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Category: Completed Projects

  • The Rear Extension That Checked All The Boxes

    The Rear Extension That Checked All The Boxes

    How a pandemic-era multi-trade reno turned two first-time renovation clients into lifelong advocates — and what that says about how we work.

    ⚡ TLDR

    Kasper and Claire came to BVM Contracting with a home in Toronto that needed everything done at once — rear extension, kitchen, electrical, HVAC, bathrooms, front door — during the height of COVID. We delivered a complete renovation and home extension experience, navigated a permit process that included a neighbour complaints and late-stage HVAC engineering requirements, and handed over a home Claire described as “absolutely beautiful.” Three-plus years later, we’re still their first call — and they’ve sent more than one client our way.

    Home Addition & Renovation Project Information

    Location: 19 Wrenson Road, Toronto, ON
    Scope: Full multi-trade renovation and rear extension — rear extension, new custom kitchen & millwork, new flooring, new trim, new paint, full electrical upgrade, new HVAC system, new bathrooms (multiple floors), new front door, rear deck
    Project Started: September 2020
    Completed: January 2021
    Project Value: Inquire Here

    The Project That Started With Everything

    Some renovations and home additions are targeted. One kitchen. One bathroom. A fresh coat of paint and call it done.

    This wasn’t that.

    When Kasper and Claire first contacted us they didn’t yet have drawings, which is usually where we start our conversations. Our first conversation happened as a result of of a referral from a close friend of theirs who recently completed their renovation project, but not with us. Their friend regretted not going with us and turned into one of our biggest advocates through their poorly managed renovation experience.

    They bought a property at 19 Wrenson Road, which was in their target neighbourhood within walking distance from the local school they wanted their kids going to and checked almost all of the boxes for them. They knew going into buying the home they would need more space for their growing family. With 2 kids and both Kasper and Claire working from home during COVID the space was going to get small really quickly.

    They decided right from the start they were going to complete a rear extension, with an interior renovation to the existing main and second floors to add a powder room on the main floor and create a completely new primary bedroom complete with a new ensuite. This would turn a cramped 3 bedroom/1 bathroom home into a more functional 4 bedroom/2.5 bathroom home.

    They also had a time constraint, Christmas. They wanted to be moved in by then, which made the planning process that much more important to get right.

    We’ve been doing this since 1997. Complex home additions and interior renovations is what we’re built for. But we’ll admit: 2020 was a year that tested everyone in construction. Supply chains were uncertain. Trades were stretched. Getting materials to site on time required planning well ahead of what pre-pandemic schedules ever demanded. We needed to plan ahead, and that is what we did.

    Bottom line: Every major project is a coordination test. This one passed.

    How Efficient Planning Got This Project Done In Time

    Kasper reached out in July 2020 once they had the purchase and sale agreement signed for 19 Wrenson Road. They were referred to us by their close friend who they knew had recently completed his own renovation project.

    They wanted to get his feedback about who to go with but his answer wasn’t the team he actually used. It was the team he should have went with, us. We gave their friend a scope of work that looked expensive on paper but was accurate to how much the project was going to actually cost. He decided to go with the lower estimate, and ended up spending more than what we originally estimated.

    We gained a life-long referral by pricing things true to what the project actually costed!

    Reaching out in June 2020 for a September 2020 start date was already a very tall task, but to start from scratch with no drawings was going to take very efficient planning to achieve.

    We didn’t waste any time and used one of their site visits prior to occupancy to measure up the house with our architectural design team, which formed the basis of the design work. These design drawings allows us to plan the extension to avoid committee of adjustment, which would have increased the time to get a permit in hand. We completed the zoning review and Ontario Building Code review all at the same time once we confirmed no variances would be triggered by the rear extension.

    While the design was in for permit we made sure to build Kasper and Claire’s scope of work concurrently to make sure they knew the actual costs of their project (versus waiting for the permit drawings to be in hand).

    We ended up getting the permit mid-September and already had the scope of work and contract signed off to start the work.

    What Happened During Construction

    Every home addition project runs into issues that need experienced eyes to review and this project was no different. We had to make adjustments to the layout based on additions to the design from the clients and their interior designer. Usually we can add these into the designs before starting, but with how quickly we had to get the permit we had to do some of the work while construction was ongoing. This led to a mudroom being added, additional millwork being completed, some custom tile work, and ultimately a more functional design.

    We ideally work with the client and the interior designer BEFORE construction to avoid having to make these changes on the fly (which lead to additional cost) but Kasper and Claire were more focused on the timeline than what the incremental costs were to make their house a home. With every project we always try to lead with the assumption that everything in the scope will be fixed price before our clients sign contracts, but sometimes we have to adjust our processes to suit the needs of our clients and their timelines.

    We ultimately were able to get Kasper and Claire moved in for Christmas, with some minor finishing work completed in January 2021 to close out their project in the New Year. They were grateful at the pace of the project completion and sticking to their move-in timeline. Experienced project management and solid planning got this project over the finish line on time (and slightly over budget due to the changes made during construction).

