Basements, Additions & Outdoor · Cambridge
Legal Basement Apartments in Cambridge
Secondary suites built to the Ontario Building Code and Fire Code, with the permit, egress and fire separation done properly.
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Legal Basement Apartments in Cambridge
Demand for legal basement apartments in Cambridge is strong, whether for rental income, a parent moving closer or a young adult who wants their own space. Many stone and brick century homes and newer subdivisions in Galt, Preston and Hespeler have basements well suited to a secondary suite.
Secondary suites in Cambridge are approved by the City of Cambridge, which sets its own zoning, parking and entrance rules on top of the Ontario Building Code and Fire Code. We check what your lot allows, coordinate drawings and the permit, then build the suite and book inspections through to final sign-off.
We also bring existing Cambridge basement units up to code: assessing fire separation, exits, ceiling height and alarms, and doing the permit and work needed to make the suite legal.
Call (647) 424-1511 or send the form on this page for a free basement apartment quote in Cambridge. Tell us what you want to change, add a few photos of the space, and we will book a visit and send a written quote that lists the scope, the materials, the permits involved and the schedule.
Cambridge homes
What legal basement apartments involves in Cambridge's houses
Century and heritage homes in Cambridge
Older Cambridge homes can take a legal basement apartment, but the work is heavier: low ceilings may need underpinning, stone foundations need careful moisture work, and fire separation has to be built continuously through irregular framing. A second exit and egress windows are often the deciding factors.
Post-war bungalows and back-splits in Cambridge
Cambridge's post-war bungalows are among the best houses for a basement apartment. The side door at grade often gives the suite its own entrance, the footprint gives room for a kitchen, bathroom and one or two bedrooms, and the Building Code includes some allowances for houses that have stood for years.
Newer homes built since 2000 in Cambridge
Newer Cambridge homes with a roughed-in basement bathroom and good ceiling height are strong candidates for a suite. Where the builder offered a separate side entrance it saves significant work. Engineered floor joists above need a fire separation designed for that type of floor.
Rules in Cambridge
Permits and approvals for legal basement apartments in Cambridge
Building permits
Building permits in Cambridge are issued by the City of Cambridge. Electrical work anywhere in Ontario is done by a licensed electrical contractor under an Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) permit. We confirm what your project needs before you sign and book every inspection.
Additional residential units
Since the province's More Homes Built Faster Act (2022), most urban serviced lots in Ontario with a detached house, semi or townhouse can have up to three units: the main home plus two additional units, one of which may be in a separate building. Municipalities still set zoning details, and the province limits how much parking they can require. The City of Cambridge applies these rules locally, and every unit needs a building permit and must meet the Building Code and Fire Code.
Testing before demolition
Homes built before the 1990s can contain asbestos in plaster, textured ceilings, floor tile, vermiculite insulation and pipe wrap, and homes from before the 1960s often have lead paint. In Cambridge's older houses we test suspect materials before demolition and handle them by the regulations if they are found.
The service
Legal Basement Apartments, Built to Code
A legal basement apartment, also called a secondary suite or additional residential unit, can bring in rental income, house a family member or help an adult child stay close to home. Ontario's rules now allow additional units in many houses, but a suite is only legal when it is built under a building permit and meets the Ontario Building Code and Fire Code.
The details that make a suite legal are the same ones that make it safe: fire separation between the units, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, a proper exit and egress windows from bedrooms, adequate ceiling height, separate heating considerations, and the right electrical and plumbing. Zoning, parking and entrance requirements vary from one municipality to the next.
More about legal basement apartments →The process
How your Cambridge project comes together
01
Consultation
Tell us what you want to change and send a few photos. We visit, measure and talk through options.
02
Written Quote
A clear scope, materials, permits and schedule, in writing. No vague allowances.
03
Permits & Planning
Drawings, permits and material orders lined up before demolition starts.
04
Build & Walk-Through
Work done in the right order, inspected where required, and walked through with you at the end.
Across Cambridge
Legal Basement Apartments throughout Cambridge
Cambridge brings together the historic cores of Galt, Preston and Hespeler, with stone and brick century homes along the Grand and Speed rivers and newer subdivisions in Hespeler and east Galt.
Questions
Legal Basement Apartments in Cambridge: FAQs
How do I get a legal basement apartments quote in Cambridge?+
Call (647) 424-1511, use the form on this page or email info@ontariorenovationcompany.com. Tell us what you want to change and send a few photos, and we will book a visit and send a written quote for your Cambridge project.
What kinds of Cambridge homes do you work on?+
All of them. Housing in Cambridge includes century and heritage homes, post-war bungalows and back-splits and newer homes built since 2000, and each comes with its own considerations, from older wiring and foundations to builder warranties, septic systems and shoreline rules. We plan the work around the house you actually have.
Can I legally put an apartment in my basement?+
In many Ontario municipalities, yes. Provincial rules allow additional residential units in many houses, but zoning, lot, parking and entrance rules vary locally, and every unit needs a building permit. We check what your property allows before you commit.
What makes a basement apartment legal?+
It must be built under a building permit and pass inspection, meeting the Ontario Building Code and Fire Code for fire separation, exits, egress windows, ceiling height, alarms, electrical and plumbing.
Does a basement apartment need a separate entrance?+
Often, though requirements depend on the municipality and the layout. A side or rear entrance with a properly built stairwell is a common part of our suite projects.
Can you legalize an existing basement apartment?+
Often, yes. We assess the existing suite against the code, list what needs to change, such as fire separation, alarms, egress or ceiling height, and handle the permit and work to bring it into compliance.
Do you offer legal basement apartments across Cambridge?+
Yes. We work throughout Cambridge, including Galt, Preston, Hespeler, Blair, East Galt and West Galt, and in nearby Paris, Ancaster, Dundas, Waterdown and Hamilton.
More renovation services in Cambridge
Alongside legal basement apartments, we also handle garden suites and detached ADUs, basement finishing and bathroom renovations in Cambridge, so related work can be planned together.
Other basements, additions & outdoor services in Cambridge: basement finishing, garden suites & detached adus, home additions and decks & outdoor living.
Further reading
Your Cambridge renovation, done properly.
Tell us what you want to change and send a few photos. We will book a visit and send a clear written quote, with no obligation.