Wellington County · Service area
General Contractor in Guelph
Basements and registered ADUs, kitchens, additions, backyard units and commercial fit-outs across Guelph, from downtown limestone to south-end subdivisions.
Most low-density lots in Guelph can now hold up to four dwelling units, and each additional dwelling unit is registered with the City alongside its building permit. CarpentryBoys Inc. is the general contractor for Guelph basements and ADUs, kitchens, bathrooms, additions, custom homes and clinic fit-outs. Every permit goes through the City’s online GPAS portal, and we file it.
Renovating in Guelph
What’s different in Guelph
| Permit office | City of Guelph Building Services (official site, opens in a new tab) |
|---|---|
| Zoning by-law | Comprehensive Zoning By-law (2023)-20790, in force since February 2024. |
| Extra units | Up to 4 units on most low-density lots under By-law (2024)-21024. Guelph calls them ADUs. |
| ADU registration | Small Multi-Unit Residential Registration form: $170 per unit if owner-occupied, $340 if not. |
| Detached ADUs | Up to two per lot, 80 m² each, 6.1 m to the midpoint of the roof. |
| Heritage district | Brooklyn and College Hill, about 160 properties south of downtown. Visible exterior changes need a heritage permit. |
| Conservation authority | Grand River Conservation Authority near the Speed and Eramosa rivers and their tributaries. |
| Radon rule | Active sub-slab depressurization and a soil gas barrier for new houses, ADUs and additions over 20 m². |
Housing stock
Limestone downtown, post-war frame north, 1990s streets south
Guelph’s oldest houses sit around downtown, Exhibition Park, St. George’s Park and the Old University area. Many are built of local limestone or stand on rubble-stone foundations laid in lime mortar, with plaster and lath, balloon framing and some knob-and-tube wiring. North and east of the core, Onward Willow, Brant and the streets near Riverside Park filled in after the Second World War. Those bungalows and storey-and-a-half houses sit on block foundations, with basements under 2.1 m (7 ft) to the joists, on generous lots that suit rear additions. In the south end, Kortright Hills, Clairfields, Westminster Woods and Grange Hill East went up from the 1980s through the 2000s on poured foundations. Near the University of Guelph, a large share of houses are rentals, and landlords there ask about registered units first.
Neighbourhoods we work in: Exhibition Park · St. George’s Park · Old University · Onward Willow · Clairfields · Westminster Woods
Nearby: Orangeville, Caledon, Hamilton, Burlington
Services in Guelph
Nine services, each with its own local page
Frequently asked questions
Renovating in Guelph: local questions
When the property sits inside a GRCA regulated area: land near the Speed or Eramosa rivers, their tributaries, wetlands or flood-prone valley lands. New buildings, additions, grading and fill there need a GRCA permit on top of the City building permit. Interior renovations inside an existing house don’t. Homes backing onto the valleys near Riverside Park or along the Eramosa are the ones we check first, before quoting.
Yes, if the work requires tenants to leave. Guelph’s rental renovation by-law, adopted by Council in June 2026, includes a licensing program opening in October 2026. A landlord must apply for a licence within seven days of serving an N13 notice. Work done with tenants in place, or in a vacant unit, falls outside it. Near the University of Guelph, we can phase work so an N13 isn’t needed.
A lodging house rents rooms without their own kitchen and bathroom. An ADU is a self-contained unit with both. In Guelph a lodging house can fill a single-detached house with up to 12 lodgers, and needs one parking space per building plus one for every three lodgers. A Type 1 lodging house cannot also contain an accessory apartment. We confirm which one you are building before drawings start.
Reviews from CarpentryBoys clients near Guelph
03 / In our clients’ words
“Very professional, hard working they know their job very well. They built our legal basement, we are totally satisfied with their work. Highly recommended.”
Rated 5.0 out of 5 across 13 customer reviews on Bark.com
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