    When the City Has Questions, We Have Answers

    Here’s something most homeowners don’t hear enough: a closed permit is as important as a finished renovation. It’s your legal record that the work was done to code. It protects your home value and your insurance. And if it’s left open, it becomes your problem — not ours.

    The permit path at 19 Wrenson had a few sharp corners. First, partway through the final inspection process, the city inspector flagged that an HVAC engineer drawing was outstanding — specifically related to a sizing change on a return air component. This came in September, well after the physical work had been completed. Our office tracked it down, confirmed it had been addressed, and moved the permit forward.

    Then came the neighbour complaint. A neighbouring property submitted a complaint to the City about a gap between the existing brick and the new rear addition. The City’s position was that the Senior Inspector had to personally follow up on all complaints before signing off on the permit. Vince went to the site the same day to assess. The gap was on the neighbouring side of the property line. We worked through the process. And when the inspector took another look, his conclusion was clear: the gap was as per plan, not a deficiency.

    Kasper’s note when the permit cleared: “Seems like our neighbour’s complaint was unfounded (not surprised).”

    We coordinated the final documentation — structural engineering reports, insulation installer IDs, footing foundation reports — and the permit was officially closed in December 2021.

    Bottom line: Permit navigation isn’t glamorous, but it’s part of what you’re paying for — and we don’t leave clients holding open permits.

    What Kasper and Claire Actually Got

    On January 21, 2021, Colleen sent the final invoice. Kasper responded within the hour.

    “You guys were a treat to work with, very professional and accommodating to our every need.” — Kasper Chmura

    That’s a sentence worth sitting with. Not because it’s a compliment — though it is — but because it came from a couple who had just lived through a full multi-trade reno during a pandemic. These weren’t easy circumstances. There were deficiency items to resolve. There were supply delays. There was the stove breaker issue that required our electrician to troubleshoot a GE dual-fuel range with an unusual wiring configuration the appliance company itself took two visits to understand. At every point, our team showed up and worked through it — immediately, with answers and solutions.

    “Renovations are always a stressful process but this was by far one of the most well managed and efficient jobs we’ve experienced. You were all friendly and professional and we are so happy with the final output. Very excited to be in our new home for the new year, so thank you!” — Claire Robbins

    Bottom line: The real measure of a renovation isn’t the day of handover — it’s whether your clients are still proud of the work months later.

    The Support That Comes After

    Here’s where the 19 Wrenson story gets interesting. The same evening we sent the final invoice — January 21, 2021, 8:26 PM — Claire messaged: “Kasper just tried to give you a call but we just walked down to a flood in our basement.” Ryan replied thirteen minutes later. Vince was on site first thing the next morning with fans. That wasn’t a fluke. That’s how we operate.

    Over the following three-plus years, the team continued to be Kasper and Claire’s first call:

    • February 2021: Stove breaker tripping — our electrician troubleshot the GE dual-fuel configuration and found a real solution

    • March 2021: Bidet leak in the upper bathroom — plumber dispatched the next day

    • March 2022: Snowmelt leaking into the basement while Kasper and Claire were in Aruba — we let ourselves in with their permission, ran fans, and followed up with a full waterproofing assessment (even though this wasn’t part of our scope)

    • May 2022: Sliding screen door on the rear deck wasn’t tracking correctly — we got the manufacturer’s service team on it

    • July 2022: Fridge delivery with a water/ice dispenser hookup the delivery company wouldn’t do — we connected them with our plumber

    • June 2024: Fire alarm units going off in the middle of the night — we diagnosed the cause and sent a step-by-step cleaning guide within hours

    None of this was invoiced. None of it was legally required. Every bit of it was the natural consequence of building a real relationship with clients — one where they trust us enough to call, and we trust ourselves enough to show up.

    Bottom line: After-care isn’t a service line — it’s what happens when you actually care about the people whose homes you’ve touched.

    Ready to Start Planning Your Project?

    The 19 Wrenson renovation is proof that complex, multi-trade projects — done right, during difficult conditions — produce clients who don’t just move on. They refer you. They post reviews. They call you years later when something needs attention. And they trust you enough to send their friends.

    If you’re looking at a renovation that touches more than one system in your home, the coordination and communication that goes into a project like this is exactly what separates a well-managed renovation from a stressful one.

    Want To Start Your Home Addition Planning Journey?

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  • A Familiar Home With Different Dreams: 104 Midland Home Addition

    A Familiar Home With Different Dreams: 104 Midland Home Addition

    A post-wartime Scarborough bungalow transformed into a four-level forever home — because moving was never the option.

    ⚡ TLDR

    104 Midland Avenue was a storey-and-a-half post-wartime bungalow with pinkish-red brick and a layout that had run out of room. Alicia and Ryan Broome inherited the property from a family member and came to BVM Contracting with a specific vision: transform it into a purpose-built, four-level forever home for their growing family — without leaving the neighbourhood they loved. Eight months later, Alicia called it a staycation. The Toronto Star called it a strong makeover story. We called it a good day’s work.

