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Kitchen renovations in Waterloo
Our shop is at 6 Colby Court, so a Waterloo kitchen is close to home. As a kitchen renovation contractor based in the city, we design and build custom kitchens from Uptown to Laurelwood: new layouts, islands that work, walls taken down to the family room, and cabinetry, stone and lighting chosen in your own light, with the City of Waterloo permit handled whenever one is needed.
Our shop is here, at 6 Colby Court. Part of our kitchen renovations service, and one of our Waterloo renovation services.
Kitchens in Waterloo homes
Waterloo's housing runs from Uptown character homes to new west-side subdivisions. The kitchen brief changes with it.
Peninsula kitchens in 1970s to 1990s homes
Beechwood, Lakeshore, Lincoln Heights, Colonial Acres
The peninsula is usually the first thing to go. Swapping it for a working island, often with the wall to the family room taken down, changes how the whole main floor feels.
Small kitchens in character homes
Uptown, Mary-Allen, Westmount
Small kitchens at the back of the house, opened to the dining room or the garden without losing the details that make these homes. In the MacGregor-Albert heritage district, most exterior changes, such as a new window, need a heritage permit.
Builder-grade kitchens in newer subdivisions
Laurelwood, Clair Hills, Vista Hills, Eastbridge, Columbia Forest
Good bones and basic finishes. Custom cabinetry, stone, integrated appliances and lighting planned for how you actually cook.
Kitchens for rentals and suites
Northdale, Lakeshore North, University Downs
Durable kitchens for rental units and secondary suites, built to the city's requirements for legal units. Waterloo requires a rental licence to rent the unit.
Do you need a permit for a kitchen in Waterloo?
Waterloo's permit list includes adding or removing walls, so taking one out is usually permit work, load-bearing or not.
Here is what the City of Waterloo's published permit list says about the work a kitchen renovation usually involves:
| Work | City of Waterloo |
|---|---|
| Cabinets, countertops, tile, paint and flooring in the same layout | Not listedNot mentioned on the city's list |
| Replacing a toilet, sink or tub in the same location | No permitSame type, same location |
| Adding or moving plumbing fixtures, including a new bathroom | PermitIncluding new fixtures at an existing rough-in |
| Removing a non-load-bearing wall | PermitAdding or removing walls, interior demolition |
| Removing a load-bearing wall, beam or column | PermitStructural change |
| Re-insulating walls, ceilings or floors | PermitChanging insulation type or R-value |
| A new window or door, or a wider opening | PermitA new or wider opening is a structural change; elevations are required when exterior windows or doors change |
| Electrical work: new circuits, lighting, a panel upgrade | ESA permit |
- Waterloo lists adding or removing walls and interior demolition as permit work, so opening a kitchen to the family room usually needs a permit even when the wall is not load-bearing.
- Adding a plumbing fixture, such as an island sink, needs a permit in Waterloo even at an existing rough-in.
- New lighting, appliance circuits and an induction range are electrical work, permitted and inspected by the Electrical Safety Authority.
From the City of Waterloo's published permit list, checked October 2026. "Not listed" means the city's list does not address that work either way, so ask before you start. We confirm the requirements for every project. The three-city comparison, with fees and timelines, is in our permit guide.
Permits and inspections in Waterloo
We prepare the drawings, file the applications and book every inspection. Here is what is involved.
Building permit
Applications go through the City of Waterloo's building permit portal. The city reviews house renovations in 10 business days once an application is complete, and flags anything missing within 2 business days. Renovation permits are $0.62 per square foot, with a $132 minimum.
Opening a wall
A load-bearing wall is replaced with a beam and posts carried down to proper support, shown on the permit drawings. Taking down the wall between the kitchen and family room is one of our most common Waterloo projects.
Inspections
The mandatory inspections are printed on the permit, and each one is booked before the work it covers is closed in. The earliest slot is the next business day.
Electrical
Pot lights, pendants, under-cabinet lighting and new appliance circuits are permitted and inspected by the Electrical Safety Authority, not the city. Our licensed electrical partners file for their scope.
More detail on permits in all three cities is in our permit guide.
How a Waterloo kitchen comes together
One project manager from the first visit to the final walkthrough. The first four steps of our process cost nothing.
A visit from close by
Most of Waterloo is within ten minutes of our shop. We look at the kitchen, the walls and structure around it and how you use the room. The visit and a written preliminary proposal are free.
A custom design
Layout, cabinetry interiors, counters, lighting and appliances planned around how you cook and host, presented as a concept you approve before anything is ordered.
Order before demolition
Cabinetry and stone are ordered ahead so the kitchen is never open while you wait on a delivery, and we help you set up a temporary kitchen.
Build, inspect, finish
Demolition, structure and rough-ins with each inspection booked before anything is covered, then cabinets, templated counters, backsplash, lighting and trim.
Recent kitchens
Kitchens from RTC projects across Waterloo Region.
From a client
Kitchen renovations in Waterloo questions, answered.
If yours is not here, the fastest answer is a phone call to (519) 897-1561.
Planning a kitchen? Read these.
Do you need a building permit for your renovation?
Which renovations need a permit in each city, what it costs, how long it takes and who can draw the plans.
How to choose a renovation contractor
The checks that matter in Ontario: licences, WSIB, the written contract, deposits, permits and red flags.
Where to stay during a home renovation
Whether you need to move out at all, project by project, and how to make staying or leaving easier.
More renovation services in Waterloo
Bathroom renovations
Spa-calm ensuites, hard-working family baths and powder rooms with personality.
Basement renovations
Family rooms, offices, gyms and legal secondary suites built dry, warm and bright.
Home additions
More living space without moving: bump-outs, second storeys, sunrooms and in-law suites.
Whole-home renovations
Open the plan, rework the flow and bring an older house up to how you live now.
Planning a kitchen in Waterloo?
Tell us about the kitchen and how you want it to work. The site visit and written preliminary proposal are free.
Fully insured, bondable and WSIB covered. Building in Waterloo Region since 2007.
