WeRenovate.com
Serving the Toronto GTA and surrounding areas
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Introduction
As a key division of WeRenovate.com, our Architectural Design & Permit Services provide a comprehensive range of permit-related solutions—allowing homeowners to obtain permit approval prior to requesting estimates from contractors (including our member-contractors).
This separate service, introduced in 2017, has further strengthened WeRenovate.com’s reputation as a leading One‑Stop Platform for renovation‑related services.
Lawrence Ave
&
Yonge St.
About our Architectural Services
Small or Large-Scale Projects
Because WeRenovate.com's member-contractors handle such a broad range of projects, our Architectural Services—purchased separately—are structured to fulfill all levels of permit approval, from simple projects to the most complex, ensuring smooth coordination between the best-matched member design specialist and contractor.
Complete Permit Drawings & Permit Application Processing
Full coordination of all permit processing right through final approval on behalf of the property owner.
Stamped drawings for load‑bearing walls, beams, columns, and foundation work.
Property Surveys
Many homeowners do not have access to a current survey, even though surveys are often required for permit approval, real‑estate closings, and mortgage financing or refinancing.
If a survey is required for the permit to be issued, we will offer our professional Survey Services to support your permit submission.
Municipal Zoning Reviews & Minor Variance Coordination
Our member BCIN‑Certified Design Specialist will conduct a zoning review on your behalf and, when necessary, prepare and submit a Minor Variance application to the Committee of Adjustment—which holds sole authority to grant zoning relief—before completing the permit approval process.
Committee of Adjustment (CofA) Support
Preparation and management of CofA applications, including personal representation when required.
Basement Apartment Permit Approvals
Permit‑ready drawings and approval coordination for Basement Apartments and other secondary units. see Basement Apartments
Important Notice:
Basement Apartment Conversions have become one of the most heavily scrutinized types of renovation projects by municipal inspectors due to a sustained increase in permit compliance violations.
Read on....
Don’t Let Your Basement Project Turn Into This...
Although Ontario municipalities are now legally required to permit Basement Apartments, a significant surge in compliance violations—often involving construction without permits or work carried out by unqualified contractors—has led to the adoption of a strict zero‑tolerance enforcement approach by regulatory authorities.
Due to heightened municipal scrutiny on basement apartment projects, we strongly recommend securing permit approval through our architectural services and, where possible, proceeding with a recommended member‑contractor who specializes in Basement Apartment Conversions—helping ensure construction aligns with approved drawings, inspections move efficiently, and delays are significantly reduced.
Special Program for
Basement Apartment Conversions
$5,000
* Subsidy Fund Credit
if you purchase the Architectural Drawings & Permit Processing for your Basement Apartment through a Member-Design Specialist, you will be eligible to receive a $5,000 Subsidy Credit applied toward the final price of your construction agreement (if performed by a Member-Contractor). see Basement Apartments
Why We Added Architectural Services to our Platform...
Many Ontario homeowners are unaware that building permits are the legal responsibility of the property owner, not the contractor.
And although your own contractor's agreement may include the cost of obtaining a permit after you sign the contract, it is you—the homeowner—who remains responsible for ensuring that the required permit is properly arranged, approved, and in place.
Note: Signing a construction agreement before an approved building permit has been obtained can put both yourself and the contractor at serious risk.
Our suggestion: Never sign a construction contract without a confirmed, approved Building Permit in place. If your permit is left to be arranged afterward, all permit costs and (more importantly) all timelines will be based on assumptions—not facts—putting both you and your contractor at serious risk for delays, added costs, and potential legal disputes before any work begins.
To remove this risk to both our homeowners and member-contractors, we intentionally developed our own architectural services to better protect and support both parties—by ensuring the permit process is fully completed and approved before any construction estimates are prepared.
see...about Our Estimating Policy
Design and Construction Working Together
By integrating Architectural Design & Permit Services into our platform, our member-Contractors and our member-Architectural Specialists are able to work together from the beginning, using the same approved drawings and permit information.
About Our Estimating Policy
When a building permit is required, construction estimating will not proceed until a fully approved and stamped Building Permit is submitted.
The permit may be prepared and stamped by one of our own member-BCIN Certified Designer, a member Licensed Structural Engineer (P.eng), or by the client’s own certified specialist. see Benefits of This Policy
Special Offer...
Architectural Rebate
Notice: Clients who obtain their permit through a
BCIN‑certified member-specialist and proceed with the
project through a Member-Contractor will qualify for an
Architectural Rebate of up to $1,500, which will be
credited against the construction agreement price.
How Our "Permit First" Policy Benefits The Homeowner...
By purchasing your approved Drawings and Permit separately before requesting an estimate from a contractor, you maintain greater control over your renovation project.
With the final drawings and approved permit in hand:
The homeowner can request an estimate from any contractor:
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All contractors must submit their estimates based on the same set of permit-approved drawings
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Contractor estimates become more detailed and accurate.
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The contractor's estimate no longer relies on "guessing" at what may be involved in the permit process and more on a mandated list of permit compliance-approved requirements.
This approach helps homeowners avoid unexpected delays, surprise add‑ons, and pricing disputes that commonly arise when the contractor's estimate price is "locked in" prior to permit approval.
Question:
If I obtain my permit through The Renovation Co-op, will I have to purchase the actual construction from a member-contractor after the permit is approved?
Answer: Absolutely Not!
All architectural services are purchased separately from the construction, and you are never obligated to purchase the construction through our contractor-membership.
That said, please note the following:
Although the client is free to select any contractor of their choosing, if a client hires both a member‑Architectural Specialist and a member‑Contractor through our organization, the coordination between the two becomes substantially more efficient—resulting in clearer communication, faster workflow, and fewer revisions.
In addition, the client is eligible to receive an Architectural Rebate of up to $1,500, which gets credited against the contractor's final price (see Architectural Rebate)
How Our Permit-First System Benefits The Contractor…
When the contractor has access to the completed, permit‑approved drawings before providing an estimate, the contractor is in a much better position:
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The client's project is effectively "ready to roll", without the contractor having to be concerned about permit‑related delays...the permit is already in place.
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The contractor can present his/her best price without having to add in the "guesstimated" cost of potential permit approval timelines.
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The contractor's sub-trades are also able to start immediately (which gives them the ability to give the contractor their best price as well).
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There is no guesswork related to zoning, compliance, or pending municipal decisions...all of that has already been completed.
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Construction pricing can be prepared with greater confidence and accuracy
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Project scheduling and timelines become more predictable
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The type and level of the member-BCIN selected to obtain the building permit has been matched closely to perform the same type and level of service required by the project itself.
Have you been issued a
Permit Compliance Order?
If you don't act immediately, you could wind up in financial “hot water”.
Regardless of how far the issue has gone, our Permit Compliance Specialists will act quickly to resolve the issue on your behalf. Find out more...
Note:
Due to mandatory timing requirements imposed within most Permit Compliance Orders, priority will always be given to Permit Compliance Estimate Requests.