    Home Addition Project Information

    Project Type: Home Addition — Second Storey Addition + Basement Underpinning + Full Interior Renovation

    Location: Scarborough, Toronto

    Scope: ~900 sq ft added on new second floor; four cohesive levels including underpinned basement, remodelled main floor, new second floor, and renovated bonus room above garage; custom Swede kitchen; HVAC redesign

    Timeline: ~8 months from breaking ground to handover (construction started January 2024)

    Budget: Inquire for pricing

    Before and After

    [PHOTO — Before: Original storey-and-a-half bungalow at 104 Midland Avenue — post-wartime pinkish-red brick exterior, original footprint with room above integral garage]

    [PHOTO — After: Completed 104 Midland Avenue — second storey addition fully integrated with original structure, new roofline visible]

    The Home That Couldn’t Be Left Behind

    Some projects start with a spreadsheet. This one started with a family memory.

    104 Midland Avenue was a post-wartime storey-and-a-half Scarborough bungalow — classic pinkish-red brick, a room perched above an integral garage, the kind of house that holds decades of history in its walls. When Alicia and Ryan Broome had the opportunity to purchase it from a family member, the decision wasn’t just a financial calculation. This was a place they were emotionally attached to. A place they wanted to create their own memories in.

    But they also had a young family — two boys, growing careers, and a clear-eyed understanding that the existing layout wasn’t going to serve them for the next few decades. Selling was never seriously considered. The question was never whether to transform the home. The question was how.

    Their vision was specific and ambitious from day one: create four cohesive, purposeful levels that the whole family could enjoy. An underpinned basement. A fully remodelled main floor with a custom kitchen at its centre — a real entertaining space. A brand-new second floor addition — roughly 900 square feet — to hold all four family members’ bedrooms with room to breathe. And the existing bonus room above the garage, reimagined as a dedicated rec room where their boys could hang out, play, and have a space that was genuinely theirs.

    Bottom line: When clients come to us with a clear vision and a deep reason to see it through, that clarity becomes the foundation the entire project is built on.

    [PHOTO — Construction / Framing Phase — addition structure taking shape above existing bungalow]

    Framing underway in early 2024. Adding a full second floor to a post-wartime bungalow starts here — and it has to be done right.

    Four Levels Built on Planning

    By January 2024, our team was on site. Framing and plumbing rough-ins were underway in the first weeks — the unglamorous, foundational work that determines whether everything above it performs for decades.

    The underpinning came first and consumed a significant portion of the early project timeline. Underpinning an existing basement is exacting, technical work: you’re increasing the depth of the foundation beneath a standing structure, and there is no margin for error. It’s also the kind of phase that earns its value quietly — homeowners won’t see it, but they’ll benefit from it for the life of the home. Once the underpinning was complete, the project moved forward without interruption.

    The kitchen installation had some finishing-phase coordination complexity — custom kitchens at this level always do — but the overall timeline held. The one planned scope change came from the clients themselves: the basement, initially intended for a full finish, was pulled back to a minimal state so the budget could be allocated toward higher-finish areas upstairs. A disciplined call, and one the family can revisit on their own timeline. The HVAC redesign was where the technical heavy lifting earned its keep. Adding 900 square feet of new living space and remodelling every level of an existing home without rethinking how the whole building breathes and heats is one of the most common — and most expensive — mistakes in addition work. We obtained the custom HVAC permit in March 2024 and designed a system built to serve the entire home, old and new square footage together.

    The major budget win on this project came from the decision made before construction even started: utilize the existing structure rather than tear down and rebuild. That single choice — staying with the bones rather than starting over — is what made a four-level home transformation achievable at a budget that would not have covered a comparable new build. Underpinning and a full second-floor addition on a post-wartime bungalow is not a small undertaking. But it is meaningfully different from a ground-up build — and our team has the experience to execute both.

    Bottom line: A great addition doesn’t just build up — it rebuilds the whole system so the finished home performs as if it was designed that way from day one.

    [PHOTO — Custom Swede Kitchen — finished and installed]

    The kitchen at 104 Midland. Designed for how this family actually lives. Built to be the heart of the home.

    The Feature We’re Most Proud Of (It’s Not the Kitchen)

    The kitchen is stunning. But ask our team what this project’s standout feature is, and the answer surprises people.

    It’s the bonus room above the garage.

    That room existed before we touched the building — a slightly awkward space sitting above an integral garage that didn’t quite fit the rest of the original bungalow. A less thoughtful approach to this project would have absorbed it into the addition as a spare bedroom, or finished it minimally without a clear purpose.

    Instead, our team worked with Alicia and Ryan during the planning and design phase to think carefully about their family’s actual needs. Two young boys. A home built for the next two decades. What those boys needed — what any kids in a home this well-designed deserve — was a space of their own. The bonus room became the rec room: a separate level where they can hang out, play, and do what kids do, completely apart from the main living areas while fully integrated into the home’s four-level flow.

