Question 1

What areas does Global Construction Homes serve?

Accepted Answer

We serve the Greater Toronto Area and surrounding regions: Toronto, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough and East York; Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon; Vaughan, Woodbridge, Markham and Richmond Hill; Oakville, Milton and Burlington; Ajax, Pickering, Whitby and Oshawa; plus Hamilton, Guelph and Kitchener.

Question 2

Is the estimate really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We come to your home, measure, survey the structure and services, and give you a written line-by-line quote at no cost and with no obligation. We do not charge a consultation fee and we do not credit an estimate fee against the job, because there is no fee to begin with.

Question 3

Are you licensed and insured?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Global Construction Homes carries full liability insurance and WSIB coverage, and we provide both certificates in writing before work begins. If a contractor cannot hand you a WSIB clearance certificate and a certificate of insurance on request, you are the one carrying the risk on your own property.

Question 4

What warranty do you provide?

Accepted Answer

Every completed project is backed by a written workmanship warranty, signed and dated at handover. Manufacturer warranties on materials — flooring, decking, fixtures, membranes — are registered in your name and handed over with the paperwork.

Question 5

How do you handle permits?

Accepted Answer

We prepare the drawings, submit the application to your municipality, respond to plan-review comments, call every required inspection, and close the permit at the end. That covers legal basements, structural changes, load-bearing wall removal and raised decks. Where a conservation authority, heritage district or ESA inspection is involved, we manage that too.

Question 6

How much does a renovation cost?

Accepted Answer

In the GTA in 2026: bathrooms typically run $15,000 to $50,000, kitchens $25,000 to $75,000, legal basement apartments $85,000 to $300,000, decks $30 to $110 per square foot depending on material, and flooring $6 to $22 per square foot supplied and installed. Your written estimate is confirmed on site — we do not quote a renovation from photos.

Question 7

How do payments work?

Accepted Answer

A deposit at signing, then progress draws tied to completed milestones — never to calendar dates. A holdback is released only after the final walkthrough and deficiency list are closed. Everything is written into the contract before you sign, and we provide receipts for every payment.

Question 8

Do you do the work yourselves or subcontract it?

Accepted Answer

Our own crews handle framing, drywall, taping, tile, flooring, finish carpentry and painting. Licensed electricians and plumbers are brought in for their scopes because Ontario law requires it, and they work under our schedule and our supervision. You have one point of contact for all of it.

Question 9

How soon can you start?

Accepted Answer

We usually book an estimate within a few days and can start smaller projects — flooring, painting, a bathroom — within one to three weeks. Permitted work is governed by municipal review times rather than our schedule. Winter is genuinely the best time to sign a permitted project, because plan review moves faster than in the spring rush.

Question 10

What languages do you speak on site?

Accepted Answer

English, Punjabi and Hindi. It matters more than people expect — renovation decisions are often made by an entire family, and everyone should be able to ask questions in the language they are most comfortable in.

Question 11

How much does a home renovation cost in Toronto in 2026?

Accepted Answer

Expect $15,000 to $28,000 for a standard bathroom, $25,000 to $75,000 for a kitchen, and $80,000 to $250,000 for a whole-home gut renovation in the GTA in 2026. The three variables that move the number most are structural work, whether plumbing and electrical have to be relocated, and finish level. We give a fixed line-by-line quote after an on-site measure, at no cost.

Question 12

Do I need a building permit to renovate my house in Ontario?

Accepted Answer

You need a permit for structural changes, removing or altering load-bearing walls, adding or moving plumbing, finishing a basement into habitable space, creating a second unit, and most exterior alterations. Cosmetic work — paint, flooring over an existing subfloor, cabinet replacement in the same footprint — generally does not require one. We identify permit requirements during the estimate and handle the application and inspections.

Question 13

Can I stay in my home during the renovation?

Accepted Answer

For a single bathroom, kitchen or basement, almost always yes. We build temporary dust barriers, protect floors and traffic routes, isolate the work zone and clean daily. For a whole-home gut we usually stage the work floor by floor so you keep a functioning kitchen and bathroom, or we schedule the loudest phases in a concentrated block.

Question 14

How long does a kitchen renovation take?

