Start with the condominium’s own requirements.
A condo renovation has two planning tracks: the work inside the suite and the operating rules that protect the building, residents, and common areas.
Read the declaration, by-laws, rules, renovation package, and any current management instructions. The Condo Authority of Ontario notes that owners generally need to request board approval and should review governing documents before renovating. Ask the manager or board for the current process rather than relying on a previous owner’s experience.
1. Assemble the approval package
- A clear room-by-room scope, including what stays, what is removed, and what is installed.
- Plans, product information, and finish samples where the building requests them.
- The contractor and trade contacts, insurance or other documents required by the corporation, and a single owner contact authorized to answer questions.
- Proposed work dates, work hours, delivery plan, elevator requirements, protection plan, and disposal route.
- Any request affecting common elements, building systems, plumbing, electrical, ventilation, or a wall—identified early for review.
2. Book access before committing to a start date
Confirm elevator or loading-dock bookings, parking, entry instructions, concierge procedures, work-hour limits, delivery windows, noise restrictions, and where trades may stage tools or materials. Capture the booking confirmations with the project schedule. A realistic plan also includes who unlocks the unit, who is present for deliveries, and how keys or fobs are controlled.
3. Make protection and cleanup part of the scope
Price the protection of suite finishes, elevators, corridors, doors, corners, and any route used for removal or delivery. Define dust control, daily cleanup, waste collection, and final cleaning. These details are not minor extras: they determine whether the work can proceed without avoidable disruption or repeated building-management issues.
4. Resolve the construction scope before ordering
Use a written scope-of-work checklist to record quantities, materials, finish locations, fixture models, responsibilities, exclusions, and the approval route for changes. For kitchens and bathrooms, coordinate cabinets, appliances, plumbing fixtures, electrical devices, tile, flooring, ventilation, and delivery lead times as one sequence. A product that fits the design may still be unsuitable if its thickness, acoustic rating, installation method, or lead time conflicts with the building plan.
5. Confirm external approvals separately
Condo approval is not the same as municipal approval. The City of Toronto says building permits are required for most construction, demolition, additions, or major renovations, and its requirements depend on the work proposed. Confirm permit and trade requirements with the relevant authority for the project location; record who is responsible for applications and keep approvals available before work starts.
6. Build a schedule with decision gates
- Board or management review complete.
- Required permits and trade documentation confirmed.
- Access, elevator, protection, and delivery bookings confirmed.
- Long-lead materials selected and delivery dates checked.
- Demolition, rough-in, inspection, finish, deficiency, and closeout milestones mapped.
- A single written process for owner decisions and approved changes.
Do not treat the start date as the only date that matters. Coordinate selection deadlines and inspection timing so the team does not arrive ready to work while a decision, material, or booking is missing.
7. Plan handover before construction begins
Decide what the owner and building will receive at closeout: photos, care information, product details, warranty records, keys or fobs, and any trade documentation. A pre-start walkthrough with the contractor is a useful final checkpoint for access, measurements, existing conditions, protection, and questions that could otherwise become a mid-project change.
Official reference points
For condo approvals, consult the Condo Authority of Ontario’s condo-renovation guidance. For Toronto permit questions, use the City of Toronto building-permit page. These sources are general information; your building documents and the responsible authority govern the project.