    That’s what a planning process built on real conversation produces. Alicia and Ryan trusted our team to push back on assumptions and give honest feedback about what would make the space work. That planning investment — made before a single nail was driven — is why the finished home feels intentional from every angle. And why Alicia, a year after moving in, still referred to it as a staycation.

    “Still feels like we’re on a staycation lol.” — Alicia Broome, homeowner, 104 Midland Avenue

    Bottom line: The best features in a home aren’t always the most expensive ones — they’re the ones that fit how the family actually lives.

    [PHOTO — Bonus Room / Rec Room above garage — finished space]

    The rec room above the garage. Repurposed from an awkward leftover space into the boys’ own level. This is the feature our team is most proud of — and once you understand why, you’ll agree.

    When the Work Doesn’t Stop at Handover

    Eight months of construction. Handover complete. For most contractors, that’s where the relationship ends.

    Not for us.

    After Alicia and Ryan moved in, the first winter revealed what Ontario winters always reveal in new construction: humidity management challenges as materials settle and the HVAC system calibrates to real-world conditions. At 104 Midland, winter conditions led to some drywall and trim areas that needed attention. In addition, working in an existing structure always means encountering existing conditions — and we addressed those head-on as they surfaced.

    Our team reacted quickly. When Alicia flagged moisture in the furnace room bulkhead in the summer of 2025, we sent our HVAC contractor Russell Summerfield from Ontario Mechanical Services to investigate within a day. The diagnosis: a dirty furnace filter and a humidistat that needed adjusting — standard post-construction calibration in a new HVAC system. We investigated, diagnosed, and resolved it the same afternoon. No runaround. No “that’s not our problem.”

    Colleen coordinated every subsequent trade in sequence: drywall, flooring, caulking, and paint touch-ups. Each item tracked and addressed in order. Alicia’s emails throughout the warranty period reflect a client who felt genuinely cared for — cooperative, flexible, and appreciative.

    The clearest indicator that the relationship survived the hard parts? Ryan Broome’s brother recently engaged BVM Contracting for his own basement renovation. That referral didn’t happen because the construction process was friction-free. It happened because when things came up, we handled them.

    “Thank you for all your help with coordinating the repairs to our home and checking items off the list.” — Alicia Broome, homeowner, August 2025

    Bottom line: The warranty period isn’t a liability — it’s the opportunity to prove that the relationship matters more than the final payment.

    Ready to Start Planning Your Home Addition?

    The 104 Midland Avenue project is proof that you don’t have to move to get the home your family needs. A well-planned addition — one that thinks through every level, not just the square footage you’re adding — can completely transform how a family lives without sacrificing the neighbourhood, the school, or the roots they’ve already put down.

    The families that are happiest with their home additions are the ones doing it for the right reasons. If you’re sitting on the fence about whether an addition is the right move for your family, start with an honest conversation about what your family actually needs — not just what’s missing, but what the space needs to become. BVM has experience across every project type: custom new builds, additions, renovations, underpinning. We can give you a straight answer about which path makes the most sense for your specific situation.

    Book Your Free 20-Minute Project Consultation: Schedule here

    📞 647-401-HOME | www.bvmcontracting.com

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  • A Custom New Build That Three Years Later, Still Opens Its Doors

    A Custom New Build That Three Years Later, Still Opens Its Doors

    Julianne and Junior LeBlanc came to BVM Contracting with a vision: tear down what was there and build the custom home they’d always wanted. We delivered a ~4,000 sq ft, $1.5M custom build in Port Union — the easternmost community in Scarborough along the Lake Ontario shoreline — on time, on budget — during one of the most turbulent material supply periods in recent memory. Three years later, when we needed a real-world example to show a new family what a BVM home looks like, Julianne and Junior didn’t hesitate. They opened their front door.

    That’s the kind of relationship we build — not just homes.

    Home Build Project Information

    Project Type: Full tear-down and custom new build
    Location: Port Union, Scarborough, Toronto
    Scope: ~4,000 sq ft custom home (main floor, second floor, basement with gym, three-car garage, covered rear porch)
    Duration of Construction: 9 months
    Timeline of our services: Pre-construction through to completed construction
    Client: Young family, Port Union
    Architect: Chris Ziannis — CZ Designs
    Project Cost Breakdown: Inquire here

    Building During the Worst Supply Chain Year in Memory

    When Julianne and Junior signed on with BVM Contracting in 2021, they weren’t just buying a construction contract — they were trusting us with their most significant financial investment. And they were doing it at the worst possible time for materials.

    2021 was a year that tested every builder in Canada. Lumber prices had spiked to historic highs. Lead times for windows stretched to 14–16 weeks. Roof trusses were backlogged for months. Structural steel pricing was volatile enough that we had to lock in quotes on specific dates just to hold numbers.

    A less experienced builder would have handed over a budget and hoped for the best. We took a different approach.

    From day one, our team sat with Julianne and Junior and built a line-by-line budget — every trade, every material, every phase of the project documented with full transparency. When lumber came in higher than expected, we didn’t hide it. We worked through the budget together, found over $14,600 in savings on framing alone, and protected their overall number without cutting corners on quality.

