# Jarvis Contracting

> Jarvis Contracting is a family design-build firm in Ajax, Ontario: home additions, second storeys, basements and whole-home, kitchen and bathroom renovations across Durham Region and the GTA, designed and built by a husband-and-wife team.

## Key facts
- Business: Jarvis Contracting (Jarvis Contracting Inc.)
- What it does: Jarvis Contracting is a family design-build firm in Ajax, Ontario: home additions, second storeys, basements and whole-home, kitchen and bathroom renovations across Durham Region and the GTA, designed and built by a husband-and-wife team.
- Owner: James Jarvis, owner, runs construction
- Based in: Ajax, Durham Region, Ontario
- Business address: 15 Harwood Ave S, Suite 202, Ajax, ON, L1S 2B9
- Phone: (289) 892-4169
- Email: james@jarviscontracting.ca
- 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/)

## Services
- [Home additions](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/home-additions): Rear, side and garage additions, designed and built by one team so the new rooms look like they were always part of the house.
- [Second-storey additions](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/second-storey-additions): A second storey on a bungalow, starting with what the existing foundation and walls can carry.
- [Basement renovations](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/basement-renovations): Finished basements and legal second units, built to the code the inspector checks.
- [Whole-home renovations](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/whole-home-renovations): Whole floors and whole houses: walls out, structure fixed, old systems replaced and finished as one project.
- [Kitchen renovations](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/kitchen-renovations): Kitchens planned around how you cook, including the walls that need to move to get there.
- [Bathroom renovations](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/bathroom-renovations): Bathrooms with the waterproofing done under the tile, and layouts that fit the room you have.
- [Architectural design and permit drawings](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/architectural-design): Floor plans, 3D models and permit drawings from the team that will build them, so the plans are drawn by people who know what they cost to build.
- [Design-build](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/design-build): One team from the first sketch to the keys: James runs construction, his wife runs design, and both work from the same plan.

## Areas served
- Durham Region: Ajax, Brock, Clarington, Oshawa, Pickering, Scugog, Uxbridge, Whitby
- York Region: Aurora, East Gwillimbury, Georgina, King, Markham, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Whitchurch-Stouffville
- Peel Region: Brampton, Caledon, Mississauga
- Halton Region: Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton, Oakville
- Toronto: Scarborough, Toronto

## Projects
- [Aurelia](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/aurelia): Toronto, 2026
- [Greenwood](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/greenwood): Toronto, 2026
- [Solace](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/solace): Toronto, 2026
- [Syncopa](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/syncopa): Toronto, 2026
- [Bellamy](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/bellamy): Toronto, 2025
- [Orra](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/orra): Ajax, 2025
- [West Lynde](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/west-lynde): Whitby, 2023
- [Central Park](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/central-park): Photo essay
- [Coventry Residence](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/coventry-residence): Photo essay
- [Custom Additions](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/custom-additions): Photo essay
- [Forest Ridge](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/forest-ridge): Photo essay
- [French Contemporary](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/french-contemporary): Photo essay
- [Halliburton Haven](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/halliburton-haven): Photo essay
- [Moore Park](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/moore-park): Photo essay
- [Orchard Residence](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/orchard-residence): Photo essay
- [South Beach](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/south-beach): Photo essay
- [Stone Ridge](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/stone-ridge): Toronto

## Start here
- [Services](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/services): Compare the renovation, addition and design services, with completed projects and planning guides.
- [Home](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/): Who Jarvis Contracting is, what it designs and builds, where, and how to start a project.
- [Process](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/process): The eight steps of a project, from the first visit to handover.
- [Pricing](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/pricing): Our 2026 price ranges per service, what moves the number, and how a job is priced.
- [Areas](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/areas): Every town served, with its permit facts and services.

## Proof
- [Projects](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects): Case studies of finished jobs.
- [Licensing and warranty](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/licensing-and-warranty): Which licences, permits and warranties apply to which work in Ontario, and where to check.
- [Reviews](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/reviews): The Google rating and every named review, linked to where it was posted.
- [Videos](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/videos): Project videos, each with a transcript.
- [About](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/about): Who runs Jarvis Contracting, who does what, and a note from James.

## Answers
- [FAQ](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/faq): What homeowners ask before they start.
- [Guides](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/guides): Cost, permit and planning guides.
- [Blog](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/blog): Posts kept from the original blog.
- [Facts for AI assistants](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/ai-info): Canonical facts for assistants, and how to cite them.

## Common questions
- **How much does a home addition cost in Ontario?** We price GTA home additions at about $350 to $600 per square foot in 2026, and a single-storey rear addition of 300 to 700 sq ft at $180,000 to $450,000, before 13% HST. A second storey of 600 to 1,200 sq ft runs $300,000 to $800,000. Our pricing page lists every range and what moves it.
- **Is the estimate free?** Yes. The first estimate from Jarvis Contracting is free. Call James on (289) 892-4169 or send the enquiry form on our contact page to arrange it.
- **Do I need a building permit for an addition in Ontario?** Yes. Under section 8 of Ontario's Building Code Act, an addition needs a building permit from your municipality before work starts. If it breaks a zoning limit, such as a setback or height, it also needs a minor variance from the Committee of Adjustment first. We prepare the drawings and make the applications.
- **How long does the town take to issue a building permit?** The Ontario Building Code gives a municipality 10 business days to decide a complete permit application for a house without one unit above another, and 15 for most other small buildings. The clock starts only when the application is complete, and a minor variance has to be decided before that.
- **How long does a second-storey addition take?** Our West Lynde second storey, a bungalow taken to two storeys with a new kitchen and two bathrooms, took about four and a half months on site in Whitby in 2023. Design and the permit come before that, and a house that needs a minor variance waits for the committee of adjustment too.
- **How long does a larger renovation take from start to finish?** Greenwood, a rear extension and a new top floor on a Toronto house, took 10 months from the permit and the interior design through construction. Smaller jobs take less; you get a schedule with the contract.
- **Do you do the design yourselves?** Yes. Jarvis Contracting's design is run by James's wife through her studio, Juliette Interiors: she measures, draws the floor plans, builds a 3D model and presents your finishes to you in our office. Structural drawings come from a structural engineer, and on larger jobs we work with an architect.
- **Can I see the design before it's built?** Yes. Once the floor plans are settled, our designer builds a 3D model of the rooms with the textures and finishes in it, so you can see the kitchen or the new floor before anything is ordered.
- **Where does Jarvis Contracting work?** Jarvis Contracting is based in Ajax and works across Durham Region, Ontario and the Greater Toronto Area. The Areas page lists each town we serve, with its permit rules and fees.
- **Who will I deal with during the project?** James Jarvis on the build, from the first site visit to the handover, and our designer at Juliette Interiors on the design. You have one point of contact for the construction.

## For agents
- Every page has a Markdown copy at its address plus `.md` (the home page is https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/index.md), or ask for its URL with `Accept: text/markdown`.
- Facts page for assistants: https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/ai-info
- Full text of the site: https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/llms-full.txt
- New guides: https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/rss.xml
- Sitemap: https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/sitemap.xml