Planning & Design Services in the GTA
Turn Vision into Reality with Expert Renovation Planning and Design
At 905 Reno, every successful renovation starts with a solid plan. Our Planning and Design services are tailored to bring your ideas to life — transforming loose concepts into detailed, buildable designs that reflect your style, needs, and budget. Whether you’re renovating a single room or reimagining your entire home, our experienced team works with you from the ground up to ensure every element is thoughtfully considered and expertly mapped out.
905 Reno provides planning and design for renovation projects across Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, including North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Markham, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville and the Durham municipalities. The design stage can be booked on its own, or carried straight through into construction with our build team.
Why Choose 905 Reno for Planning and Design?
Design is about more than appearance — it’s about creating smart, livable spaces that function beautifully day-to-day. At 905 Reno, our Planning and Design service is:
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Tailored to You: We listen carefully and design spaces that reflect your lifestyle, needs, and taste.
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Future-Focused: Our team considers how your space will grow with you — from family changes to resale value.
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Efficient & Practical: We design with buildability in mind, streamlining the construction phase and reducing costly changes mid-project.
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One-Stop Shop: From concept to completion, you work with one team that understands your vision and executes it flawlessly.
Whether you want to renovate a kitchen, add a second story, or finish a basement legally, it all starts with a great plan.
What the Planning and Design Stage Covers
Planning and design is the stage where decisions get made on paper rather than on site. It settles what the finished space will look like, how it will be built, and what a builder is being asked to price. Where that work is skipped, scope ends up being decided during construction, which is where most delays and cost changes come from.
A design package generally covers:
- A measured survey of the existing space, including ceiling heights, structural walls and the location of services
- Layout options showing how the rooms can be reorganized, with the trade-offs of each set out plainly
- Elevations and millwork drawings for cabinetry, vanities, built-ins and feature walls
- A finishes schedule listing flooring, tile, counter material, paint colours, plumbing fixtures and lighting
- Electrical and lighting plans showing switching, outlets and fixture positions
- Permit drawings where the work is notifiable to the municipality
- A written scope the trades price against, so quotes can be compared line by line
Each item is confirmed with you before the project moves into construction.
What to Have Ready Before the First Design Meeting
The design stage moves faster when the starting information is already in place. Before the first meeting it helps to gather:
- Any existing drawings, surveys or permit records for the house. Municipalities often hold these on file for homes built from the 1950s onward
- A list of what does not work in the current layout, written room by room
- A saved folder of reference images, so the design team can read your taste rather than guess at it
- A note of which rooms have to stay in use while the work is going on
- The names of everyone who will be part of the decision, so approvals are not revisited later
- A budget range, and a note of which parts of it are fixed and which are flexible
Bringing a budget range to the first meeting is not a commitment. It lets the design team rule out directions that cannot be built for the money available, before drawings are produced around them.
What Is Included in Planning & Design?
The design stage runs in a set order, and each step is signed off before the next begins. Concept work settles the layout. Design development settles materials, millwork and lighting. Documentation turns those decisions into drawings the trades and the municipality can work from. Working in that order means a change of mind about a wall position is a revision to a drawing rather than a change order on site, and it means the construction estimate is built from a defined scope instead of an allowance.
Our process goes far beyond choosing finishes. We provide a complete design roadmap to guide your renovation from concept to construction:
Initial Consultation
We start with an in-depth meeting to understand your goals, inspiration, and the functional needs of your space.
Design Concepts & Mood Boards
Our designers present creative direction, colour palettes, material options, and layout suggestions.
Detailed Floor Plans & Layouts
Get precise room configurations to optimize your space.
3D Renderings
See your future space before a single wall comes down with realistic visualizations.
Permit Drawings & Code Compliance
For renovations requiring permits, we handle drawings and applications so you stay compliant with local regulations.
Budget Planning & Timeline Projections
We ensure the design works within your timeline and budget before moving to construction.
Collaboration with Architects & Engineers
For major structural changes, we work with qualified professionals to guarantee safe, approved solutions. (if needed)
What Affects the Scope and Length of the Design Stage
No two design stages take the same amount of work. The factors that move it most are:
- Whether structure is involved. Removing a load-bearing wall, opening a floor, or cutting a new opening in an exterior wall brings a structural engineer into the process and adds a round of drawings.
- Whether a permit is required. Permit drawings are a different level of detail than concept drawings, and the municipality may return comments that have to be answered before approval.