Accepted Answer

Four to eight weeks of on-site work for a typical GTA kitchen. Cabinet and countertop lead times are the real schedule driver, not the labour — quartz templating alone adds one to two weeks after cabinets are set. We order long-lead items before demolition starts so your kitchen is not sitting empty waiting on a delivery.

Question 15

What happens if you find something unexpected behind the walls?

Accepted Answer

Older Ontario homes hide knob-and-tube wiring, undersized joists, cast iron drains and the occasional missing beam. We stop, photograph it, price the fix and get your written approval before continuing. It becomes a signed change order — it never appears as a surprise line on the final invoice.

Question 16

How much does flooring installation cost in the GTA?

Accepted Answer

Supplied and installed in 2026: roughly $6 to $10 per square foot for luxury vinyl plank, $9 to $16 for engineered and solid hardwood, and $12 to $22 for porcelain and natural stone tile. That includes tear-out of the old floor, standard substrate preparation, materials, labour and HST.

Question 17

Can I install hardwood in a basement?

Accepted Answer

Solid hardwood is not recommended below grade — concrete slabs move moisture upward year-round and solid wood cups and gaps in response. Engineered hardwood over a proper vapour barrier works, and rigid-core luxury vinyl plank is the format we recommend most often for GTA basements. It handles humidity swings, survives a minor water event, and feels warmer underfoot than tile.

Question 18

Do you have to remove the old flooring first?

Accepted Answer

Almost always, yes. Installing over an existing floor hides substrate defects, raises finished height past door clearances and transitions, and voids most manufacturer warranties. The exception is tile over sound, fully bonded tile in some low-traffic areas — and even then we test the bond before committing.

Question 19

Why does tile crack or sound hollow after installation?

Accepted Answer

Three causes, in order of frequency: insufficient thin-set coverage under the tile, a subfloor that deflects more than the tile can tolerate, and no uncoupling membrane where the substrate and tile move at different rates. All three are preventable at install. We back-butter large format, check coverage by pulling a test tile, and membrane over concrete and wood as a standard, not an upgrade.

Question 20

How flat does the subfloor need to be?

Accepted Answer

Most manufacturers require flatness within 3 mm over a 3 m span, and large-format tile is even less forgiving. We check the whole area with a straightedge and laser before quoting, and include the levelling compound your floor actually needs rather than discovering it on install day.

Question 21

Do I need a permit to build a deck in Ontario?

Accepted Answer

Generally yes if the deck is attached to the house or is more than 600 mm (24 inches) above the surrounding grade. Small, freestanding, low-level platforms often do not require one. Rules differ between Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga, Vaughan and the smaller municipalities, so we confirm with your building department during the estimate and include the drawings and application in your quote.

Question 22

How much does a deck cost in Toronto in 2026?

Accepted Answer

Most Toronto homeowners pay $30 to $90 per square foot installed, depending on material. A 200 square foot pressure-treated deck is typically around $8,000. The same footprint in composite decking with glass railings is $20,000 or more. Multi-level designs, long stair runs and difficult grade add to the framing cost.

Question 23

Composite or cedar — which is better in Ontario?

Accepted Answer

Cedar is warmer underfoot, costs less up front and can be refinished, but it needs sealing every two to three years and will silver if you skip it. Composite and PVC cost 30 to 60 percent more initially and then need nothing but a wash. If you plan to stay in the home more than seven years, composite usually wins on total cost. If you like refinishing, cedar is genuinely lovely.

Question 24

How deep do deck footings have to go?

Accepted Answer

Below the frost line, which in Southern Ontario means about 1.2 metres (4 feet). Shallower footings heave every winter and pull the deck out of level, which is the single most common failure we are called in to fix. On tight access sites or poor soil we use helical piles instead of poured concrete — faster, no spoil, and immediately loadable.

Question 25

When is the best time to build a deck?

Accepted Answer

Spring and early summer book out first, so the smartest time to sign is late winter — you get permit review out of the way while the ground is still frozen and build the moment the site opens up. We build into late autumn as well; only concrete footings are genuinely temperature-limited, and helical piles remove even that constraint.

Question 26

What makes a basement apartment legal in Ontario?

