Legal Basement Apartments
Build it right. Rent it out. Let your basement pay your mortgage.
BCR Basements builds fully permitted legal basement apartments across Durham Region and Toronto. We handle every permit, inspection, egress window, fire separation and trade, from first conversation to city sign-off.
700+ GTA projects · Full permit management included · Fixed price · 7-year warranty
Legal Suite Income Potential
$2,400/mo
Average rental income · Durham Region 1-bed legal suite
What BCR handles
Everything required to build a legal suite, properly.
A legal basement apartment is not a basement with a kitchen in it. It is a second residential unit that has to meet Ontario’s Second Unit requirements and pass city inspections. BCR manages the entire process.
Full permit management
Building permit, electrical permit, plumbing permit and second unit registration. We prepare all drawings, submit every application and manage each inspection through to city sign-off.
Egress window installation
Ontario requires egress windows in all sleeping areas of a legal suite. BCR handles excavation, window well installation and waterproofing, sized and positioned to code for your municipality.
Fire separation
Legal suites require fire separation between units: specific drywall assemblies, fire-rated doors and in some cases sprinkler rough-in. Every BCR suite meets or exceeds the Ontario Building Code.
Separate entrance
Most legal suites need a dedicated entrance, either an existing side or rear door or a new exterior opening. We handle excavation, framing, exterior finishing and waterproofing.
Full kitchen installation
Cabinetry, countertops, sink, dishwasher rough-in, dedicated circuits and proper ventilation. Built to the same standard as an above-grade kitchen, not a kitchenette.
Soundproofing
Resilient channel, insulation and proper assembly detail between units. A legal suite that sounds like a separate home is the difference between a tenant who renews and one who leaves.
Legal requirements
What makes a basement apartment legal in the GTA?
Ten requirements. Miss any one of them and the suite is not legal, which means you cannot legally rent it, your insurance may not cover it, and it becomes a problem the day you try to sell.
The counterintuitive one: a finished rec room needs 2,100mm of headroom over 75% of its area. A legal suite needs 1.95m. So in a lot of GTA homes the legal apartment is achievable where a straightforward rec room is not. That is the kind of thing we settle during the Feasibility Assessment, before anyone quotes you a number.
Return on investment
What does a legal suite actually cost, and what does it return?
The numbers that matter when you are deciding whether to build. Based on a 1-bedroom suite in Durham Region.
Typical investment
Typical returns
Figures are estimates based on current Durham Region and GTA market conditions and assume 95% occupancy. They are not a guarantee of return. Speak to a financial advisor before making an investment decision.
How it works
From first conversation to first rent cheque.
01
Feasibility Assessment
We measure ceiling height to the millimetre, check zoning, assess egress positions and confirm whether a legal suite is actually possible on your property. $697, credited in full if you build with BCR.
02
Design and permits
Drawings prepared, applications submitted, second unit registration handled. Approvals in the GTA currently take 4 to 8 weeks depending on municipality.
03
Construction
Excavation, egress, framing, fire separation, mechanical, kitchen, bathroom, finishes. Fixed price, written timeline, $1,000 per week to you if we run late.
04
Inspections and sign-off
We coordinate every city and ESA inspection through to final sign-off. Your suite is legally registered and ready to rent.
Not sure your basement qualifies?
Ceiling height and entrance access decide it, and both need measuring properly. Ninety minutes on site gives you a straight yes or no before you spend anything on construction.
Common questions
Legal suite questions, answered honestly.
How do I know if my basement qualifies for a legal suite?
Three things decide it: finished ceiling height of at least 1.95m, whether your property permits a second unit under local zoning, and whether compliant egress windows can be cut in the sleeping areas. The Feasibility Assessment checks all three on site and gives you a straight answer before you commit to anything.
How long does it take to build a legal basement apartment?
Twelve to eighteen weeks from signed contract to city sign-off. Permit approval is 4 to 8 weeks of that depending on your municipality, and construction is typically 10 to 14 weeks. That permit window is built into your schedule from day one so it does not come as a surprise.
Do I need to move out during construction?
No. Almost every BCR legal suite is built with the family living upstairs. We seal the work area, manage dust, keep the site tidy and schedule the noisiest work during normal hours. There are a few days around excavation for a new entrance that are disruptive, and we tell you exactly when those are.
Can I rent a legal suite as a short-term rental?
That depends entirely on your municipality. Toronto, Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax and Pickering all regulate short-term rentals separately from second units, and several require the unit to be your principal residence. A legal suite gives you the option to rent long term anywhere in the GTA. Check the short-term rules for your city before you build around that plan.
What happens if my basement ceiling is too low?
Underpinning or bench footing can lower the floor, but it is a significant structural job and it changes the investment picture substantially. Before you write the project off, get it measured properly. We have found workable height in plenty of homes where the owner assumed there was none, and we have also told people honestly when there was not.
Does BCR manage the permit process or do I need to hire someone separately?
We manage all of it. Drawings, building permit, electrical permit, plumbing permit, second unit registration, and every inspection through to final sign-off. You do not deal with the city at any point.
Client results
GTA homeowners who built legal suites with BCR.
★★★★★
“BCR built our legal basement apartment exactly to spec. They handled every permit, every inspection, every trade. We are now generating $2,300 a month in rental income. The investment paid for itself faster than we expected.”
M. Okafor
Legal Suite · Durham Region · Google Review
★★★★★
“BCR took care of absolutely everything: permits, egress window, fire separation, city inspections. I did not have to manage a single thing. They even flagged an issue with the electrical panel before we started that would have caused problems later.”
D. Williams
Legal Suite · Durham Region · Google Review
What do you want your basement to do for you?
Answer this one and we will carry it into your personalised report: whether a legal suite is realistic here, what it would rent for, and a genuine investment range.
Get my potential reportFind out what your basement could earn.
Ninety minutes on site tells you whether a legal suite is possible, what it will cost, and what it will rent for. Before you commit to anything.