Insights and Guides

Commercial Building Permits in the GTA: What Business Owners Should Know

Who issues permits, what you need before you apply, and how to keep approvals from stalling your project.

Tenant build-outs

The Tenant Build-Out Checklist for Ontario Businesses

From reading the work letter to passing final inspection: the steps that get leased space open on time.

Planning a project

General Contracting, Construction Management or Project Management: Which Fits Your Project?

Three ways to deliver a commercial project, and how to choose the right one for your budget, schedule and level of involvement.

Renovations

How to Renovate Without Closing: Planning an Occupied Commercial Renovation

Phasing, protection and communication: how to keep your business running while the building around it improves.

Construction

4 min read

Building Through an Ontario Winter: What Owners Should Expect

Frost, concrete, heat and daylight: how winter affects cost and schedule, and how good planning keeps projects moving.

Planning a project

How to Hire a Commercial Contractor in Ontario: 10 Things to Check

WSIB clearance, insurance, contracts, holdback and prompt payment: what to confirm before you sign.

Restaurants

Opening a Restaurant in Ontario: The Build-Out Roadmap from Lease to Opening Day

Zoning, exhaust and fire suppression, grease interceptors, public health and the order to tackle them in.

Home renovation

Planning a Home Renovation in Ontario: Permits, Contracts and Budgets

Permits, licensed trades, written contracts, holdback and budgets: what to sort out before your renovation starts.

Basements

Adding a Legal Basement Apartment in Ontario: What Homeowners Need to Know

Zoning, permits, fire safety and the steps that turn a basement into a legal second unit.

Public works

Building Accessible Public Spaces in Ontario: The AODA Design of Public Spaces Standards

What the standards cover, who they apply to, and the details that decide whether sidewalks, parking, trails and play spaces comply.