This guide compares 21 basement renovation companies serving Ottawa. The list opens with Dream Touch Renovations (4.7 stars from 41 Google reviews). The featured shortlist includes Vanguard Contracting (5.0 stars from 84 Google reviews), Select Urban General Contractors (5.0 stars from 67 Google reviews), and Ottawa Finished Basements (5.0 stars from 30 Google reviews).
Businesses selected by the directory are listed first. Listings claimed by their owner and showing a rating from a named public source come next; all other positions follow the published rating methodology. 19 carry a sourced public rating, averaging 4.9 stars; the highest-rated is AMA United Company Inc. at 5.0 stars from 180 Google reviews.
The best basement renovation companies in Ottawa turn an unfinished basement into real living space, managing framing, insulation, drywall, flooring, electrical, and often waterproofing under one roof. It is one of the highest-return spaces to finish in an Ottawa home, but low ceilings, moisture, and egress rules make it worth hiring a specialist.
The companies below cover basement finishing, full basement renovations, and legal secondary suites across the city. Each is a real Ottawa business with public reviews you can read, so you can compare past basements, project management, and pricing before you commit.
Also covers: Basement renovation · Basement finishing · Finished basement · Basement contractor · Secondary suite
Listed first
A focused Ottawa shortlist. Businesses selected by the directory are listed first. Listings claimed by their owner and showing a rating from a named public source come next; all other positions follow our published rating methodology.
Businesses selected by the directory, then listings claimed by their owner and showing a rating from a named public source, appear first. All other positions follow the selected sort.
ClaimedNepean +6
4.7(41)on GoogleChecked Oct 2026General ContractorsOttawa design-build contractor established in 2004 for kitchens, bathrooms, basements, whole-home renovations, additions, accessibility upgrades, and commercial spaces.
View Dream Touch Renovations
ClaimedKanata +7
4.9(29)on TrustedProsChecked Jul 2026General ContractorsFamily-owned Ottawa home renovation contractor operating since 2009, offering kitchens, bathrooms, basements, additions, coach houses, and mobility renovations across the city. Named Best of TrustedPros in 2024 with a strong review history on HomeStars and TrustedPros.
View RenosGroup
FeaturedKanata +7
5.0(84)on GoogleChecked Aug 2026Basement FinishingVanguard Contracting is an Ottawa basement renovation company serving homeowners across the city, offering basement finishing and basement renovation. It holds a 5.0-star average across 82 Google reviews.
View Vanguard Contracting
FeaturedNepean +6
5.0(67)on GoogleChecked Aug 2026General ContractorsOttawa residential renovation contractor offering full-home, kitchen, bathroom, and basement renovations plus additions, coach houses, and accessible renovations with in-house design and 3D planning. BBB-accredited with an A+ rating and serves neighbourhoods across the city.
View Select Urban General Contractors
Kanata +7
5.0(30)on GoogleChecked Jul 2026Basement FinishingOttawa company specializing in basement finishing and renovations, transforming unfinished basements into living space.
View Ottawa Finished BasementsMore basement finishing
FeaturedBarrhaven +6
5.0(180)on GoogleChecked Aug 2026FencingAMA United Company Inc. is a fence contractor in Ottawa. Rated 5 from 179 Google reviews.
View AMA United Company Inc.
FeaturedJD Swallow Heating & Cooling is an air duct cleaning service in Ottawa offering heating and cooling. Rated 4.9 from 1466 Google reviews.
View JD Swallow Heating & Cooling
FeaturedStittsville
5.0(109)on GoogleChecked Aug 2026Kitchen & Bath RenovationCapital Bathroom Renovation is a bathroom remodeler in Stittsville, Ottawa. Rated 5 from 109 Google reviews.
View Capital Bathroom Renovation
FeaturedBraden Foundation Construction is a waterproofing service in Ottawa offering concrete work and drainage. Rated 5 from 105 Google reviews.
View Braden Foundation Construction
Barrhaven +5
4.9(140)on GoogleChecked Aug 2026Windows & DoorsWestend Windows and Doors is a door supplier in Ottawa offering window installation and windows. Rated 4.9 from 140 Google reviews.
View Westend Windows and Doors
Ottawa Bath Renovation is a handyman/Handywoman/Handyperson in Ottawa offering bathroom renovation and heating and cooling. Rated 5 from 55 Google reviews.
View Ottawa Bath Renovation
FeaturedMagnolia Design & Build is a construction in Ottawa offering bathroom renovation and kitchen renovation. Rated 4.8 from 125 Google reviews.
View Magnolia Design & Build
Ottawa Renovation Pro ltd is a general contractor in Ottawa offering general contracting. Rated 5 from 36 Google reviews.
