Home renovation services
Eight renovation services, one written quote, one crew lead. This page shows what each service includes, how we do the work, and what to decide before we quote.
What does a general contractor do for a home renovation?
A general contractor plans the job, hires and schedules the trades, pulls the permits and books the inspections. The contractor also keeps the budget and the dates on track. That is what Best Home Renovation does on every job. One crew lead runs it, and you deal with that one person.
Pick the room, read what it takes
Each section below says what is included, how we do it, which permits apply, and what to decide before we quote. See how a project runs for the four steps every job follows.
- Kitchen renovations
- Bathroom renovations
- Basement finishing
- Flooring and hardwood
- Tile and stone
- Drywall and painting
- Plumbing and electrical
- Full home and commercial
The photos on this page show the kind of room each service produces. They are example rooms, not our own jobs. Ask us for pictures of our work when we visit.
Kitchen renovations
A kitchen renovation is new cabinets, counters and lighting at the least. Most of ours also change the layout, add an island, or take out the wall between the kitchen and the dining room.
How we do it
Cabinets set the schedule. We measure, you choose them, and we order before any demolition. Demolition starts close to the delivery date, so you are without a kitchen for the shortest time. Counters are templated after the cabinets go in, which is why the counter arrives last. Once the cabinets arrive, a kitchen usually takes us three to six weeks.
Permits and inspections
Replacing cabinets and counters in the same spot needs no permit. Moving a wall, moving the sink, or adding circuits does. We pull the permit, and the ESA inspects the wiring.
Decide before we quote
Keep the layout or change it. Which appliances stay. Whether you want an island, and how many people should sit at it.
Bathroom renovations
A bathroom renovation replaces the tub or shower, the vanity, the toilet, the tile and the fan. It also fixes what is behind the walls while they are open.
How we do it
We open the walls first and look at the plumbing and the subfloor. Rot and old drains get fixed before anything new goes in. The membrane goes on and is tested before the tile. Tile is set, grouted and sealed. The fixtures go in last so nothing gets scratched.
Permits and inspections
Swap fixtures in the same place needs no permit. Moving the toilet or the shower drain, or adding a new circuit, does.
Decide before we quote
Tub, shower or both. Where the storage goes. Tile size, because large tiles need a flatter wall, and that changes the prep.
Basement finishing
Basement finishing turns a concrete room into living space. That can be a family room, bedrooms, a home office or a gym. It can also be a rental suite with its own kitchen and entrance.
How we do it
We test for moisture first. If water gets in, we fix that before we close anything up. Framing, wiring and plumbing are inspected before the drywall goes on. The suite rules, such as ceiling height, the exit window and fire separation, are built in at the drawing stage, not patched in later.
Permits and inspections
A finished basement with a bedroom, a bathroom or a suite needs a building permit. Inspections happen at framing, at insulation and at the end.
Decide before we quote
Family space or rental income. How many bedrooms. A full bathroom or a powder room.
Flooring and hardwood
We install hardwood, engineered wood, laminate, vinyl plank and tile floors. We also fix the floor underneath, so the new one stays flat and quiet.
How we do it
Hardwood sits in your house for a few days before we lay it, so it adjusts to your humidity. We screw down loose subfloor to stop squeaks. The first row starts off the longest straight wall, so the pattern runs true through the doorways.
Permits and inspections
New flooring needs no permit.
Decide before we quote
Pets and kids point to vinyl plank or a harder wood. Basements and bathrooms need a water-resistant floor. Whether the stairs should match.
Tile and stone
Tile and stone work covers floors, shower walls, tub surrounds, backsplashes and fireplaces, in porcelain, ceramic or natural stone.
How we do it
Flat first. A large tile shows every dip, so we level the wall or floor before the first piece goes down. We dry-lay the pattern so the cuts land where they look right. Grout goes in after the thinset cures. Stone is sealed at the end.
Permits and inspections
Tile needs no permit on its own. If it is part of a shower move, the plumbing permit covers it.
Decide before we quote
Porcelain is the toughest and needs no sealing. Natural stone looks richer and needs sealing every few years. Matte tile is less slippery on a floor.
Drywall and painting
Drywall and painting is the finish on every job, and a job on its own. It covers patching, new walls, smooth ceilings, and a paint job done in the right order.
How we do it
We tape in three coats and sand between them, then prime so the colour goes on even. Two finish coats, cut in by hand at the edges. We put a sample of your colour on the wall before we commit to it. Textured ceilings in older houses can contain asbestos, so we test a sample before we scrape.
Permits and inspections
Drywall repairs and paint need no permit.
Decide before we quote
Which rooms. Flat, eggshell or a washable finish. Whether the trim gets painted too.
Plumbing and electrical
Inside our renovations, our own licensed trades handle the wiring and the pipes. That means new circuits, panel upgrades, moved drains, new water lines and new fixtures.
How we do it
The electrician files the permit with the ESA, and the ESA inspects the work. The plumber pressure-tests new lines before the walls close. Both trades follow the same schedule as the rest of the job, so you do not chase three companies.
Permits and inspections
Electrical work is filed with the ESA and inspected. Moving drains or adding fixtures needs a plumbing permit. We handle both.
Decide before we quote
A list of everything that will plug in or use water in the finished room. That decides the circuits and the lines.
When we are not the right fit
We do this work as part of a renovation. For a burst pipe tonight or a breaker that will not reset, call a 24-hour plumber or electrician. They will get there faster than we can.
Full home and commercial
A full home renovation updates most of a house under one plan. That usually means the kitchen, the bathrooms, floors and paint, and often the basement, with one schedule and one crew lead. Commercial work means small shop and office fit-outs.
How we do it
We work top down and dirty first: structure and ceilings, then walls, then floors. The rooms you sleep and eat in are done first or last, depending on what you need. An addition starts with a zoning check before we draw anything.
Permits and inspections
Additions and structural changes always need a permit. Commercial fit-outs usually need one too, and the fire code applies.
Decide before we quote
Stay or move out during the work. What has to be finished first. Your order of priorities, so the quote shows what to drop if the budget needs it.
Which service do you need
Start from the problem, not the trade. The table matches the things people call us about to the service that fixes them.
| What is bothering you | The service that fixes it |
|---|---|
| The kitchen feels dark or cramped, or the layout wastes space | Kitchen renovations |
| The shower leaks, the tile is cracked, or the fan does nothing | Bathroom renovations |
| The basement is bare concrete, or you want rental income from it | Basement finishing |
| Floors creak, dip, or are worn through | Flooring and hardwood |
| You want a tiled shower, a backsplash or a stone floor | Tile and stone |
| Popcorn ceiling, holes in the walls, dated colours | Drywall and painting |
| Breakers trip, the panel is full, or a drain needs to move | Plumbing and electrical |
| The whole house is dated, or the shop needs a new fit-out | Full home and commercial |
What people ask about renovation services
Four questions people search before they pick a service. The first-call questions about quotes, permits and payment are on the home page.
Not for cabinets, counters, flooring or paint in the same layout. You need one when you move a wall, move the sink or a drain, or add electrical circuits. We pull the permit and book the inspection.
Fix water and structure first: a leaking roof, a wet basement, old wiring, or a full electrical panel. Then do the rooms that make the most mess, usually the kitchen and the bathrooms. Paint and floors come last, so they do not get damaged by the other work.
A new tub or shower, vanity, toilet, tile, lighting and fan, plus the waterproofing and plumbing behind the walls. The full list is on the bathroom renovations page.
Yes. We seal the room we are working in, and you use the rest of the house as normal. We finish one room before we open the next. It costs a little more than doing everything at once, because each room is its own setup. But you never lose the whole house.
