywide. The six-unit rule does not apply to semi-detached houses. Lot size, fire access and height all matter, so we check your address before sketching anything.
Our house has been in the family for decades. Where do we start?
With a walk-through and an honest list. Older houses here may still hide original wiring, plumbing and plaster, plus additions made by different owners. We measure everything, tell you what must be replaced and what can stay, then design a whole-house renovation plan, in stages if that suits your budget.
Is there a heritage district on St. Clair West?
No. This part of St. Clair is not on the City’s list of Heritage Conservation Districts. Some individual buildings, including churches, have been designated one by one, and the Wychwood Park district sits further east. If your house is listed or designated, we confirm it before design and plan exterior changes around it.
Can I build a laneway suite behind my St. Clair West house?
If your lot shares a property line with a public lane, it may qualify. Laneway suites have been allowed citywide since 2019, under rules on size, distance from the main house and fire access. We check the lane, any trees 30 cm or wider, and the route for water and power before designing anything.
Does the streetcar right-of-way complicate construction?
It mostly affects logistics. The 512 St. Clair runs in its own centre right-of-way, built between 2005 and 2010, so deliveries on the main road need more planning than on a quiet side street. We stage materials and bins from side streets and lanes, and plan around permit parking where it applies.
Can I legally add a second unit to my St. Clair West house?
In most cases, yes. Toronto allows a secondary suite in a detached, semi-detached or row house, with a building permit. The second unit must be smaller in area than the main one, and a basement suite needs a ceiling of at least 1.95 m, or 1.85 m under beams and ducts, under the 2024 Ontario Building Code.
Could my St. Clair West lot hold more than two units?
Possibly. Wards 9 and 12 are Toronto and East York wards, where the City now allows up to six units in a detached house, and fourplexes are allowed citywide. The six-unit rule does not apply to semi-detached houses. Lot size, fire access and height all matter, so we check your address before sketching anything.
Our house has been in the family for decades. Where do we start?
With a walk-through and an honest list. Older houses here may still hide original wiring, plumbing and plaster, plus additions made by different owners. We measure everything, tell you what must be replaced and what can stay, then design a whole-house renovation plan, in stages if that suits your budget.
Is there a heritage district on St. Clair West?
No. This part of St. Clair is not on the City’s list of Heritage Conservation Districts. Some individual buildings, including churches, have been designated one by one, and the Wychwood Park district sits further east. If your house is listed or designated, we confirm it before design and plan exterior changes around it.
Can I build a laneway suite behind my St. Clair West house?
If your lot shares a property line with a public lane, it may qualify. Laneway suites have been allowed citywide since 2019, under rules on size, distance from the main house and fire access. We check the lane, any trees 30 cm or wider, and the route for water and power before designing anything.
Does the streetcar right-of-way complicate construction?
It mostly affects logistics. The 512 St. Clair runs in its own centre right-of-way, built between 2005 and 2010, so deliveries on the main road need more planning than on a quiet side street. We stage materials and bins from side streets and lanes, and plan around permit parking where it applies.
Do you only take on larger renovations?
Yes. Our projects are whole houses, basements, additions, suites and conversions. Kitchens and bathrooms are included when they are part of that bigger plan, not as stand-alone jobs. If you are unsure whether your project fits, a free consultation is the quickest way to find out, and our process page explains each stage.