- The age and condition of the house. Older homes rarely match their original drawings, so more site verification is needed before a layout can be relied on.
- The number of decisions in front of you. A kitchen with custom millwork carries far more selections than a single bathroom refresh.
- How quickly selections are confirmed. The most common reason a design stage stretches is waiting on a decision, not waiting on the designer.
- Whether other approvals apply. Heritage review, conservation authority approval and committee of adjustment applications each run on their own schedule.
Perfect for Any Renovation Type
Our Planning & Design service is the ideal starting point for:
Home Additions
Custom Home Renovations
Legal Basement Apartments
Kitchen & Bathroom Remodels
Condo Renovations
Exterior Remodeling Projects
Areas We Serve
Every municipality in the region runs its own permit process, and the housing stock changes from one to the next. The pages below cover the planning and design service in each area we work in, including the local approval route and the kinds of homes we most often work on there.
planning and design in Toronto, planning and design in North York, planning and design in Scarborough, planning and design in Etobicoke, planning and design in Vaughan, planning and design in Richmond Hill, planning and design in Markham, planning and design in Aurora, planning and design in Newmarket, planning and design in Mississauga, planning and design in Brampton, planning and design in Oakville, planning and design in Pickering, planning and design in Ajax, planning and design in Whitby, planning and design in Oshawa, planning and design in Bowmanville and planning and design in Clarington.
Planning & Design Services in the GTA — Start with Confidence
At 905 Reno, we believe smart design is the foundation of a successful renovation. With our expert team by your side, you’ll benefit from a seamless process that transforms ideas into reality.
Serving Toronto, Vaughan, Mississauga, Brampton, Richmond Hill, Markham, and surrounding areas.
Design Considerations in Older GTA Housing Stock
Much of the housing across Toronto and the surrounding municipalities was built between the 1920s and the 1970s, and homes of that period share a set of conditions that shape what a design can do.
Post-war bungalows and side-splits were built with load-bearing centre walls, so an open-concept layout usually means a beam and new point loads carried down to the footings. Semi-detached and row houses in the older parts of Toronto share a party wall, which limits where services can run and where openings can be placed. Homes of that era often have low basement headroom, original knob-and-tube or early aluminum wiring, an undersized electrical service, and cast iron or galvanized drains that are worth looking at while the walls are open. Lot coverage, setbacks and height limits in the local zoning by-law decide how far a footprint can grow before a minor variance is needed.
None of these rule out a design. They do need to be found at the drawing stage, because every one of them is easier to solve on paper than after demolition has started.
Frequently Asked Questions About Planning & Design
Do I need planning and design for small renovations?
Yes, even smaller projects benefit from professional planning. A good design helps avoid costly changes, ensures a smooth build, and maximizes your space and budget.
How long does the planning phase take?
It typically takes 2–4 weeks, depending on the complexity of your project and how quickly decisions are made.
Can I bring my own architect or designer?
Absolutely. We’re happy to work with your existing plans and collaborate with outside professionals.
Do you help with permits?
Yes, we prepare and submit permit drawings, ensuring all designs comply with Ontario Building Code and local bylaws. Depending on your municipality, permit processing can take 30 to 90 days.
What do I receive at the end of the design stage?
You receive the drawing set the project will be built from: floor plans, elevations, millwork and lighting drawings, a finishes schedule, and permit drawings where the municipality requires them. Together they define the scope precisely enough that different trades can price the same work, which is what makes quotes comparable.
Can I book planning and design without committing to the construction?
Yes. Planning and design is offered as a service in its own right. Many homeowners use it to establish scope and drawings first, then take the package out for pricing. If you go on to build with 905 Reno, the design work carries directly into the construction stage without being redone.
Will the design stage tell me whether a permit is needed?
Yes. Establishing whether the work is notifiable to your municipality is part of the assessment. Structural changes, new openings in exterior walls, changes to plumbing and electrical layouts, and any new dwelling unit generally require a permit. We confirm the requirement with the local building department before drawings are finalized.
Do I still need design work if I already know what I want?
A clear brief still has to be turned into dimensioned drawings before it can be built or priced accurately. Design translates decisions into plans, elevations and a finishes schedule so every trade is quoting the same scope. Where your ideas are already settled, the stage is shorter and weighted toward documentation rather than concept work.
Start with a Design Consultation
The planning phase is your chance to explore ideas, gather inspiration, and make confident decisions before any construction begins. We’ll work with you to create a clear path forward — avoiding delays, preventing budget surprises, and ensuring every square foot is maximized.