Toronto renovations without the horror story.
Additions, basement finishes, and laneway houses across downtown Owner-led, with a dedicated project manager on every job. You get a written update every week, and a CEO who picks up the phone.
What we build
Additions
Second-floor additions, rear additions, and full structural expansions. We handle permits, engineering coordination, and every trade from foundation through finish.
Best for: Growing families who need more space but don't want to move.
Basement Finishes & Underpinning
Basement finishing, legal second suites, and full underpinning to add ceiling height. We build income-generating suites and in-law apartments that meet Toronto's legal suite requirements.
Best for: Homeowners looking to add rental income or multi-generational living.
Laneway Houses
Full laneway house builds on qualifying Toronto lots. We manage the permit process and deliver a finished dwelling ready to rent or occupy.
Best for: Homeowners with rear laneway access who want to add a secondary unit.
What makes us different
You hear about problems before they happen.
Most contractors tell you about a delay after it's already expensive. We flag issues while there's still time to fix them cheaply. If something deviates from plan, you hear it from me first.
You have a dedicated project manager on every job.
Most contractors shuffle clients between whoever's available. We assign a project manager to your job before work begins — the same person, start to finish. Murillo, the owner, stays involved and reachable throughout.
No surprises on the bill.
Fixed-fee contracts. Milestone-based payment schedule. A written scope before work begins. Change orders are documented and approved before the work happens — not billed after.
How it works
Site visit
We meet at your home. You walk me through what you're thinking. I look at the actual conditions. You get a real number — not a ballpark designed to win the bid that grows by 40% in change orders.
Proposal
Fixed-fee contract with a milestone payment schedule and a clear project timeline. You know what it costs and when it ends before you sign anything.
Build
Weekly written update, direct line to me, and a project that moves on the schedule we agreed to. If something changes, you hear it from me — not three weeks after it happened.
What clients say
“Testimonial coming soon — past client interviews underway.”
— Past client, [addition], Toronto
“Testimonial coming soon — past client interviews underway.”
— Past client, [basement finish], Toronto
Black Sparrow is a referral-driven business. Every private renovation project in the past decade came from someone who worked with us or knows someone who did.
What projects cost
Projects start at $50,000. Most of our private renovation work falls between $100,000 and $500,000.
If you're looking for the lowest quote in Toronto, we're probably not your contractor. If you're looking for a number you can actually build a budget around, a contractor who will tell you the truth, and a project that finishes when it's supposed to — book a site visit.
Common questions
"You're more expensive than the other quote I got."
Probably. The question is whether the other quote is a real quote. Most low bids reflect what the contractor thinks you want to hear — they become accurate in change orders 3, 4, and 5. I can walk you through exactly what's in our number and ask what's in theirs. That conversation usually answers the question.
"How do I know you'll actually finish on time?"
Milestone-linked payment schedule, a written weekly update, and a CEO who picks up the phone. If you want to talk to someone who went through it, I'll give you three phone numbers.
"I don't see a lot of reviews online."
Most of our work comes through referrals. I can give you names and numbers of past clients — people who'll take a call and tell you what it was like. That's more useful than a star rating.
"Can you start next week?"
Almost certainly not. Any contractor who says yes is either lying about their availability or about to leave another client in a bad position. I'll tell you realistically when we can start and what that depends on.
Ready to talk about your project?
A site visit costs nothing and takes about an hour. You'll leave with a clear sense of whether the project is feasible, what it's likely to cost, and whether we're the right fit.