London · Kitchen Renovations
Kitchen Renovations in London, Ontario
Rear-wing kitchens in Old North, Woodfield and Wortley Village homes sit on their own shallow foundations, added in the late 1800s or early 1900s. A century of uneven settling leaves the floor sloping toward the back door. In a London century house, levelling that floor comes before any new kitchen cabinet goes in.
Kitchens in London
What’s different in London
| Permit office | City of London Building Division (official site, opens in a new tab) |
|---|---|
| Rear-wing floors | Drops of 25 to 75 mm (1 to 3 in) across the room in many Old North and Woodfield homes. |
| Post-war wall | Oakridge, Westmount and Pond Mills kitchens closed off by a wall that may carry the roof. |
| Heritage districts | West Woodfield since 2008. A new or larger window or a street-facing hood vent needs a Heritage Alteration Permit. |
| Solid brick walls | Double-wythe brick in older homes. Hood vents need core drilling and a masonry sleeve. |
| Service upgrade | 200 A upgrades coordinated with London Hydro for the disconnect and reconnect. |
Worth knowing first
Level the rear wing before you choose cabinets
Many Woodfield, Old North and Wortley Village kitchens sit in a one- or two-storey rear wing behind the main house. That wing settled at its own rate for over 100 years. In many Old North and Woodfield homes the floor drops 25 to 75 mm toward the back door. The doorway to the dining room ends up out of square, and stone counters won’t sit level. So we open the floor and sister or replace the joists. Where the wing has sunk, we add a beam and posts on new footings. Levelling costs $5,000 to $15,000 before HST and is far cheaper before the cabinets arrive.
The scope, pricing tiers and 5-step process are the same everywhere we work. See Kitchen Renovations ›
Frequently asked questions
Kitchens in London: three local questions
Possibly, with a Heritage Alteration Permit before work starts. West Woodfield has been a heritage conservation district since 2008, and its plan treats windows, especially street-facing ones, as heritage attributes. A rear window hidden from the street is approved more readily with matching trim and proportions. Allow 4 to 8 weeks for heritage review, and order cabinets once the window size is confirmed.
Yes, and in a 1990s Masonville home it is the best value. Keeping the sink, range and fridge in place avoids plumbing and gas changes, needs no building permit and keeps the job to about 3 to 5 weeks. Moving the sink to an island adds drains through the basement ceiling and roughly $8,000 to $15,000. Masonville and Hyde Park islands of that era block the patio door, so we rethink the island’s size.
No. A second kitchen alone doesn’t create an additional residential unit. The City looks at whether the area is self-contained, with its own entrance, kitchen, bathroom and sleeping space. A basement kitchen used by the same household is family space. Renting it out makes it an ARU under Z.-1, which needs a building permit for fire separation, alarms and egress, plus a London rental licence.
Kitchens In London? Let’s Talk.
Book a free site visit. You'll get a written, itemised quote and a straight answer on permits and timing.
Financing available through Financeit. See options