Basement Walkout in Toronto

We Beat Competitor Quotes By Up To 5%

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Post-Renovation Support

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A walkout basement offers direct access to the outdoors, making it an ideal choice for homeowners looking to add value to their property or create additional income streams. With a wall of windows and a ground-level door, a walkout basement provides plenty of natural light, making the space feel open and inviting. This type of renovation is particularly beneficial in Toronto, where rising mortgage prices and a shortage of living space make every square foot valuable.

9x Award Winning
Basement Renovator in Toronto

Transforming your regular basement into a walkout is especially worth it if you are looking to have:

Legal Basement Apartment
Short-term rental (such as AirBNB)
A more independent place for an adult child living at home
Sell a home for a higher price
Anything else that you need both space and outdoor access for

Transforming your space into a walkout basement is a smart investment, and RenoDuck is here to make it happen!

Our team listens, understands, and delivers results that exceed expectations. Reach out to us today for a free consultation and discover how we can help you create the perfect walkout basement.

Understanding Types Of Basements

Walkout
Basement

A walkout basement has at least one door to the outside that one can walk out of on level ground.

Walk-Up
Basement

A walk-up basement has a door directly to the outside, but not to level ground. One needs to ascend a staircase to get to level ground.

Lookout
Basement

A lookout or daylight basement has no door, but at least one full-sized window.

At RenoDuck, we help you make informed decisions that align with your goals and budget, and we guarantee to make the most out of your walkout basement renovation investment.

Can you make a regular basement into a walkout?

At RenoDuck, we get this question a lot. In short, most of Toronto’s basements can be transformed into a walkout, however, certain conditions must be met. We have tackled many challenging renovation projects in the past, and we can assess your specific situation to determine the feasibility of converting your basement.

Sloped Property

A sloped property with the grade higher on the street side and dropping towards the back is practically an invitation for a walkout basement. If the rear wall is exposed, all you need is a door-sized hole, and perhaps a hole or holes for windows. If the site is not sloped, a slope will need to be created for a walkout basement, so a walk-up or lookout might be a better solution.

Land Condition

Foundations need to be in contact with undisturbed soil or bedrock, so it’s important to excavate deeply enough, but not too deeply for the renovation that you intend.

Structural Integrity

Existing structural integrity depends largely upon the age of the foundation and its location in relation to the water table. If your home is on high ground, your foundation is much less likely to have water damage than a foundation on lower ground. Construction methods have been steadily improving over the past 200 years, so chances are, if your foundation dates to the 1920s or earlier, it may not be poured concrete or even have a moisture barrier of any sort. Although a walkout renovation is likely to cost more in an older home, your foundation may already need sufficient work that a walkout entrance would make a minor addition to the schedule and budget if done at the same time.

Zoning and By-Laws

There are special laws for certain areas, permitted uses, lot requirements, access, energy, parking, loading, … and these laws change with the type and use of the building and its location in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Suffice it to say, there are a lot, but we know what they are, and will comply with them. RenoDuck also takes care of all necessary permits for you.

Egress Requirements

Basements come with the dual safety concerns of home invasion and potential fire escape, which can come into conflict if both are not addressed properly. Both of these are heightened if you plan to rent your basement to long or short-term tenants. Don’t worry, RenoDuck has your back on this! RenoDuck specializes in basement renovations in the Toronto area, and we know the laws that govern basement walkouts in Toronto. We have access to the structural engineers, inspectors, and heavy equipment necessary to create your basement walkout regardless of site and building conditions, and we have lots of practice with navigating all the permitting systems in the area. We can give you a consultation and quote in advance to help you make this important decision in a fully informed way. Contact us to investigate your options and/or start the process!

Walkout Basement Process

RenoDuck never cuts corners and always adheres to the highest construction and building standards. While many other basement walkout contractors might rush through the process, we have created a detailed, time- and budget-efficient process that takes care of not only your walkout basement but also your home property in general.

Initial Assessment and Planning

We meet with you and your home and evaluate your site and structure, foundation, soil, and drainage, and determine what the best location for a new access would be together.

Permitting & Design

We create detailed plans and drawings, obtain the necessary building permits, and ensure compliance with local building codes and zoning regulations. Permitting is absolutely necessary in Toronto, we have a robust inspection system here, and it only makes sense to get permits, meeting these requirements will protect you, your family, your home, and your neighborhood from future disasters and liability.
At RenoDuck, we’ve got experience with the various permitting costs and requirements all around the GTA. We can minimize both the time and cost required to ensure that your project is completely legal and safe.

Site Preparation

We will mark out where utilities enter and exit your home, set up safety barriers, and get our equipment and materials set up for work.

Excavation

Not all basement re-shaping requires excavation, but most will. If you want to level a terrace outside of a walkout or look-out basement, or create a stairwell for a walk-up entry, excavation will be required. We use heavy machinery if we can access the site with it, if not, excavation is done by hand.

