Central Toronto's stock is Victorian and Edwardian: narrow semis and rowhouses from the 1880s to 1920s with knob-and-tube wiring, plaster-and-lath walls, rubble foundations and shallow basements. Renovating them means electrical upgrades, underpinning and careful structural work, plus a heavier permit process through Toronto Building and, for many lots, the Committee of Adjustment.
Renovating Toronto’s century homes
Toronto’s core is a museum of housing eras, and YAREX works in most of them. In Riverdale, Leslieville, Roncesvalles and Cabbagetown the typical client owns a Victorian or Edwardian semi: narrow footprint, rubble or block foundation, plaster walls, and wiring or plumbing that predates the Second World War. These houses reward renovation but punish shortcuts. We open main floors with engineered beams sized for old brick party walls, replace knob-and-tube while walls are open, underpin shallow basements to legal suite height and rebuild kitchens and bathrooms to fit rooms that were never square to begin with. The company is licensed and insured, and estimates are free.
Permits, suites and condos
Toronto permits second suites as-of-right in most house forms, and laneway and garden suites have opened new options on many lots. The paperwork is still real: building permits through Toronto Building, zoning review, and Committee of Adjustment hearings when a project pushes past what the bylaw allows. We manage that process rather than handing it back to the homeowner. In the condo towers downtown and along the waterfront, we handle the other half of Toronto renovation: board approvals, insurance certificates, elevator bookings and strict working hours, with kitchens and bathrooms rebuilt inside those constraints.
24/7 restoration across the city
Water, mold and fire emergencies do not wait for business hours. YAREX dispatches around the clock from central Etobicoke, roughly 20 minutes to the west end and about 30 to downtown off-peak. We extract water, dry and treat the structure, then rebuild the finished space under one contract. Call (416) 358-2059.
- 01Kitchen Renovation$25,000 – $150,000+ · 4–8 weeks
- 02Bathroom Renovation$15,000 – $45,000 · 3–5 weeks
- 03Basement Finishing$35 – $90 per sq ft · 6–10 weeks
- 04Legal Basement Apartment$80,000 – $150,000 · 10–16 weeks
- 05Full Home Renovation$150 – $250+ per sq ft · 3–6 months
- 06Condo Renovation$60 – $150 per sq ft · 4–8 weeks
- 07Carpentry & Finishes$2,000 – $30,000+ · 1–3 weeks
- 08Water Damage Restoration24/7 · 3–7 days drying, then rebuild
- 09Mold Remediation24/7 · 2–5 days remediation, then rebuild
- 10Fire & Smoke Restoration24/7 · 1–2 weeks cleanup, rebuild varies
Toronto — questions
01Are basement apartments legal in Toronto?
Yes. Toronto permits second suites as-of-right in most detached, semi-detached and row houses, and now allows garden and laneway suites on many lots. The suite still needs a building permit and must meet Ontario Building Code rules for ceiling height, egress and fire separation. In century homes that usually means underpinning and a new separate entrance, which YAREX prices up front.
02My house has knob-and-tube wiring. Can you renovate around it?
We replace it rather than renovate around it. Most insurers will not cover active knob-and-tube, and any wall we open is the cheapest moment to rewire. On Victorian semis we typically combine rewiring with the planned kitchen, bathroom or basement work under one permit and one schedule.
03How long do Toronto renovation permits take?
Straightforward interior work is usually the fastest through Toronto Building, while projects that change use or push into setbacks can need Committee of Adjustment approval, which adds months. We flag the likely path during the free estimate so the timeline is honest from day one.
04How quickly can YAREX reach downtown Toronto in an emergency?
Our crews leave from central Etobicoke near the Gardiner and 427. Off-peak, the west end is about 20 minutes away and downtown around 30. We run 24/7, so overnight calls, when traffic is empty, get the fastest response.
Fixed estimate. Permits handled. Toronto to Etobicoke.
We hold one contract from demolition to handover, and answer the emergency line around the clock across the GTA.