Real numbers from completed Desire Basements projects across the GTA, priced live as you build your space. No email required.
Clean, warm, complete. Permits, framing, pot lights, LVP flooring.
Feature walls, designed bulkheads, upgraded millwork and lighting.
Custom everything. Stone, integrated LED coves, hotel-grade detail.
GTA legal suites rent for $1,700–$2,400/mo in 2026 → gross payback in roughly 4–6 years. Underpinning for low ceilings ($350–600/linear ft) is quoted separately.
Median completed-project values from Desire Basements contracts. Half of recent projects fell between $75,000 and $150,000.
It uses the same per-square-foot tiers and adder values as our published 2026 Cost Report, which is built from real completed contract values. Your fixed quote comes after an in-home visit and a free 3D design, and it is itemized and locked before you sign.
Permits and inspections, metal-stud framing, moisture-resistant drywall, insulation, electrical, HVAC, flooring, painting and full detailing. It is an all-in build number, not a starting-from teaser.
Suites are scoped differently: entrance excavation, fire separation and kitchen specs move the number. Purpose-built legal suites typically land between $75,000 and $110,000+, with underpinning extra where ceilings are under 6'11".
Typical construction runs about eight weeks from start to final walkthrough, and most projects finish within 4 to 11 weeks. The written timeline in your quote is backed by our $200/day on-time guarantee.
The calculator above multiplies your square footage by one of three published rates and adds the features you pick. The table below is the same arithmetic written out, so you can check a quote against it without moving a slider.
| Basement size | Essential, $55 per sq ft | Signature, $70 per sq ft | Luxury, $90 per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 800 sq ft | $44,000 | $56,000 | $72,000 |
| 1,000 sq ft | $55,000 | $70,000 | $90,000 |
| 1,200 sq ft | $66,000 | $84,000 | $108,000 |
| 1,500 sq ft | $82,500 | $105,000 | $135,000 |
| Add-on | Typical cost | ||
| Three-piece bathroom with tiled shower | $18,000 to $28,000 | ||
| Custom wet bar | +$15,000 | ||
| Home theatre | +$20,000 | ||
| Walkout entrance, permits included | $15,000 to $25,000 | ||
| Full-perimeter underpinning | $60,000 to $120,000 | ||
Median completed Desire project: about $103,000. Most GTA projects land between $60,000 and $150,000. See the full Toronto and GTA basement cost guide and the basement renovation service page.
