Home Renovations
Complete home transformations from concept to completion. We handle every detail so you can enjoy the results without the stress.
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Need help with your renovation? Just ask us for a quote!
Residential & Commercial Renovations Hamilton
Complete home transformations from concept to completion. We handle every detail so you can enjoy the results without the stress.
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Custom kitchen designs built for how you actually live. From layout optimization to premium finishes, we create kitchens that work.
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Functional, beautiful bathrooms designed around your daily routine. Modern fixtures, quality tile work, and expert waterproofing.
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Turn unused square footage into living space your family will love. Legal suites, home theatres, gyms — we build it all.
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YOUR RENOVATION JUST BECAME MORE AFFORDABLE!
your piece of mind
Unlock the potential of your property with a custom Garden Suite, Laneway Home, or Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). These stylish, independent units are rapidly transforming how Ancaster homeowners think about their space, offering tremendous value, flexibility, and opportunity.
Whether you need a dedicated rental unit for extra income, a private suite for multigenerational living, or a cozy retreat for guests, a well-designed ADU is a functional and financially smart solution. With local government support for building secondary dwellings, now is the perfect time to maximize your lot without the expense or stress of moving or major home renovations.
Newfore specializes in end-to-end ADU services in Ancaster—from initial structural engineering and architectural design to full permit approval and construction support. We guarantee your project is safe, stylish, and fully compliant with all local regulations, turning your vision into a forward-thinking investment.
As Ancaster’s leading ADU contractor, Newfore – Construction & Renovations brings unmatched expertise and experience to every garden suite and laneway home project. Our local team understands the unique challenges presented by adding additional structures to properties in Ancaster ensuring your ADU construction meets all local building codes and regulations and is being worked on by bonded and insured professionals.
As Hamilton’s leading ADU contractor, Newfore – Construction & Renovations brings unmatched expertise and experience to every garden suite and laneway home project. Our local team understands the unique challenges presented by adding additional structures to properties in Hamilton, Stoney Creek, Burlington, and St. Catharines, ensuring your ADU construction meets all local building codes and regulations and is being worked on by bonded and insured professionals.
First step of a garden suite conversion project is to get a building permit. You’ll need a water service upgrade permit as well as a building permit for the renovation including Architectural and Mechanical drawings. If you’re building a new garden suite, you’ll also need Structural drawings.
To run utilities to a garden suite, the Contractor has to excavate a service trench to the primary home. Next they will tie water and power to the existing services of the home. If the garden suite mechanical drawings show a furnace, then a gas line will have to be included in the service trench.
The renovation of an existing garage will start with framing to establish the layout of the garden suite. After the garden suite is framed, plumbing, electrical and mechanical will be run and the garden suite can be insulated, drywalled and finishes installed next.
Garden suites, Laneway homes, and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) allow extended family members to live on the same property but still live independently. Allowing for families to support both the need for privacy and the ability to protect and provide for our loved ones.
Rental Income Potential
What could additional rental income mean to your finances? With rental costs continually rising in Hamilton, adding a rental unit that you can rent out to students or families can be a continual source of revenue. Or that rental income could significantly offset your current mortgage costs.
Enhanced Property Value
When you are ready to sell your home, an ADU can significantly increase its value. Prospective buyers will get the same benefits that you did by adding the garden suite to your property in Hamilton. Additional revenue potential, extra square footage with privacy, or the ability to have an aging relative living independently at the same property, providing safety and comforts
With over ten years of specialized experience, Newfore is Ancaster’s trusted choice for garden suites and additional dwelling units. As certified construction and compliance experts, we handle every detail—from navigating the city’s approval process to delivering quality builds that exceed local regulations, building codes, and permit requirements.
Our team knows Ancaster’s systems inside and out, streamlining timelines and eliminating costly delays. Whether you’re building a laneway house for rental income, multigenerational living, or increasing your property value, we’ll turn your vision into reality
We take you through a step-by-step guide including costs to retrofit an existing garage into a garden suite.
AREA – 510sqft
TOTAL COST – $125,160
TOTAL RENT – $2,100+hydro
First step of a garden suite conversion project is to get a building permit. You’ll need a water service upgrade permit as well as a building permit for the renovation including Architectural and Mechanical drawings (in some cases you might need structural). The cost for these drawings are $5,000-$8,000. You can choose to do this yourself or you can start discussing this with a Hamilton Contractor.
At this stage, hiring a Contractor to work on this for you ensures your drawings go through a constructability review while the drawings are being produced. This is a major advantage as you can avoid costly construction by having a Hamilton Contractor already engaged. Drawings will take 3-4 weeks to be produced and once they’re produced, they’re ready to submit to the City of Hamilton. The City of Hamilton review time ranges from 1-3 months. There are cases where review takes longer than 3 months but those are specific cases and less common.
After a building permit is issued, your licensed Hamilton Contractor can start construction. The first step is getting utilities to the garage which is done between April and October when the ground isn’t frozen. The Hamilton Contractor starts with digging a utility trench and running electrical, water lines and drains into the home and tying into the home’s utilities. You want to avoid tying directly to the city lines as costs to do this drastically increase.
