WeRenovate.com
Serving the Toronto GTA and surrounding areas
How Ontario's Permit System Evolved...
Ontario’s Building Code qualification and registration system (commonly referred to as the BCIN system) was introduced in 2005 to bring greater consistency to the permit approval process by requiring that design work be completed by trained and qualified designers.
These BCIN‑certified design specialists, operating at different qualification levels, became authorized to prepare the drawings and documentation required for a project’s Building Permit.
However, it was not until roughly 2016–2017 that the BCIN Designer Certification System had sufficiently matured and gained widespread adoption across the construction industry, as municipal review processes intensified and a sufficient number of BCIN‑certified specialists became available to meet the growing architectural demands of the industry.
As the use of BCIN‑registered designers increased, contractors were now able to hire qualified professionals to manage the entire permit process.
However, attempting to identify a well‑matched BCIN designer for the specific type and scale of renovation became increasingly risky for the contractor, as selecting the wrong level of BCIN led to permit delays, redesign cycles, cost overruns, elevated permit approval risk, and, in some cases, the need to disengage one BCIN and restart the process with another.
With BCIN designers differing in skills and experience—and often being difficult to locate—contractors, including our own member‑contractors, were frequently required to quickly search for and select the right designer for a renovation project, despite the risks involved
This situation began to raise serious concerns within our organization, as it threatened to undermine the high standards of client service, transparency, and professional integrity that WeRenovate.com had built and maintained since its inception.
To remove this risk for both contractors and clients, WeRenovate.com established its own, dedicated Architectural Design & Permit Services division to complete all permit requirements upfront, before any construction estimating takes place.
Our Architectural & Permit‑First Solution
In late 2018, as Ontario’s BCIN licensing environment had sufficiently evolved, it became clear to us that all architectural and permit services should be sold independently, transparently, and to a higher, more consistent standard.
In response, WeRenovate.com decided to establish its own, dedicated Architectural Design & Permit Services division, operated separately from construction estimating and contracting.
This service, which is sold separately, includes licensed member‑BCIN designers, structural engineers (P.Eng.), mechanical engineers, interior design professionals, and 3‑D rendering specialists, all working collaboratively to prepare permit‑ready drawings and manage the full permit approval process.
Throughout the mid‑to‑late 1980s, the population of Ontario’s major urban centres began to grow rapidly, driven by increased immigration and the migration of Canadians relocating from other regions of Canada.
This population growth triggered a major housing boom, leading not only to widespread new home construction, but also to a surge in residential renovations—particularly throughout the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Why we developed our own Architectural Services
Prior to 2017, most general contractors commonly included estimated permit costs in their contract pricing before the full scope of zoning, Building Code, and permit requirements were clearly identified.
This practice began to expose our own member‑contractors to sudden municipal by‑law changes, zoning issues, and increased incidents of permit approval delays, rendering the accurate forecasting of architectural costs increasingly difficult and risky.
As a result, contractors were often entering construction agreements before permit requirements were still uncertain, leading to delays, inconsistencies, and unnecessary risk for both contractors and homeowners.
This situation began to raise serious concerns within our organization, as it threatened to undermine the historically high standards of client service and professional integrity that WeRenovate.com had built and maintained since its inception.
As many renovation projects across the Toronto region—particularly in older, core neighbourhoods—have expanded to include additional living space, new housing units, and the reconstruction of aging structural elements, overall project size and complexity have increased.
At the same time, changes to the Ontario Building Code, municipal by‑laws, zoning controls, and stricter enforcement and compliance inspections have placed greater pressure on contractors to complete more detailed upfront planning before construction pricing or contracts are finalized.
At the same time, changes to the Ontario Building Code, municipal by‑laws, zoning controls, and stricter enforcement and compliance inspections have placed greater pressure on contractors to complete more detailed upfront planning before construction pricing or contracts are finalized.
Permit Approvals for Basement Apartments
History
Toward the end of 2019, Ontario began implementing significant changes to the Building Code, which included changes that allowed for the expansion of legal basement apartments in response to growing housing needs, particularly in large urban centers such as Toronto.
At the same time however, these changes brought stricter compliance standards and a stronger enforcement focus on permits and safety requirements.
For this reason, Basement Apartment Drawings and permit applications should only be prepared and managed by a licensed architectural specialist who regularly delivers this level of architectural service and is familiar with current approval requirements.
In 2019, to address Ontario’s housing shortage—particularly across the Greater Toronto Area—the Ministry of Housing required municipalities to allow secondary residential units within private homes.
Since that ruling, municipalities throughout the province have seen a sharp rise in permit compliance violations related to basement apartment conversions due to one or both of the following reasons:
1- The work was completed without a building permit
2- The work was performed by an unqualified individual
As a result, Basement Apartment Conversions require substantial pre-planning and coordination.
To protect both the homeowner and our member-contractors, we will not process construction estimates for Basement Apartments or any other permit‑required projects unless a completed and approved building permit has been obtained first..
If a client has not already obtained their own approved permit, our Architectural Services division is available to provide the required drawings and manage the permit application process separately, on behalf of the client.
Through this service, we recommend and assign a licensed, vetted member‑BCIN designer, carefully matched to the size, scope, and complexity of the project, to prepare permit‑ready drawings and oversee the full approval process with the municipality.
Once the permit is officially and fully approved, the construction estimating process may proceed, ensuring that compliance issues have been addressed upfront—rather than discovering such issues after the contract has been signed.
