North York, Ontario, basement renovations by Desire Basements

Basement Renovations in North York

Luxury basement finishing for North York homes. Free 3D design, an itemized price that locks before you sign, a lifetime workmanship warranty and a written finish date that pays you $200 for every late day.

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Basement renovation in North York, street by street

North York's post-war bungalows and wide-lot rebuilds are some of the best basement candidates in the city: generous footprints in Willowdale, York Mills and Don Mills that finish into theatres, gyms and full in-law suites. Along the Yonge subway corridor, suite demand keeps climbing.

Older bungalows often come with lower ceilings. Benching and underpinning turn them into full-height living space, and our moisture-first construction handles mature streets as part of the build. The result: finished, livable square footage and real value added to your North York home.

WILLOWDALEBAYVIEW VILLAGEDON MILLSYORK MILLSNEWTONBROOKLANSING
SINCE2017
400+GTA BASEMENTS
1POINT OF CONTACT
Open finished basement living area with grey sectional and coffered ceiling, basement renovation in North York by Desire Basements

Basement renovation permits in North York, handled for you

North York basements fall under Toronto Building. A building permit is required for finishing, with applications filed online and staged inspections through the build. Under Ontario's updated housing rules, secondary suites are permitted as-of-right in most detached, semi-detached and townhouse zones, with no parking requirement for the unit. The rules that decide older homes are Building Code details: 1.95 m ceiling height over most of the living space (underpinning solves it), compliant egress, fire separation and interconnected alarms. We design to code from day one, file with Toronto Building, and manage every inspection to final sign-off.

1

Drawings & permit
Engineer-stamped and filed for your North York address

2

Code-first build
Egress, fire separation and alarms built in

3

Staged inspections
Framing, insulation, ESA electrical, plumbing

4

Final sign-off
Closed permit, documented for resale

A free 3D design of your finished basement

Walk your basement room by room in 3D. Move a wall, swap a finish, then approve every detail before a stud goes up.

★★★★★

"Kam delivered the project on time and on budget. It's now been three years since our basement was completed, and it still looks incredible. We continue to receive so many compliments on the space."

MS FAIRBAIRN · GTA HOMEOWNER · ✓ GOOGLE REVIEW

Built on trust, backed in writing

Since 2017BUILDING IN THE GTA

Basement renovations across the GTA since 2017, the owner on every site.

LifetimeWARRANTY COVERAGE

Lifetime workmanship warranty on every wall, floor and fixture we install, in writing.

$200/dayON-TIME GUARANTEE

Your quote includes a written timeline. If we miss it, we pay you $200 for every late day.

WHAT A BASEMENT COSTS · ONE STANDARD, ONE QUOTE SHEET
$67,800A 1,000 SQ FT BASEMENT WITH A BATHROOM, BEFORE HST
One standardLIFETIME WORKMANSHIP WARRANTY
400+BASEMENTS SINCE 2017

Every basement is priced from the same quote sheet, line by line. Permit drawings, 3D design and the lifetime workmanship warranty are included.

Price my basement Get a Free Estimate

An 815 sq ft work-and-workout basement on Fortrose Crescent

  • Quoted August 2026
  • 815 sq ft
  • 75-day guaranteed completion
  • $100,000 to $110,000

Quoted in August 2026 with a 75-day guaranteed completion. The design puts a gym behind a single glass door with sliding mirror closet doors, a home office, and a stackable laundry closet with sink plumbing. The bathroom gets a custom tiled shower on a Schluter-KERDI system, the lounge a 5-foot bar and a 60-inch Napoleon linear fireplace, with two closets, eight doors and 22 pot lights.

basement home office custom desk walnut slats
basement gym glass wall red equipment
basement white media wall fireplace builtins
Photography from Desire Basements projects across the GTA. Contract range shown before HST.See our projects

What a basement in North York costs, by scope

The same quote sheet we use everywhere in the GTA, line by line. Permit drawings, 3D design and the lifetime workmanship warranty are included.

ScopePrice before HST
600 sq ft with a three-piece bathroom$56,000
800 sq ft with a three-piece bathroom$62,000
1,000 sq ft with a three-piece bathroom$67,800
1,200 sq ft with a three-piece bathroom and two bedrooms$75,200
1,500 sq ft with a three-piece bathroom and two bedrooms$83,700
The family basement: media wall, full bathroom, laundry, around 1,000 sq ft$60,000 to $85,000
The entertainment build: theatre or media room, bar, gym, spa bathroom, 1,000 to 1,300 sq ft$95,000 to $130,000
Three-piece bathroom, added to a basement without one$11,700
Custom wet bar+$15,000
Home theatre setup+$20,000
Walkout entrance, permits included$15,000 to $25,000
Full-perimeter underpinning for low ceilings$60,000 to $120,000
Legal basement apartment, purpose-built$75,000 to $110,000 or more

Every basement is priced from the same quote sheet, line by line: a 1,000 sq ft basement with a three-piece bathroom comes to about $67,800 before HST, and the price per square foot falls as the basement grows because the permit, bin, breakers, stairs and bathroom cost the same at any size. Use the calculator to price yours. Cost guides: bathroom, walkout and underpinning.

Answers for North York homeowners

Do I need a building permit to finish my basement in North York?

Yes. Finishing a basement in North York requires a building permit from Toronto Building, with staged inspections for structural, framing, insulation, electrical and plumbing work. Desire Basements has the drawings prepared and stamped by a licensed structural engineer, files the application online, and manages every inspection through final sign-off.

Can I add a legal basement apartment in North York?

Yes. Secondary suites are permitted as-of-right in most detached, semi-detached and townhouse zones in North York, with no minor variance and no parking requirement for the unit. The suite must meet Building Code requirements: 1.95 m ceiling height over most of the living space, compliant egress, fire separation and interconnected alarms. Where ceilings fall short, underpinning or benching solves it. We design, permit and build the full package.

How much does a basement renovation cost in North York?

Every basement is priced from the same quote sheet, line by line: a 1,000 sq ft basement with a three-piece bathroom comes to about $67,800 before HST, and the price per square foot falls as the basement grows because the permit, bin, breakers, stairs and bathroom cost the same at any size. Use the calculator to price yours. Every Desire quote is itemized line by line and locked before you sign, and includes a free 3D design of your finished basement.

Ready for your North York basement renovation?

Book a free in-home consultation. We'll measure your space, talk through your vision, and bring a 3D design with your itemized basement renovation quote.

Get a Free Estimate
FREE 3D DESIGN · LIFETIME WORKMANSHIP WARRANTY · $200 A DAY ON-TIME GUARANTEE

A real basement we finished in North York

Tap to watch the walkthrough: Yorkmills & Wilson area, custom millwork throughout.

Basement renovation walkthrough in North York, Ontario by Desire Basements