Customers Rate us 5 out of 5
A second unit for family or a tenant, built to the Ontario Building Code, with the City of Burlington zoning clearance, the building permit and every inspection handled by us.
Two basement suites with their own kitchen and bathroom, and basements we've finished in Burlington.
A white shaker kitchen with a stone-look counter, a bathroom with a glass shower, a separate laundry room and wood-look plank floors. Bulkheads are kept tight to the ducts so the rest of the ceiling stays at full height.
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Basement suite · Clarkson, MississaugaA long L-shaped kitchen with under-cabinet lighting, a bedroom, and a bathroom with a linear drain and a backlit mirror, over a subfloor that keeps the floor warmer.
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Headon Forest, BurlingtonA dark built-in media wall with a fireplace and open shelving, vinyl plank flooring across the whole level, and pot lights throughout.
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Brant Hills, BurlingtonA bar counter, a gas fireplace with a white mantel, warm vinyl plank flooring and pot lights, with one open space for the whole family.
See all 17 photos
Family owned since 2003We are a family-owned renovation company with offices in Oakville and Burlington. The people who design your basement are the people who build it.
Want the detail before you start? Read the Burlington basement renovation cost guide →
We measure ceiling heights, windows, the entrance and the mechanical room, and tell you what a legal unit would take before any design work.
A layout for the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living space, with the fire separation, exits, heating and parking drawn in.
We send the City's Pre-Building Approval application with the drawings, and get the Zoning Clearance Certificate.
The permit application and drawings go to the City, which issues within ten business days of a complete application.
The City inspects each stage as we go, and the ESA inspects the electrical.
The final inspection gives you the occupancy permit, and the unit is ready to live in or rent.
Most basement apartments take 8 to 14 weeks on site, after design and the City approvals.
“We recently worked with Gracia Makeovers Inc. for our bathroom and basement renovation in Burlington, and the experience was amazing from start to finish! Elijah and Daniel’s team handled everything design, permits, demolition, cabinetry, and flooring, so we didn’t have to coordinate multiple trades.”
“The renovation itself took under three weeks. The crew showed up on time every day, worked efficiently, and wrapped up on time, no surprises, no mess left behind.”
“My husband and I went back and forth for two years about finishing our basement. Finally pulled the trigger with Gracia Makeovers and honestly wish we did it sooner. They added a bathroom down there too and the whole thing came out better than we imagined.”
5.0 on Google · rated by the homeowners we've built for
Zoning, the Building Code, the permit, timing and cost, for when you want the full picture.
The City of Burlington calls a basement apartment an additional residential unit (ARU). Under Zoning By-law 2020, as amended, up to three are permitted on an urban residential lot with one detached house, semi-detached house, townhouse or street townhouse, without rezoning.
From the City's ARU zoning handout (revised February 2025). Use the City's ARU look-up tool for your address, and we confirm the lot with the zoning team before design.
These come from the current Ontario Building Code (2024, Part 9), which has its own rules for a house with a secondary suite. Your designer applies the exact clauses to your house.
| Item | What the Code asks for |
|---|---|
| Ceiling height | At least 1.95 m (about 6 ft 5 in) in the unit, and at least 1.85 m (about 6 ft 1 in) under beams and ducts. |
| Between the units | The walls and ceiling that separate the units are covered with a continuous layer of 15.9 mm (5/8 in) Type X fire-rated drywall, sealed so it also stops smoke. |
| Smoke alarms | In each unit, in every bedroom, on every level and in any shared hallway or laundry, each with a flashing light, and all interconnected so one alarm sounds them all, in both units. |
| Carbon monoxide alarms | Needed where a gas furnace, water heater or fireplace is in or next to the unit, or the garage is attached. They go beside every bedroom and are interconnected across the house too. |
| A way out of every bedroom | A window that opens without tools, with at least 0.35 m² of clear opening and no side under 380 mm, or a door straight outside. A window into a window well needs 550 mm of clear space in front of it. |
| Natural light | Window glass of at least 10% of the floor area in living and dining rooms, and 5% in bedrooms. |
| Heating and ventilation | The ductwork serving one unit can't connect directly to the rest of the house, so the unit usually gets its own heating or its own duct system, laid out by the HVAC designer. |
| Electrical | Wiring in the unit needs its own permit from the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA), which inspects it. |
If the house is more than five years old, Ontario treats it as an existing house, which gives the design more flexibility. Read the Building Code, Part 9 and Ontario's guide to adding a second unit.