    The final framing cost came in at $193,400 against an original $208,000 estimate.

    Bottom line: Full budget transparency — even when the numbers shift — builds the kind of trust that survives a supply chain crisis.

    A Home Designed to Turn Heads — and Last Decades

    The LeBlanc residence isn’t a typical new build. Every exterior and interior decision was made with intention.

    Exterior

    The curb appeal of this home is immediate and unmistakable. The exterior combines three distinct cladding systems that work together as a cohesive whole:

    → Standing seam charcoal metal roof — across both the main floor and second floor, including a flat roof section. Metal roofing was chosen for its longevity, weather performance, and the clean architectural statement it makes.

    → James Hardie fibre cement siding — a combination of vertical and horizontal runs in a rich iron gray, providing a maintenance-free envelope that holds its colour and resists the freeze-thaw cycles that punish Ontario exteriors every winter.

    → Permacon Laffit thin stone veneer — in a Chambord Grey blend that grounds the home and adds natural texture against the Hardie panels.

    → Natural stone accents — 3-inch sill stones, natural stone gable vents, and natural cut stone for the eave transitions bring a custom masonry feel without the full masonry cost.

    The windows and doors are Golden Windows wood-aluminum clad units with internal grilles and simulated divided lights (SDLs), all finished in black — a bold choice that frames every opening and ties the exterior together. A 52×96 insulated steel front door with a 12-inch sidelite anchors the entry with presence.

    A 48×48 Velux fixed skylight in the front foyer brings natural light deep into the main floor — one of those details you notice the moment you walk through the front door.

    Garage

    The three-car garage isn’t an afterthought — it was designed with the same attention the rest of the home received. With its own framed footprint, insulated doors, and mudroom-to-garage access point, it functions as a true extension of the home.

    Covered Rear Porch & Outdoor Living

    The rear of the home features a covered porch with a gas fireplace — an outdoor living space that genuinely extends the usable season for the family. The sliding door system connects indoor to outdoor seamlessly, making it one of the most used features of the home year-round.

    Basement

    The basement was designed as a functional living level, not storage. With 9-foot ceilings throughout and a dedicated gym and golf area built to 10-foot ceiling clearance, it’s a level of the home the LeBlanc family actually uses.

    How We Kept a 9-Month Custom Build on Schedule

    Managing a $1.5M custom build in a supply-chain crisis isn’t just about construction knowledge — it’s about anticipation.

    Order early, order smart. We placed the Golden Windows order the moment the specifications were locked — knowing 14–16 week lead times meant any delay would cost months on the back end. They arrived on schedule. We planned for trusses knowing delivery wouldn’t come until October — and built the schedule to absorb it without idling the crew.

    Daily communication, not weekly updates. Our project managers were in regular contact with Julianne and Junior throughout the build — not just at formal site meetings, but daily when decisions needed to be made. Custom homes require hundreds of small decisions along the way. Our clients should never feel like they’re waiting on us.

    Transparent draw schedule. Every draw was documented against the budget. Julianne and Junior always knew exactly what had been spent, what was remaining, and what was coming next. There were no surprises at the end.

    Holding the budget without sacrificing the build. When framing material costs came in higher than the original estimate — as they did for every builder in 2021 — we didn’t absorb the cost quietly or pad elsewhere. We brought the numbers to the table, found $14,600 in legitimate savings on the lumber package, and issued a formal credit. The final framing cost came in at $193,400 against an original $208,000 estimate.

    The result: a move-in ready home delivered in 9 months with no significant time delays and no cost overruns.

    Bottom line: Proactive ordering and daily communication aren’t extras — they’re the reason custom home builds finish on time.

    What the LeBlanc Family Said

    “BVM was a pleasure to work with for our new build project. Their project managers helped with all the planning ahead of the build, and created a detailed budget for all phases of the project that was both transparent and accurate. Once building was underway, we had regular site meetings and daily conversations to ensure everything was completed to our satisfaction and in a timely manner. Our home was move-in ready in 9 months with no significant time or cost delays! We would use BVM again and highly recommend them for both small and large construction projects.”

    — Julianne & Junior LeBlanc, homeowners, 396 Rouge Highlands Drive

    The Moment That Said Everything

    Three years after completion, BVM Contracting was working with a new family planning a custom home in the Cliffside area of the Scarborough Bluffs — a similar vision, similar scope. They wanted to see what a BVM home actually looks and feels like.

    We reached out to Julianne and Junior.

    Without hesitation, they said yes. They opened their home — their personal space, their private investment — to a family they had never met, simply because they believed in what BVM Contracting had built for them.

    There was no obligation. No incentive. Just the confidence of a family who got exactly what they were promised, and were proud to show it off.

    That moment is the clearest measure of success we know: a client who becomes an ambassador.

