Ontario's Plain-English Guide to Custom Home Building📞 705-533-1633 | ☎️ 1-866-868-6606 | ✉️ info@icfhome.ca
Major Remodeling & Renovations
Breathe New Life into the Home You Already Love
Whether you’re updating a tired kitchen, turning your unfinished basement into a luxury suite, or modernizing a cottage for year-round living — we bring the same craftsmanship and care to renovations as we do to new custom builds.
We’ve been renovating homes in Ontario for over four decades. We understand what it takes to blend the new with the old, seamlessly.
No Surprises. Just Solid Results.
Our approach to renovations starts with understanding. We take the time to learn what’s working, what’s not, and what your goals are. From there, we offer clear pricing, firm timelines, and guidance that comes from years of on-the-ground experience.
We’ve tackled:
- Full gut renovations
- Structural improvements (including foundation reinforcement)
- Energy-efficiency upgrades
- Whole-home insulation and airtightness retrofits
- Bathroom and kitchen makeovers
- Aging-in-place modifications
Blending Innovation with Heritage
In many Ontario communities, homes come with character — and quirks. We’re comfortable working in older structures and matching existing styles and materials, whether it’s preserving exposed beams in a post-and-beam house, or upgrading wiring and plumbing behind 100-year-old walls.
Want to add radiant floor heating to an existing home? We do that. Interested in converting a drafty crawlspace into insulated storage? We’ve done that, too.
Permits and Peace of Mind
We handle everything — engineering, permits, inspections — so your renovation is not just beautiful, but legal and lasting.
With our team, your home’s next chapter begins without chaos, mess, or cutting corners. We build (and rebuild) like we mean it.
More on renovations and suites
Sources and further reading
Questions people ask
Is it cheaper to renovate or rebuild?
Below about half the value of a new house, renovating usually wins; above it, a teardown and rebuild often gives a better house for the money, especially when the old foundation, wiring or layout are the problem. Run both numbers before you commit.
Do major renovations need a permit in Ontario?
Anything structural, any change to plumbing or HVAC layout, additions, new openings, and finishing a basement all need a building permit. Cosmetic work does not. The ESA handles the electrical permit separately.
Is there an HST rebate on a major renovation?
Yes, if it is a substantial renovation, which the CRA defines as removing or replacing at least 90 percent of the interior. Additions and partial renovations do not qualify, so check before you count on it.
Building in Simcoe County or on Georgian Bay?
We are ICFhome.ca, a family builder in Tiny Township with 45 years of custom homes behind us. Pick the path that matches where you are: send us your plans, ask for a ballpark, book a call, or come and stand in our showhome in January and feel what an ICF house does.
Reviewed and updated October 2026. Costs on this site are Ontario ranges, not quotes; code references are to the Ontario Building Code in force at the date above.
