Renovation Planning and Design Services in Scarborough
A Bungalow, a Wide Lot, and a Second Storey Waiting to Be Drawn
Scarborough’s post-war neighbourhoods were built with a consistent formula: a modest bungalow on a lot wide enough to take considerably more house. Through Birch Cliff, Cliffside and Wexford, adding a second storey or a substantial rear extension is now the default move — and the reason so many of those projects stall is that nobody established what the original foundation and framing could carry before the design was drawn.
905 Reno starts with that assessment, then produces as-built drawings, structural direction, budgets and finish schedules prepared to the Ontario Building Code and Toronto Building’s requirements under Zoning By-law 569-2013.
Why Scarborough Homeowners Assess Before They Add
A second storey is a load path question answered at the footings, not at the roof. Post-war Scarborough foundations vary widely in what they will accept, and the answer changes the budget more than any finish decision will. Our designers survey the real structure across the district — bungalow stock through Birch Cliff, Cliffside and Wexford, the 1960s and 70s housing of Agincourt and Bendale, ravine-backing properties near Highland Creek and the Rouge, and the bluff-top lots through Guildwood and Cliffcrest.
What a Scarborough homeowner gets from a 905 Reno design package:
Licensed and insured renovation design professionals serving Scarborough homeowners
Second-storey and structural assessment specialists for post-war Toronto housing
Complete pre-construction service from foundation survey to permit submission
Drawings prepared to the Ontario Building Code and Toronto Building standards
Scoped design fees with clear deliverables and agreed dates
Finish and material schedules confirmed before construction pricing
We run the full pre-construction path — measure, structure, concept, permit set — so a Scarborough build starts from verified conditions.
What the Design Stage Protects in Scarborough
On an addition the costly discoveries are structural and they arrive with demolition. Investigating at design moves them to a stage where the fix is a drawing.
Price the Addition on Real Structure
A foundation and framing assessment tells you whether a Birch Cliff or Wexford bungalow will carry a second storey before you commit to designing one.
Confirm Slope and Valley Limits Before Design
Bluff slope stability limits and TRCA valley land near Highland Creek can move the buildable line well inside the lot — both are established during design.
Sequence the Build Around Known Conditions
A coordinated set lets your general contractor stage underpinning, framing and services around conditions the survey has already confirmed.
Prepared for Toronto Building Submission
Every set is prepared to Ontario Building Code and Toronto Building requirements, so permits move without repeated resubmission.
Design Directions That Suit Scarborough Homes
A Birch Cliff bungalow, a bluff-top property in Guildwood and a 1970s two-storey in Agincourt each start from a different structure and a different review path, so every project opens with a measure, an as-built set and a discussion of how much house the lot should carry.
Where Scarborough projects most often go:
Second-storey additions over post-war bungalows in Birch Cliff, Cliffside and Wexford
Slope-aware siting and additions for bluff-top lots in Cliffcrest and Guildwood
Valley-land aware design for properties near Highland Creek and the Rouge
Rear extensions and main floor reconfiguration for Agincourt and Bendale homes
Secondary suite layouts with compliant ceiling height, egress and fire separation
Where We Work Across Scarborough
905 Reno plans and designs renovations across Scarborough — through Birch Cliff, Cliffside, and Cliffcrest, into Guildwood, West Hill, and Highland Creek, and out to Agincourt, Wexford, Bendale, and Malvern.
Geography adds a review layer that most of the city never encounters. Properties along the Bluffs are assessed against long-term slope stability, which can set a building limit well back from the visible edge of the lot, and homes near Highland Creek and the Rouge fall within TRCA-regulated valley land. Either can reduce the buildable area substantially, so both are confirmed before a design is developed.
Why the Foundation Decides the Budget
Scarborough homeowners often discover that a foundation unable to carry a second storey turns a planned addition into a rebuild — and that a slope stability or valley land review can move the buildable line before anything is drawn.
A complete pre-construction package settles both and gives every trade one coordinated set.
905 Reno Manages Every Step of Your Renovation Planning and Design, Including:
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Site measure, foundation and framing assessment, and accurate as-built drawings.
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Concept layouts, load-path strategy and 3D views for second storeys and additions.
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Design development, finish schedules and material selections costed before approval.
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Permit drawings prepared for Toronto Building submission under By-law 569-2013.
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Contractor handoff, trade coordination and design support through construction.
Plan Your Scarborough Addition First
Confirm the foundation, the buildable area and the budget before demolition. 905 Reno’s design team can plan your Scarborough project — whether that is a second storey in Birch Cliff, a bluff-aware addition in Cliffcrest, or a main floor rework in Agincourt.