    Key Takeaways

    → Transparency builds trust — A line-by-line budget, documented at every draw, means no surprises and no erosion of confidence

    → Supply chain requires strategy, not luck — Ordering windows 14 weeks ahead of need, planning truss delivery into the schedule, and monitoring steel pricing daily kept the project moving when others stalled

    → Communication is a deliverable — Daily contact with clients isn’t extra effort, it’s part of what we build

    → A great build has a long life — The LeBlanc home didn’t stop being a BVM success story when the permit closed. Three years later, it’s still doing work for us — and for them

    Thinking About Building Your Custom Home?

    The LeBlanc residence is proof that a custom home at this level — done right, with full transparency and no surprises — is achievable. Even when the world around you is making it harder.

    BVM Contracting has the experience, the process, and the relationships to deliver your custom home on time and on budget.

    Let’s start the conversation.

    647-401-HOME (4663)
    www.bvmcontracting.com

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  • The Addition That Looks Like It Was Always There

    The Addition That Looks Like It Was Always There

    How BVM Contracting turned a Cliffcrest side-split into a seamless multi-generational home — without leaving a trace.

    Project Information

    Project Type: Home Addition — Side-Split Addition + Interior Renovation

    Location: 70 Minerva Avenue, Cliffcrest, Scarborough, Toronto

    Neighbourhood: Cliffcrest

    Scope: Side-Split addition with mansard roofline, main-floor great room with vaulted ceilings, lower-level kitchen with yard walkout

    Total Home Size After Addition: 2,456 sq ft

    Project Value: Inquire Here

    When “Don’t Make It Look Like an Addition” Is Actually the Hardest Brief

    Before landing on the addition, the family had explored a land severance — the idea of splitting the lot to create a second structure entirely. BVM walked them through both paths honestly. The severance ran into hard limits almost immediately: the lot’s dimensions in that Cliffcrest block simply didn’t support it without requiring neighbouring land, and the city planning process confirmed as much. The addition wasn’t a fallback. It was the smarter answer. One lot, one permit process, one build — and a result that served three generations without splitting the family across two addresses.

    Bottom line: When the first solution doesn’t work, the right general contractor tells you before you spend a dollar on permits — and comes with a better one.

    The Roof That Changed Everything

    But pulling it off required a technique BVM doesn’t use on every build. Our standard approach for home additions uses pre-fabricated roof trusses — engineered offsite by manufacturers like Kott Inc., delivered ready to install, efficient and reliable. The mansard profile at Minerva didn’t allow for it. The flat-pitch sections of the roof required hand-framed rafters cut and assembled entirely on-site — a more labour-intensive method that demands a higher level of carpentry skill and precision. The payoff was direct: those hand-framed rafters are what made the vaulted ceilings in the great room possible. Without them, the ceiling would have been flat, and the space would have been just another room. With them, it became the heart of the house.

    The construction logistics added another layer of complexity. Our crew was working on one side of the home — framing, roofing, weather-proofing — while the Zecchinos were still living in the other. The original bedrooms and bathrooms remained in use throughout the build. That meant moving fast, staying organized, and taking the weather seriously. We framed and roofed in record time to minimize the period when the structure was exposed. Mother Nature cooperated. The family didn’t have to move out.

    Bottom line: The right roof design isn’t just an aesthetic decision — it’s what determines whether a room becomes a showpiece or just square footage.

    Three Generations, One Great Room

    Mark Zecchino is one of Canada’s busiest golf broadcasters — Golf Talk Canada on TSN, PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM. He travels internationally for much of the year. And in a testimonial the family recorded after the project was complete, he made one observation that said more than a formal review could: he could be in another country, in another time zone, and still know exactly where the project stood. That kind of communication — proactive, specific, consistent — is what lets a client exhale when their home is under construction and they’re not there to see it.

    Heather put it more simply:

    “We were absolutely thrilled with the final product from BVM and will continue to recommend them in the future.” — Heather Zecchino, homeowner, Cliffcrest

    Years after completion, when a Toronto Star journalist reached out about featuring the home in the Living/Homes section, her instinct was immediate. The house functions to serve the needs of three generations — not to mention a working broadcaster. That’s not a description of a renovation. That’s a description of a home that does exactly what it was designed to do.

    Bottom line: A great addition isn’t just more square footage — it’s space that changes how a family lives together.

    Before: A Cliffcrest side-split that had outgrown its original footprint — no room for three generations to live comfortably, no practical outdoor connection from the lower level, and a land severance option that couldn't clear the planning hurdles.
    Before: A Cliffcrest side-split that had outgrown its original footprint — no room for three generations to live comfortably, no practical outdoor connection from the lower level, and a land severance option that couldn’t clear the planning hurdles.
    After: A seamless 2,456 sq ft home with a soaring great room, hand-crafted vaulted ceilings, faux-beam accents, a lower-level kitchen with yard walkout, and a mansard roofline that looks like it was drawn with the original blueprints.
    After: A seamless 2,456 sq ft home with a soaring great room, hand-crafted vaulted ceilings, faux-beam accents, a lower-level kitchen with yard walkout, and a mansard roofline that looks like it was drawn with the original blueprints.

    Ready to Start Planning Your Home Addition?

