Drywall, Trim & Carpentry in Toronto & the GTA

When does a new wall need a building permit?

In Toronto, adding or removing a wall needs a building permit, because it changes a room's size or use. Taking out a wall that holds up the floor above also means a beam to carry that load instead, shown on the permit drawings.

Installing built-ins, shelving and other millwork needs no permit, and neither does adding or replacing insulation. When do I need a building permit? has the city's full list. Your quote names the permits your job needs, and the work a permit covers starts once it is issued.

New outlets or lights in a new wall go to an electrical contractor holding an ESA licence, who files the notification of work for them.

What level of drywall finish do you need?

The drywall industry grades finishing in levels from 0 to 5. Each level adds coats of joint compound over the tape and screws, and more sanding.

Level	What it is	Where it suits
Level 3	Joints taped and coated twice	Walls that will get a heavy texture
Level 4	Joints and screws coated and sanded smooth	Most painted walls and ceilings
Level 5	Level 4 plus a skim coat over everything	Strong side light, glossy paint

Level 4 is the usual standard for painted walls. Level 5 is worth it on a long wall lit from the side, or where you want a semi-gloss finish, because raking light shows every joint on a Level 4 wall. Your quote names the level for each room.

Which trim suits a painted finish?

Smooth, stable trim. MDF and finger-jointed pine take paint well and stay straight, which suits most painted baseboards, casings and crown. Solid hardwood suits trim you want to stain.

Wet spots are the exception. MDF swells if it stays wet, so a bathroom or an entry where boots drip gets a trim that tolerates water. Whatever the material, every nail hole is filled, every joint caulked and the trim primed before its finish coats. Spray or brush trim and doors? explains how the finish goes on.

What carpentry does this cover?

Baseboards, door and window casings, crown moulding, interior doors, built-ins and shelving. Most new interior doors come pre-hung in their own frame, so they open and close square in an older opening. Built-ins are made to fit the space and painted in the same job.

It is finishing carpentry, done inside the walls you have or the new ones the job adds. Framing an addition or reworking the structure is a different kind of project.

How does new work get painted?

New drywall gets a primer made for it before any colour. Bare paper and fresh compound soak up paint unevenly, and without primer the joints show through as dull patches painters call flashing.

Trim gets the same care: primed, filled, caulked, then two finish coats. Our drywall repair and trim and door painting pages cover the painting side, and fixing nail pops and cracks explains the repairs that keep new walls smooth.