Underpinning (Foundation Work)

If the existing foundation is sound and stable, we will cut openings for a door and any windows using a masonry saw, which we will reinforce to ensure that the foundation still supports the full load that it did before openings were cut. We also usually install footings or a footing foundation by constructing concrete forms, getting them inspected, then pouring concrete. Our contractors use the appropriate concrete mix for each use, and reinforcing steel to increase the durability of concrete under tension. Curing time is crucial for long-term stability, and will vary according to the weather in the days and weeks following the pour.

Drainage

Proper drainage is essential, not only to prevent flooding, but also water damage to all the components that you won’t see once the job is done. For this purpose, we install weeping tiles at the new foundation’s base. If you already have weeping tile, it may need to be modified to accommodate the new addition. These are perforated pipes that heavy rains and snow melt water will flow into and through, away from your foundation. We cover this assembly with gravel so that water will drain easily into it.

New Access

We continue the concrete work, constructing any necessary stairways, with a grid of reinforcing steel built in. We lay down a grid of steel reinforcing material in concrete forms to create steps, then concrete can be poured into the form or forms. We frame and install your new door and windows, and grade the land around the new areas to the correct height or heights.

Waterproofing

We repair any existing foundation cracks and apply a thin (¼” or 3mm) parge coat of mortar to the outside perimeter concrete and/or CMU walls of your basement. In addition to smoothing the exterior, this coat fortifies and prevents wetness. After the parge coat dries, a coat of bituminous compound (tar) or waterproof membrane is applied. Bituminous compounds must be applied and allowed to set on a perfectly clean and dry wall within the correct temperature range. This tar releases toxic fumes, so this is not a DIY job. Finally, a hard waterproof membrane layer is applied.

Interior Finishing

We frame, insulate, and drywall the new basement entrance area, installing flooring as necessary. We usually also install a full-size window at this point, depending upon your choices. Next, we will install the basement entrance door. We use heavy-duty weather stripping to seal it off from heat loss and moisture damage.

Exterior Finishing

Exterior lighting for the doorway is installed to match the overall style of your home’s exterior, and increase safety in the area. If stairs were involved (for a walk-up door) we will add handrails. Now that we’ve created a new connection between your basement and the great outdoors, how do you plan to maximize your use and enjoyment of it? Decisions will be based upon the size of the flat exterior area adjoining the doorway. Many choose a finished patio or deck, while others prefer walkways through a garden, or a combination of all of the above. If the slope continues, we can add a short retaining wall to keep a patio level. We also install exterior lighting at this stage.

Final Inspections

Our work will be inspected at this point by any and all code compliance agencies, as well as by you, our customer, to make sure that we have provided all the work agreed to, and you’re delighted with your new walkout basement.

Clean-up and Project Completion

We like to leave things better than we found them, so we will remove all of our construction debris, and make any final adjustments before we go.

Give us a quack for a free Quote!

or call us 647-249-2405

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Featured Renovations

Cost and Value of a Walkout Basement

Investing in a walkout basement can be a significant financial commitment, but it’s one that pays off handsomely in the long run. The cost of adding a walkout basement varies depending variety of factors such as the age of your home, the existing slope of your land, and the quality of finishes that you would like to have installed. Typically, you can expect to invest anywhere from $30,000 to $100,000 or more. While this might seem steep, the return on investment (ROI) is substantial.

A walkout basement not only expands your living space but also significantly increases your property’s value. Homes with walkout basements often see an increase in resale value, sometimes by as much as 15% to 25%. This makes it one of the most effective ways to boost your home’s market appeal and overall worth. In competitive real estate markets like Toronto, this addition can be a game-changer, attracting potential buyers and offering the versatility that many modern homeowners desire. When you consider the long-term benefits, the initial cost of a walkout basement is more than justified. It’s an investment that enhances your lifestyle and your financial future.

Benefits Of Converting Your Basement Into A Walkout

Homes with walkout basements often see an increase in resale value, sometimes by as much as 15% to 25%, making it one of the most effective ways to boost your home’s market.

The value of your basement as a rental unit will rise, for both short-term vacation rentals and long-term tenants. If this conversion makes your basement into a legal rental space, that value increase will be from $0 to hundreds of dollars every month, bringing stability to your financial future and reducing your stress.

If you plan to use the space yourself, you’ll enjoy the mood-boosting effect of increased natural light, lowered dampness, and increased connection to nature.

For your family, an aging parent or a boomerang child will gain a secure place to live, close enough to maintain regular family connections, but private enough to live independently with dignity.

In addition to making your basement more pleasant all around, this conversion also makes it safer, ensuring proper drainage, waterproofing, lighting, and code compliance. A walkout conversion will make the space safer for anyone who has trouble walking and/or climbing stairs.

Contact A Basement Renovation Expert

By now, you may be certain that a walkout, walk-up, or lookout basement is exactly what your home needs, or you may still be unsure about which conversion you want, or affordability specifically on your property. We can help!

Walkout Basement Toronto

9x Award Winning
Basement Renovator in Toronto