    The Minerva project is the answer to a question we hear often: can you build an addition that doesn’t look bolted on? The answer is yes — but it requires design thinking before construction planning, and a team willing to do the harder work when the simpler solution won’t achieve the result.

    If you’re thinking about a home addition in Scarborough, East Toronto, or anywhere in the GTA — whether it’s for a growing family, a multi-generational arrangement, or simply more space built the right way — our pre-construction process will show you exactly what’s possible before you commit to design.

    Related Reading

  • The Side Extension That Became a Four-Level Transformation

    The Side Extension That Became a Four-Level Transformation

    A Guildwood Home Addition Story

    They pivoted the plan to save money. Then built everything anyway. Here’s what that decision — and the right contractor — actually delivered.

    ⚡ TLDR

    10 Wooster Wood started as a plan to add a second storey to an existing Guildwood bungalow. When the budget couldn’t support it, the team pivoted to a two-level side extension instead — and Morgan and Nazorio ended up with a four-level home, an attached garage, vaulted ceilings, a complete exterior redesign, and a fully renovated main floor and basement. Total budget: approximately $850,000 including finishes and landscaping. Demo started September 2023. Permit closed 2025. One more thing: BVM Contracting was outbid for this job. Morgan and Nazorio reviewed the other contractor’s contract, came back to us, and the rest is this case study.

    Before & After Home Addition Toronto

    Before photo of our guildwood side extension project. The home now looks like a completely new home now, nearly unrecognizable from it’s past form.
    Before photo of our guildwood side extension project. The home now looks like a completely new home now, nearly unrecognizable from it’s past form.
    The finished exterior of 10 Wooster Wood — stone, longboard siding, stucco, and a custom garage canopy that required engineering revisions mid-construction to get exactly right
    The finished exterior of 10 Wooster Wood — stone, longboard siding, stucco, and a custom garage canopy that required engineering revisions mid-construction to get exactly right

    They Almost Hired Someone Else. Then They Read the Contract.

    Before a single piece of drywall came down at 10 Wooster Wood, this project was headed to a different builder.

    BVM Contracting submitted a proposal for 10 Wooster Wood. So did another company. The other company came in lower. Morgan and Nazorio were prepared to move forward with them — until they sat down with both contracts.

    The competing builder’s contract was written in the builder’s favour. Broad language that allowed extras to be charged with minimal client recourse. Terms that gave the builder significant billing flexibility without meaningful accountability to the homeowner. Morgan Sim is a founding partner at Parker Sim LLP. She knew exactly what she was reading. She and Nazorio came back to BVM.

    Our contract is built to be fair to both parties. It defines what constitutes a change order and what doesn’t. It protects the client’s budget from arbitrary extras. It creates accountability in both directions. That’s not a selling point — it’s the reason this project ended up in our hands, and the foundation that every subsequent decision on this project was built on.

    Bottom line: Before you compare construction quotes, compare the contracts. A lower number tied to an unfair contract will cost you more in the end.

    Before the Walls Came Down, the Surprises Began

    BVM Contracting ordered DSS (Designated Substances Survey) testing before demo kicked off. What came back changed the scope of the demolition phase before a single tool hit drywall.

    Asbestos. In the drywall compound and caulking on the main floor. In the basement. In the air registers throughout the home — eight of them at $200 per register.

    Finding it before demo started is what matters. A contractor who skips pre-demo hazardous materials testing is a contractor who discovers asbestos mid-demolition — stops work, scrambles for abatement quotes, and charges the client for the delay on top of the abatement cost. We found it first, so we could plan properly: certified abatement company brought in immediately, multiple quotes obtained to ensure the clients’ money was being spent as efficiently as possible, and every phase of work staged around the abatement schedule.

    Every discovery was communicated to Morgan and Nazorio immediately — in writing, with pricing attached, before any abatement work was authorized. The basement abatement came in at $3,800 + tax. The eight air registers added $1,600. Each cost was itemized as a formal change order on the project budget — visible, documented, and approved.

    Morgan’s response after the first round of pricing: “Hopefully that is the last of the surprise asbestos. We appreciate you letting us know.”

    That kind of calm, trusting response doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when clients know from day one that bad news won’t be buried — it will be surfaced, priced, and solved.

    Bottom line: Pre-demo hazardous materials testing isn’t optional on older homes — it’s how a responsible builder protects the project schedule and the client’s budget from day-one surprises.

    The Pivot That Expanded the Project

    The original plan for 10 Wooster Wood was a full second-storey addition on top of the existing Guildwood bungalow. More living space, more bedrooms, same footprint. It was a logical concept — until the budget numbers came back and confirmed it wasn’t achievable within the financial parameters the clients had set.

    Going up on an existing bungalow compounds quickly: structural reinforcement of the existing floor system, roof removal, temporary weatherproofing, re-engineering of load paths. The costs add up fast. The budget couldn’t support it at the level Morgan and Nazorio wanted.

    The team proposed a different path: a two-level side extension built beside the home rather than on top of it. The logic was sound — build the new square footage adjacent to the existing structure, keep the construction footprint contained, and in theory limit how much the existing main floor and basement would need to be touched. Phase two could handle those spaces later, if needed.

