Looking for Basement Renovations in Scarborough to build a safe, legal secondary suite? We specialize in creating comfortable and private basement apartments for family or tenants.
For many Scarborough homeowners, a basement is an opportunity to create a home within a home: a private apartment for aging parents, adult children, or to generate rental income. Building a legal and safe secondary suite is a complex job that requires a contractor with specialized knowledge. We believe a great basement apartment should be a safe, comfortable, and valuable asset.
As a dedicated contractor in Scarborough, Meraki Home Services has extensive experience in the design and construction of legal basement apartments. We manage the entire process, from permits to inspections, to deliver a high-quality, compliant suite that provides peace of mind.
Do you want to create a private apartment in your basement for family or as a rental unit? The team at Meraki Home Services has the deep expertise in the building code you need. We will guide you through the entire complex process to build a new legal secondary suite in Scarborough that is safe, comfortable, and a smart investment.
Our work showcases our extensive experience in building high-quality, safe, and fully compliant basement apartments.
We understand that building a legal suite is about protecting your family, your tenants, and your property. Our process is designed to be thorough and professional, ensuring your project meets every single legal requirement.

The safety of the occupants is our highest priority. We are experts in all the specific building code requirements for secondary suites, including fire separation, egress windows, and interconnected smoke alarms.

A legal basement apartment is one of the best investments you can make in your home. It can provide a steady source of income or a safe home for family, and it dramatically increases your property value.

We design apartments that are not just legal, but are genuinely comfortable places to live. We focus on smart layouts, maximizing light, and creating effective sound separation for privacy.

We handle absolutely everything for you. From creating the architectural drawings and handling the permit applications to coordinating all trades and passing final inspections, we manage the entire project.
This is our specialty. We have a deep and current understanding of the Ontario Building Code and Toronto’s specific by-laws related to secondary suites. We know what it takes to get the job done right.
We are 100% committed to building spaces that are legal and safe. We do not believe in shortcuts, and we guarantee that every aspect of your project will be built to code and will pass all required city inspections.
Creating a safe and proper separate entrance is often a major part of the project. We have the expertise to do this correctly, whether it involves a simple side door or a full walk-out excavation.
As a dedicated Scarborough contractor, we understand the needs of the many multigenerational families and savvy homeowners in our community. We are proud to build safe and valuable homes.
For many homeowners in Scarborough, a basement renovation is the key to providing a safe and affordable home for family members or to achieving financial goals through rental income. Creating a legal secondary suite offers a powerful solution for modern living arrangements.
Building a legal suite is also a critical investment in your property’s value and your own peace of mind. An illegal basement apartment is a major liability and a serious safety risk. A professionally built, fully compliant suite, on the other hand, is a highly valuable and sought-after asset that greatly increases the worth and appeal of your home.
Meraki Home Services offers a full range of specialized services for creating legal secondary suites. We manage every technical detail to deliver a safe, comfortable, and compliant home.
We manage the entire construction of your legal basement apartment, from foundation to final paint, ensuring every detail meets or exceeds the building code.
To ensure privacy and comfort for both you and your tenants or family members, we use specialized soundproofing techniques and materials between the two units, including resilient channel and acoustic insulation.
We are experts at creating safe, weather-tight separate entrances. This can involve creating a new walk-up with proper stairs and drainage, or building an enclosed entrance at the side of your home.
We are experts at installing large egress windows in any basement bedrooms. This is a critical life-safety requirement, and we ensure it is done correctly and is fully weathertight.
With Meraki Home Services, your new basement apartment will be a safe, legal, and valuable asset.
Our process is designed to be thorough, professional, and focused on meeting every single legal requirement.
We begin with a detailed assessment of your space. We then create a complete set of architectural drawings that meet all code requirements and submit them to the city to obtain the building permit.
Our skilled team brings the design to life, with a strong focus on passing all required city inspections at each stage of the build, from framing and plumbing to insulation and fire separation.
We complete the project with a meticulous final inspection by the city. Once the project is passed and certified, your new, safe, and legal basement suite is ready for occupancy.
Ready to add a safe and valuable secondary suite to your home? Contact our team of experts today for a free, detailed quote. Let’s start planning a smart investment in your Scarborough property.
A legal secondary suite (or basement apartment) is a self-contained dwelling unit within a house that has been constructed under a building permit and has passed all required city inspections. It must meet many specific fire safety and building code rules to be considered legal.
Building a legal basement apartment is a complex project. The cost typically ranges from $90,000 to $160,000+, depending on the size, the need for a separate entrance, and the level of finishes.
Fire separation is a construction method used to create a barrier that slows the spread of fire between the basement apartment and the main house. It typically involves using special fire-rated drywall on the ceiling and walls.
Due to the complexity and the multiple city inspections required, a project of this nature typically takes between 10 and 16 weeks for construction, after the permit has been issued.
No. It is illegal and unsafe to rent out a basement apartment that has not been built with a permit and passed all inspections. It poses a serious safety risk and can lead to significant fines and legal issues.
Often, creating a safe, code-compliant separate entrance is the most challenging and costly part of the project. It requires careful planning and expert execution.
We are experts in the complex process of building legal secondary suites. If you have more questions about your Scarborough basement renovation, please get in touch for a detailed consultation.
We’re here to assist you with your renovation inquiries and projects.