--- title: "Jarvis Contracting: Home Additions and Renovations, Durham" url: "https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/" description: "Home additions, second storeys and renovations in Whitby, Durham Region and the GTA, designed and built by a husband-and-wife team. Rated 4.9 on Google." publisher: "Jarvis Contracting" --- # A family design - build practice. Jarvis Contracting is James Jarvis and his wife. He runs the build; she runs the design through her studio, Juliette Interiors. Together they take your project from floor plans and permits to handover, across Durham Region, Ontario, and the Greater Toronto Area. - **4.9** [from 28 Google reviews, as of 5 Oct 2026](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=12439853613263293818) - **4.5 months** on site to take a bungalow to two storeys (our West Lynde job, Whitby, 2023) - **10 months** from permit and design to handover on a rear extension and new top floor (our Greenwood job, Toronto) ## Services - [Home additions](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/home-additions) - [Second-storey additions](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/second-storey-additions) - [Basement renovations](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/basement-renovations) - [Whole-home renovations](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/whole-home-renovations) - [Kitchen renovations](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/kitchen-renovations) - [Bathroom renovations](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/bathroom-renovations) - [Architectural design and permit drawings](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/architectural-design) - [Design-build](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/design-build) ## Finished projects - [Aurelia: a fast kitchen and bath renovation in old Toronto](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/aurelia): Toronto, 2026. Kitchen, refinished stair, fluted fireplace, levelled floors, rewiring and a bathroom added mid-job. - [Greenwood: a new top storey and rear extension in Toronto](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/greenwood): Toronto, 2026. Top floor replaced with a new storey, rear extension, basement enlarged, full interior design and build. - [Solace: a home gutted to the studs and rebuilt inside](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/solace): Toronto, 2026. Complete gut to the studs, load-bearing walls removed and reframed, spray foam throughout, new upstairs washroom, full interior design. ## How a job runs James meets you at the house first, and the whole job is priced and signed before design starts. Then his wife, our designer, gets to know how your family lives, measures the house, draws the floor plans and builds a 3D model, and presents the finishes to you in our office, so nothing is ordered until you've seen the room. We prepare the drawings the permit needs and bring in a structural engineer wherever a beam or wall that carries weight changes. Then we build, with James as your one point of contact on site. Every step is on [our process page](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/process). ## When we open a wall Old houses hide things. On one main floor we renovated, it was asbestos on the pipes, plus risky wiring a previous owner had left behind, and the owners heard about each problem and what it would cost before anyone touched it. The job still finished on the agreed schedule. The owner, David Hayes, wrote that James "walked us through every issue that popped up" ([Google review](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=12439853613263293818), November 2025). ## What it costs We price a home addition in the Greater Toronto Area at about $350 to $600 per square foot in 2026, and a second storey of 600 to 1,200 sq ft at $300,000 to $800,000, before HST. That's a range, not your quote: we price your job after a site visit, and the first estimate is free. Every service page has its ranges and what moves them, and our [pricing page](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/pricing) puts them in one place. ## Where we work We're based in Ajax, in Durham Region, east of Toronto, and work across Durham and the Greater Toronto Area. Each town's page carries its own permit rules and fees and the jobs we've finished nearby. ## What clients wrote > I would hands down recommend Jarvis Contracting to someone. Greenwood homeowners, Toronto, [Video testimonial](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/videos/greenwood-homeowner-testimonial), 2026 > bring the practical and the design together Tony O'Brien, [Google](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=12439853613263293818), 2024 > clear process for approval of changes and to monitor budget Susan Morris, [Google](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=12439853613263293818), 2023 > my wife felt safe being home alone with them Danny Bell, [Google](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=12439853613263293818), September 2026 ## Videos - [Stone Ridge, styled: the finished basement in detail](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/videos/stone-ridge-styling) - [Stone Ridge: a closed-off basement opened up](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/videos/stone-ridge-tour) - [Syncopa: a main floor redesigned from the studs](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/videos/syncopa-walkthrough) - [Greenwood homeowner: why she'd recommend Jarvis Contracting](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/videos/greenwood-homeowner-testimonial) - [Bellamy, final day: a bungalow's main floor opened up](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/videos/bellamy-final-day) - [Bellamy: problems solved without moving the finish date](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/videos/bellamy-on-schedule) - [Greenwood details: the floor, the fireplace and the kitchen](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/videos/greenwood-design-details) - [Greenwood, finished: James and Ceara on the 10-month build](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/videos/greenwood-video-1) - [Orra: refinishing a stair so it matches the new floor](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/videos/orra-stair-refinish) ## Credentials - Written warranty: 1 year workmanship and materials, 2 years plumbing, heating, electrical and building envelope, 7 years structural - BBB Accredited Business: Accredited by the Better Business Bureau since November 2025 (https://www.bbb.org/ca/on/ajax/profile/general-contractor/jarvis-contracting-inc-0107-1416595) - Durham Region Home Builders' Association: Member, Renovators (https://www.drhba.com/Sys/PublicProfile/99587295/5125036) - RenoMark: RenoMark renovator, through the DRHBA (https://renomark.ca/find-a-renovator/) ## Guides - [Design-build or architect plus contractor in Ontario?](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/guides/design-build-vs-general-contractor) - [Do you need a permit to finish a basement in Durham Region?](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/guides/basement-permits-durham-region) - [Fixed price vs cost-plus contracts for Ontario renovations](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/guides/fixed-price-vs-cost-plus) ## Sources 1. [Google review](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=12439853613263293818)