    That’s not what happened. Once the side extension was confirmed and the clients could see what was possible, the decision was made to do everything: fully renovate the existing main floor, fully renovate the existing basement, and redo the front facade while they were at it. The savings the scope pivot was supposed to generate were reinvested directly back into the project.

    It’s one of the most consistent patterns we see in major renovations. Clients don’t want to live in a half-finished home. They don’t want to come back in three years and do the rest. So they stretch — and do it all at once. It’s a completely rational decision. It just requires honest budget management and clear eyes about the financial commitment involved.

    The result: four separate levels — main floor, two levels of the side extension, basement — plus an attached garage built within the extension footprint. A home that looks nothing like the bungalow it started as.

    Bottom line: Scope decisions made during a renovation aren’t surprises — they’re choices. The right builder makes sure you understand the financial implications of every choice before you make it.

    Vaulted Ceilings, Permit Revisions, and a Kitchen Worth the Wait

    Three features defined how this project got built.

    The vaulted ceilings. Main-level vaulted ceilings were on the wishlist from the beginning. Before the contract was signed, the team confirmed the structural viability. The catch: making it happen required a complete replacement of the existing roof — not a minor cost. Morgan and Nazorio understood the number and made the call. Given that budget expectations had been a point of friction throughout, it was a real win when the revised pricing landed. The finished ceiling transformed the main level — open, light-filled, and architecturally distinct from anything the original bungalow offered.

    The exterior revision. Mid-construction, the exterior design went through a formal revision. The elevation — stone, longboard siding, stucco, and the garage canopy detail — was re-engineered and re-drawn, then submitted for a permit revision. BVM coordinated directly with the architect and the city inspector to keep framing moving while the paperwork was processed. Missing details in the original drawing set — including the garage overhang measurement needed by the framers — were flagged by the BVM team and pushed through on a tight timeline.

    The steel savings. The structural steel scope was repriced during the build. Final cost: approximately $6,800 against an original estimate of $13,500. The $6,700 in savings was credited back to the project budget. Savings don’t come from luck — they come from a builder who’s actively looking for them and passing them through.

    The kitchen was installed in late March 2024 — one of the last major milestones before the project moved toward permit close.

    Bottom line: When a builder is actively managing every line item, savings show up the same way problems do — through attention and follow-through.

    What the Design Process Actually Cost — And the Company We Built Because of It

    One lesson from 10 Wooster Wood applies to every homeowner planning a major renovation: the design process is not a formality. It is the project.

    10 Wooster Wood involved three organizations: BVM Contracting on construction, an architectural designer for permit drawings, and an interior designer for the kitchen. Throughout the project, the BVM team routinely identified gaps in the architectural drawing set — missing measurements, incomplete material specifications, and details that needed resolution before the framers could proceed. Every gap cost coordination time. Every clarification request added friction to the build. The team navigated it, the project got done, but the pattern was consistent: bare-bones design documentation transfers costs from the design phase directly into the construction budget.

    It’s one of the central reasons BVM Contracting created The Constructible Design Co. — our in-house design service built specifically to produce drawings that builders can actually build from. Detailed. Grounded in existing conditions. Field-ready. The kind of documentation that doesn’t require daily phone calls to the architect because the drawings don’t answer basic construction questions.

    If you’re planning a renovation or addition, treat the design process as a strategic investment. A detailed, constructible set of drawings is among the best dollars you can spend before construction begins. The most expensive drawings you’ll ever have are the vague ones you thought were saving you money.

    Bottom line: In projects of this scale, the quality of the design documentation determines how much of your budget survives the construction phase intact.

    Permit Closed. Family Moved Back In.

    The permit for 10 Wooster Wood closed in 2025 — a process that stretched beyond the initial schedule due to a framing inspection that required a structural engineer’s report and review before the city inspector would sign off. It was handled directly, coordinated professionally, and closed without drama.

    Morgan and Nazorio moved back into a completely transformed home. What had been a single-level Guildwood bungalow became a four-level residence with an attached garage, vaulted ceilings, a fully renovated main floor and basement, and an exterior that’s a different building in every visible way.

    This project was big. It was more expensive than the original scope. It took longer to permit-close than planned. Morgan and Nazorio pushed for everything — and got it. The result is a home they won’t need to revisit for a very long time, which is exactly what doing it all at once is supposed to deliver.

    Bottom line: There’s a cost to doing everything at once. There’s also a cost to doing it halfway — and that bill tends to show up at exactly the wrong time.

    Ready to Plan Your Home Extension or Renovation?

    10 Wooster Wood shows what’s possible when a major renovation or side extension is managed with honest budget conversations, proactive communication, and a contractor who treats the client’s investment the same way they’d treat their own. Even when the scope grows, even when surprises show up, even when permit timelines stretch — the right team keeps the project on track.

    If you’re thinking about a home addition, a side extension, or a full renovation in Guildwood, Scarborough, or anywhere in the GTA, let’s talk before you lock in a scope, a budget, or a contractor.