Once utilities are run to the garden suite, you can start framing, plumbing, electrical and mechanical. At this stage your Hamilton Contractor has to call the city to inspect the utilities. The building inspector needs to approve this before moving to the next stage. Once passed, your Hamilton Contractor will begin insulating. If your permit calls for Batt insulation, the Hamilton Contractor installs poly as well then calls the city inspector back to review. Once approved, drywalling begins.
Now, bathrooms, painting, flooring, trim, doors and cabinets can begin. This is where the garden suite finally starts to come together. We always recommend starting with the bathroom and covering floor tiles with protective paper so there isn’t unnecessary cleaning when the rest of the finishes progress.
When renovating, avoid finishes that are too common. You don’t want to hop on trends that are widely used. Give your renovation a unique touch so your listing can be remembered. Your garden suite should trigger feelings of warmth and comfort. This will attract quality long term tenants and creates demand for your unit. Even small features like this recessed black polished stone area will give the garden suite a unique touch.
Garden suites, often referred to as ADUs, offer a flexible living arrangement by utilizing the space in your garden or backyard. They are a fantastic way to maximize the use of your property, providing extra living space for family members, guests, or even as a rental unit. Garden suites are known for their adaptability, environmentally friendly design, and energy efficiency.
Laneway homes, as the name suggests, are typically constructed along the rear of a property in the existing laneway. These charming and compact residences have gained popularity in urban areas, offering a sustainable solution to housing shortages. Laneway homes are a creative way to transform underutilized spaces into functional and stylish living quarters. They’re perfect for homeowners who want to maintain their primary residence while generating rental income or accommodating extended family members.
Tiny homes have captured the hearts of many homeowners seeking a simplified and minimalist lifestyle. These pint-sized residences are often built with a strong focus on energy efficiency and sustainable living. Tiny homes are versatile and can be tailored to meet your unique needs, whether it’s for downsizing, travel, or creating a guest house.
In this episode we go through a garden suite renovation. Check out some of the team’s challenges, how much income we managed to generate for the homeowner and the final product!
RENOVATION JUST BECAME
MORE AFFORDABLE!



START YOUR RENOVATION PROJECT
testimonials
A CLEAR PATH FROM VISION TO REALITY
An intro call to confirm scope, budget, timeline, and chemistry. If we’re not the right partner, we’ll say so upfront.
We walk the space, review your priorities, examine existing conditions and flag opportunities or constraints.
You’ll get a clear scope with our Time and Cost Guarantees, construction timelines, assumptions, and transparent pricing.
At your home, our Designer and Project Manager review the plan line by line, answer any questions, and start getting detailed with executing your vision.
Led by our Designer, you choose finishes and fixtures that suit the look – and the budget. You’ll approve all the Selections before we build.
We build exactly what was agreed on. Dedicated management, clear communication, creative with our solutions, we make it happen.
We return to inspect workmanship, address any concerns, and make sure the project is aging the way it should.

PROUDLY SERVING THE GTHA
START YOUR RENOVATION PROJECT
Need help with your renovation? Just ask us for a quote!
your questions, answered
Got questions about your renovation? You’re not the first. Here are the answers to the questions we hear most from homeowners across Hamilton, Burlington, and the GTHA. If you don’t see yours, book a consultation and we’ll walk you through it.
The cost of a garden suite can be broken down into three categories. Firstly the pre-construction costs of architectural design and engineering. Secondly the permitting costs that are paid directly to the city. Lastly the actual cost of construction. The pre-construction costs can range from $6,000 – $20,000 depending on the complexity and size of the project. Permitting fees vary per city but range from $1,000 – $5,000. Construction costs will largely depend on the level of finishes and the size of the project. In general the cost to construct a garden suite can range from $350 – $450 per square foot. In general the larger structure you build, the more cost efficient the building process becomes from a per square foot basis.
Yes! New legislature in Ontario from 2019 is causing many municipalities to expedite the approval of Garden Suites and Accessory Dwelling Units within their city limits. Book a free consultation today to determine whether your city /town permits the construction of accessory dwelling units.
Accessory Dwelling Units or Garden Suites can come in many shapes and sizes, from an attached garage conversion or an in-law suite to a backyard guest house or a basement studio apartment. The best ADU design is one that matches the use cases, budget, and needs of both you and your property. Our architectural design team can help bring the best ADU for you to life.
Every municipality has different by laws and zoning regulations that determine how big of a garden suite you can build. The main items to consider are setbacks from your property lines (distance), separation from the existing structure, and lot coverage ratios that dictate what percent of your lot can be covered by accessory structures. You can get in touch with us for a free consultation and we can let you know whether your lot can support a garden suite.
The first step in the Garden Suite journey is determining site eligibility and zoning requirements. You can book a free consultation with us where we’ll do a preliminary study to determine whether your property qualifies at no cost to you. From there, depending on the municipality you are typically required to produce architectural drawings, engineering drawings, and a site plan for permit package submission. Some municipalities will also require a survey / grading plan, and potentially require an arborist to get involved with the project. We can help you navigate this process.
Typically, the process to architect, get permits and build takes anywhere from 5-8 months.
Architectural: 4-6 weeks
Permit: 4-12 weeks (city dependent)
Build: 4 months
Breaking ground will not happen in the winter so it’s best to plan for design and permit in the colder months.