Accepted Answer

A legal basement apartment must meet the Ontario Building Code for a second unit, be built under an approved building permit, pass all inspections, and — in municipalities such as Brampton and Mississauga — be registered with the city. The pass-or-fail items are minimum 1.95 m ceiling height, an egress window with at least 0.35 m² of clear opening, a rated fire separation between units, interconnected smoke and CO alarms, a compliant separate entrance, adequate ventilation, and an ESA electrical certificate.

Question 27

How much does a legal basement cost in Brampton or Toronto in 2026?

Accepted Answer

Building a legal basement apartment from scratch typically costs $85,000 to $300,000 in the GTA, or about $90 to $150 per square foot. Legalising a basement that is already finished usually runs $25,000 to $62,000. Permit drawings for a basement under 800 square feet are generally $1,500 to $2,500 plus HST. Underpinning to gain ceiling height is the largest single variable.

Question 28

How long does it take to get a legal basement approved?

Accepted Answer

Four to eight months from permit application to Certificate of Occupancy is typical across the GTA. That breaks down to roughly one to two weeks for design, four to twelve weeks for municipal plan review, eight to fourteen weeks of construction, and two to four weeks for final inspections and registration. Applying in winter usually means faster review than the spring rush.

Question 29

What is the minimum ceiling height for a basement apartment?

Accepted Answer

1.95 metres — about 6 feet 5 inches — measured over the required floor area of the unit. The usual failure point is not the open floor but the lowest duct, beam or bulkhead. If your basement is short, the options are re-routing mechanicals, benching, or underpinning the foundation. We measure at the lowest obstruction before quoting so you know exactly which path you are on.

Question 30

Can I rent out my basement without a permit?

Accepted Answer

It is not legal, and the exposure is real. An unregistered unit can be ordered closed by bylaw enforcement, a fire or water claim can be denied by your insurer, tenants have grounds to withhold rent, and lenders will not count the rental income when you refinance. The legalisation cost is almost always less than one denied insurance claim.

Question 31

Does Bill 23 mean I can automatically add a basement apartment?

Accepted Answer

Bill 23 (More Homes Built Faster Act) permits one Additional Residential Unit as-of-right on most detached, semi-detached and townhouse properties, which removed the zoning approval step. It did not remove the building permit, the Ontario Building Code requirements, or municipal registration. You still have to build it correctly and have it inspected.

Question 32

What is the difference between Level 4 and Level 5 drywall finish?

Accepted Answer

Level 4 is three coats of compound over joints, corners and fasteners, sanded smooth — the residential standard, and perfectly adequate under flat or eggshell paint. Level 5 adds a thin skim coat across the entire wall so the surface has uniform porosity and texture. You need Level 5 for gloss and semi-gloss paint, deep saturated colours, and any wall raked by window light or wall-wash fixtures, because those conditions reveal every joint on a Level 4 wall.

Question 33

How much does it cost to paint a room in Toronto?

Accepted Answer

A standard 12×12 bedroom with walls, ceiling and trim typically runs $700 to $1,500 including primer, two finish coats, masking, protection and HST. Higher ceilings, extensive patching, dark-over-light colour changes needing an extra coat, and stairwells requiring scaffold all move the price up.

Question 34

Is popcorn ceiling removal safe?

Accepted Answer

It is safe when it is done correctly, and genuinely risky when it is not. Textured ceilings installed before 1990 can contain asbestos, so they must be tested before anything is scraped, sanded or wetted. If the test is positive, the work becomes a regulated abatement — not a weekend job. We test first, contain the area with negative air where required, and re-skim to a flat, painted ceiling.

Question 35

How long should drywall mud dry between coats?

Accepted Answer

At least 24 hours per coat in normal conditions, and longer in a cold or humid basement. Rushing it is the most common cause of shrinkage cracks and ridged joints that appear months later. We schedule the drying time into the quote rather than compressing it — which is one reason our drywall schedule is sometimes a day or two longer than the cheapest bid.

Question 36

Do you paint before or after flooring?

Accepted Answer

Prime and apply the first coat before flooring, then come back for the final coat after the floor and trim are in. That sequence keeps the heavy cutting-in off your brand-new floor and lets us cover the inevitable scuffs from the flooring install in one clean final pass.

Questionsworth askingbefore you sign.

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