View Ottawa Renovation Pro ltd
IK Home Improvement INC. is a construction in Ottawa offering bathroom renovation and kitchen renovation. Rated 5 from 31 Google reviews.
View IK Home Improvement INC.
Barrhaven +6
4.9(40)on GoogleChecked Aug 2026Basement FinishingOttawa Home Renovation by Greenlight Renovation is a general contractor in Ottawa offering general contracting. Rated 4.9 from 40 Google reviews.
View Ottawa Home Renovation by Greenlight Renovation
ConstructEvo Inc. is a construction in Ottawa offering basement finishing. Rated 5 from 27 Google reviews.
View ConstructEvo Inc.
Barrhaven +6
5.0(2)on GoogleChecked Oct 2026General ContractorsVowels Home Renovations is a renovation contractor serving Ottawa, Rockland and nearby communities, doing kitchen and bathroom renovations, basement finishing, framing, drywall, flooring, painting and smaller home improvements.
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Nepean +4
4.4(233)on GoogleChecked Aug 2026General ContractorsHigh-volume Ottawa design-build renovation company based in Nepean, offering kitchen, bathroom, and basement renovations, home additions, coach homes, and custom homes. One of the most-reviewed renovation firms in the city.
View Ottawa General Contractors (OGC)
Kanata +7
4.2(20)on GoogleChecked Jul 2026Basement FinishingOttawa basement design-build firm specializing exclusively in finished basements and basement renovations, with decades of local experience.
View Just Basements
Barrhaven +8
General ContractorsHabed Renovations is a renovation contractor working in Ottawa and Gatineau since 2008, taking on kitchens, bathrooms, basements, flooring, drywall and painting, and full interior renovations.
View Habed Renovations
Nepean +2
Basement WaterproofingOttawa-area waterproofing company covering interior and exterior basement waterproofing, weeping tile, sump pumps and backwater valves. Provides a 3-year labour warranty and free online quotes.
View iBasementsPermits and basements
A finished basement usually needs a City building permit, but the electrical inside it is not the City's to approve. Two separate authorities sign off on one room, and knowing which is which is what stops a job stalling halfway.
The City's own answer to finishing a basement is that a building permit is required where the renovation activity includes installation, erection, extension, or material alteration or repair. That language reaches further than adding a wall. Under the Building Code Act a permit is also required for constructing or altering any building or structure with a building area over 10 square metres.
Once issued, the permit has to be posted in a visible location on site for the duration of construction, so that the public and the building inspector can see it. If a job is running without one visible, that is a question worth asking on day one rather than at the final inspection.
This is the split that catches people. The City states plainly that it does not regulate electrical installations, and that a building permit is not required for work that is exclusively electrical. It directs those questions to the Electrical Safety Authority.
Electrical work in Ontario has to be reported to ESA through a notification of work filed before the work starts, by whoever is doing it. Only a Licensed Electrical Contractor can be hired to do that work, and it holds a seven-digit ECRA/ESA licence number. A basement crew that quotes the wiring without naming the licensed contractor doing it has left a gap.
The City is explicit that both the owner and the builder are responsible for the process and equally liable under the Ontario Building Code Act. Authorising your contractor to apply does not move that.
A permit confirms the work meets the Building Code. It says nothing about whether the use is allowed. Changing how part of a building is used requires its own permit, and the City ties that to washrooms, fire exits and other safety standards for the proposed use.
For anything touching lot lines, height or coverage, a Development Information Officer answers the zoning side at 613-580-2424 extension 23434 or through 3-1-1.
Buyer guide
What separates a great basement renovation company from a cheap quote, and the questions worth asking before you sign.
Finishing over a damp basement traps the problem behind new walls. A good contractor checks for water and addresses waterproofing or drainage before framing starts.
A finished basement, and especially a bedroom or secondary suite, needs City of Ottawa permits and code-compliant egress windows. Confirm the contractor handles this; it protects resale and safety.
Ottawa basements are cold. Proper insulation and a vapour barrier keep the space comfortable and prevent mould. Ask how they insulate the foundation walls.
Basement scope creeps easily. Look for a contractor who gives itemized, fixed pricing and a clear change-order process so the final bill holds no surprises.
Before you hire
Finishing a basement is one of the projects the City of Ottawa addresses directly in its building permit guidance, and whether a permit is required turns on the work involved rather than on who carries it out.
Ottawa Service Directory is a listings site, not a regulator: we publish what a business reports about itself, so confirm what applies to your job with the source below and with the business before work starts.
Source: City of Ottawa: do I need a building permit to finish a basement?. Checked 2026-08-24. Rules and thresholds change, so confirm before work starts.
Common questions
For homeowners
Tell us about the job and someone on our team finds you a suitable Ottawa basement renovation company.