Egress window cuts — OBC 9.9.10 compliant, waterproof, permitted.

# Second Egress for ARU Compliance in Toronto and the GTA

Egress windows for basement apartments (ARU / secondary suites) must meet OBC 9.9.10.1 — minimum 0.35 m² openable area with no dimension less than 380mm, sill no more than 1.5m from floor. We cut, install window well, install Bilco-style window or single-pane casement, and waterproof.

2026 GTA Pricing Tiers (real ranges, not loss-leaders)

Basement tier. Single basement egress window cut, builder-grade casement, basic 32"x32" well — $5500–7500. This is the entry-point install most homeowners start at — minimum viable spec, brand-name parts, professional install but no upgrades on accessories or finishes.

Mid tier. Standard egress with code-compliant well (Boman Kemp 5230), drainage to weeping tile, secure ladder, code-compliant casement — $8500–11000. The volume sweet spot in the GTA — covers what most clients actually want once they have walked through the showroom or compared brands online. Quoted with full material list, lead time, and warranty.

Premium tier. Premium engineered cut with structural engineer letter, weeping-tile tie-in, Boman Kemp Premier well with cover and ladder, double-pane casement, exterior paint — $13000–17000. Premium is rarely just a bigger version of mid — it usually involves engineering or specialty trades (structural letter, custom fabrication, branded finishes, smart-home integration). We carry premium-tier suppliers on retainer to compress lead time.

GTA Neighborhood Notes

Toronto bungalows in East York, Scarborough, North York — biggest market for ARU conversions. Markham, Vaughan basements often already have larger windows that meet egress with minor enlargement. We attend service calls and on-site quotes across the Toronto core (M postal codes), Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, East York and the inner 416, plus 905 markets (Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Aurora, Newmarket, Oakville, Burlington, Pickering, Ajax). Same-week quotes typical inside the 416; 1–2 week scheduling for outer 905.

Common Questions Answered Up Front

OBC requirement? 9.9.10.1 — 0.35 m² openable, no dimension less than 380mm, sill max 1.5m from floor. Permit? Yes — building permit for the cut, separate ARU permit if converting to suite. Drainage? Must drain — to weeping tile or storm. Bottom of well filled with 4" Granular A on filter fabric.

What to Expect on the Day

We arrive at the agreed window, walk through scope on site, confirm the written quote against any field conditions we discover (rare but possible — older Toronto houses surprise everyone), and proceed only after written sign-off on any change order. Materials sourced from established GTA suppliers — Lowe's Pro, Home Depot Pro, Brock White, Roman Stone, Boehmers, Lansing, Tim-BR Mart and direct from manufacturer reps for specialty items. We protect floors with Ram Board, stair treads with kraft paper, walls with corner guards, and HVAC returns with filter media for the duration of the work. Daily cleanup before we leave the site, and final shop-vac and microfibre at job completion. Photos before, during and after are emailed to you the same day.

Permits, Inspections and Documentation

Toronto, Markham, Vaughan, Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Richmond Hill, Aurora, Newmarket — we pull permits in all of them and maintain current registration with each municipality's contractor portal. ESA electrical notifications (live or dedicated permits), TSSA gas permits, Toronto Building Tier 1 / Tier 2 building permits, and Toronto Water connect-disconnect permits are coordinated as required. We never start permit-required work before the permit is in hand and posted on site. Inspection coordination is part of our service — we attend the rough-in and final inspections so the trade is represented on site if the inspector has a question.

Related Services in This Category

Searches commonly clustered with this service in the GTA include egress window installer toronto, basement window cut gta, boman kemp window well, ARU egress window. Where the scope overlaps another category (electrical, plumbing, structural), we coordinate the sub-trade on a single quote rather than handing you a list of subcontractor phone numbers. One PM, one schedule, one invoice.

Bottom Line

Egress is non-negotiable for any legal secondary suite. The window itself is half the cost; the well and drainage is the other half. Skipping waterproofing = basement flood within 2 years. If you are comparing quotes, the right questions are: which brand and which sub-model, what is the warranty (parts vs labour), what permits are pulled, and what is the cleanup spec at completion. Apples-to-apples comparison is hard in the GTA renovation market — we are happy to walk through any competing quote line-by-line so you understand exactly what the price difference covers.

Quote, Schedule, Done

Most second egress for aru compliance jobs in this category are quoted within 24 hours of the site visit and scheduled within 1–3 weeks depending on material lead times (longer for special-order or custom-fabrication items). We carry $5M general liability insurance, full WSIB coverage on all employees and trades, and a workmanship warranty appropriate to the trade — typically 2 years labour, plus manufacturer warranty on parts. References from past GTA clients available on request, with addresses you can drive by.