Burlington uses two steps, and we prepare and submit both.
The City checks it for completeness within six business days, and clearance takes about two weeks for interior-only work, or three to four weeks with exterior work.
With the Zoning Clearance Certificate, the permit application and drawings go to the City, which says it issues within ten business days of a complete application. Work has to start within six months or the permit lapses. Inspections are booked with the inspector named on the permit, and the final one gives you the occupancy permit.
The City's ARU incentive program closed on October 1, 2025, so check with the City for anything new before you apply. Source: Steps to build an ARU, City of Burlington.
| Stage | How long |
|---|---|
| Visit and design | Two to four weeks for the layout and the drawings |
| Zoning clearance | About two weeks for interior-only work, three to four weeks with exterior work, after the completeness check |
| Building permit | Within ten business days of a complete application, the City says |
| Construction | 8 to 14 weeks on site, depending on the entrance and how much plumbing is needed |
| Inspections | The City books inspections within two business days, then the final for the occupancy permit |
Ranges by how you want to use the space and how big it is, from the same numbers as the estimator above. A basement apartment is the top row: it adds a kitchen, a bathroom, the fire separation and usually an entrance or egress windows.
| Basement | Small Under 600 sq ft | Medium About 600 to 1,000 sq ft | Large 1,000 sq ft or more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open family room One big space to relax, play or work out | $25K–$40K | $35K–$55K | $45K–$70K |
| Family room and bedroom Add a guest room or office with a closet | $35K–$50K | $45K–$65K | $55K–$85K |
| Basement apartment Kitchen, bedroom and living space for family or a tenant | $60K–$85K | $75K–$105K | $90K–$130K |
Rough ranges before HST, for planning only. Your exact price comes as a fixed quote after a free consultation.
Ranges from projects we have built, before HST
We confirm it with a fixed quote after a free visit. The Burlington basement cost guide and what a legal basement apartment costs in Ontario.
The inspector checks each stage before it's covered up. These are the details we get right first time.
A permitted unit can house family or be rented.
Yes. Burlington permits up to three additional residential units on an urban residential lot with a detached house, semi-detached house or townhouse, without rezoning, as long as the lot is on city water and sewer. Each one needs zoning clearance and a building permit, and has to meet the Ontario Building Code.
The City's Zoning Clearance Certificate, a building permit and a build that meets the Code: a fire-rated separation between the units, interconnected smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, a way out of every bedroom, enough ceiling height and separate ductwork, then passed inspections, including the ESA for the electrical, and the occupancy permit.
Not for the first additional unit. A second or third unit needs one space each. Spaces are at least 2.75 m wide and 16.5 m², and tandem parking is allowed.
At least 1.95 m in the unit, and 1.85 m under beams and ducts, under the current Ontario Building Code. If your basement is lower, rerouting ducts or lowering the floor are options we look at during the visit.
Not always, but most owners and tenants prefer one. Burlington allows only one exterior entrance on each side of the house that faces a street, so a second entrance usually goes on the side or at the back.
The City says zoning clearance takes about two weeks for interior-only work and three to four weeks with exterior work, and it issues the building permit within ten business days of a complete application. Work has to start within six months of the permit.
Usually, yes. An existing unit goes through the same zoning clearance and building permit as a new one, and we open up what's needed to show the fire separation, alarms, exits and wiring meet the Code.
The City's ARU incentive program closed on October 1, 2025. Check with the City for anything new before you apply.
A permitted unit can be rented. Talk to your insurer and your accountant first, and keep the permit and inspection records.
It sits at the top of our basement range because of the kitchen, bathroom, fire separation and entrance. Use the estimator on this page for a range; we confirm it with a fixed quote after a free visit.
We serve Burlington from our Burlington office.
1. Free consultation at your home
2. A fixed quote, with every finish listed
3. We build, then walk through it with you
Burlington Home Renovation Contractors by Gracia Makeovers
466 Dynes Rd, Burlington, ON L7N 2T7
416-300-8212
Gracia Makeovers designs and builds kitchens, bathrooms, basements, additions and whole-home renovations from offices in Oakville and Burlington.
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