Commercial Strip-Outs in the GTA: Returning a Leased Unit to Base Building

The lease end, or the next fit-out, has a date. By that date the unit has to be empty and back to the condition the landlord and the tenant agreed. Junk 'Of' Urs does the tear-out and the haul so your trades walk into a ready site, on schedule. Great projects start with a clean slate.

This guide is for a tenant, a landlord, a property manager, or a general contractor planning a commercial strip-out in the GTA. The unit might be an office, a retail space, a clinic, or a studio. The job is to return that leased unit to base building before the keys go back, or before the next fit-out starts. The tear-out is non-structural interior work. What that service includes is on the selective demolition page at junkofurs.com/services/selective-demolition. Why the haul belongs in the same visit, for general contractors, is at junkofurs.com/blog/great-projects-start-with-a-clean-slate. A short definition for homeowners is at junkofurs.com/blog/what-is-selective-demolition. This page stays on the planning: the spec, the building rules, the disconnects, the timing, and the price.

What return to base building means

Base building is the condition the landlord defines. It is usually written in the lease, often in a clause called a restoration, reinstatement, or surrender clause. The landlord's base-building standard, or the tenant handbook, may describe the same standard in more detail: the floor, the ceiling, the walls, and the services as the landlord wants them at the end of the term. The standard differs by building and by landlord.

Read the lease. Ask the landlord or the property manager for the written base-building spec. Agree in writing what stays, including landlord improvements, and what goes, before anyone starts. This is general guidance, not legal advice. If the clause is unclear, check it with the landlord or a lawyer before the strip-out is priced.

Walk the unit and split keep from remove

Scope starts with a walkthrough or with photos, then two lists: what stays and what goes. Typical items on a remove list, stated generally, are tenant millwork and reception desks, furniture and leftover contents, flooring such as carpet tile, ceiling tile only where the landlord's spec calls for it, and fixtures and signage that are already disconnected.

Partitions come out only after the landlord, the general contractor, or a structural engineer confirms in writing that they are non-structural. We do not decide what is structural. A demising wall between two tenants is not treated as a partition we can remove unless that written confirmation covers it. If the confirmation is missing, the wall stays.

Put landlord improvements that the spec says to leave on the keep list, and photograph both lists. Those photos are what the written price is based on. An office strip-out in Toronto and a retail unit strip-out use the same two lists. The spec, not the unit type, decides what comes out.

Before the strip-out starts

Designated substances come first. Under section 30 of Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act, the project owner must determine whether designated substances are present at the project site and prepare a list of them before the project begins. The owner must give that list to a prospective constructor before a binding contract is signed, and the constructor must give the list to prospective contractors before they sign. Designated substances include asbestos, lead, silica, and others. Ontario describes this duty on its asbestos in the workplace page. Older commercial buildings may already have a designated substance report or survey. Ask the landlord or the property manager for it. We do not test for, handle, or remove asbestos or any hazardous material. If suspect material turns up, work stops until a qualified assessor and, if needed, an abatement contractor deal with it. This is general information, not legal advice.

Disconnects come before any removal. Electrical, plumbing, gas, data cabling terminations, and anything tied to the building's fire alarm or sprinkler system are handled by the appropriate qualified trades or by the building's own contractors. We do no mechanical, electrical, plumbing, or life-safety work. A fixture comes out only after it is already disconnected.

Permits depend on the scope, and the City of Toronto's building permit page is the source for Toronto. Under the Building Code Act, the City says a building permit is required for the construction or demolition of a new building, an addition, or a material alteration of any building or structure. The City's examples of work that require a permit include demolishing or removing all, or a portion, of a building, and making structural or material alterations such as adding or removing walls in a way that changes room sizes or uses. The City's examples of work that do not require a permit include installation of cabinetry and millwork. The City says neither list is exhaustive. A commercial strip-out is not given its own line on that page. Confirm the scope with Toronto Building or your general contractor before work starts. In other GTA municipalities, check with the local building department. This is general guidance, not a permit decision.

Building rules, then the hand-back

Freight elevator bookings, loading dock windows, permitted work hours, after-hours windows, floor and corridor protection in common areas, and the building's rules on bins and debris are what decide whether the hand-back date holds. Other tenants still need access. Send those rules with the scope. We schedule the strip-out and the haul inside the window you already have, including after hours when the building requires it. We do not set the building's rules.

Strip and haul in the same visit so the unit does not hold debris for a second booking. Leave the space broom-swept. Walk the landlord or the property manager through before the keys go back, and take dated photos of the hand-back condition for the file.

Usable furniture and fixtures can go toward donation or reuse when that is practical. Metals can be recycled when that is practical. Arrange any recipient yourself before the day. We do not name a charity, and we do not state a diversion rate.

Contractor and property manager context for this work sits on the commercial page at junkofurs.com/commercial. If the debris is already on the ground and only the haul remains, that service is demolition debris removal at junkofurs.com/services/demolition-debris-removal.

How a commercial strip-out is priced

Every figure below is before HST. HST is extra. There is no flat fee for returning a unit to base building. The price is confirmed in writing from photos before anything is removed.

Light mixed strip-out debris is hauled by volume. A small pile is $99 to $150. An eighth of a load is $150 to $220. A quarter load is $250 to $400. A half load is $400 to $550. A three-quarter load is $550 to $700. A full load of about 15 cubic yards is $650 to $850. Each full load includes 60 to 90 minutes of crew time.

Tear-out labour after that is $100 to $150 per hour for a two-person crew. That is demo labour only, after the time included with a full load.

Heavy material, including tile on a mortar bed, plaster, and stone, uses a heavy call-out of $300 to $450, then about $100 to $160 per tonne. Stairs, basements, and long carries add $50 to $150 or more. A rush job is 10 to 20 percent, or $50 to $100. A curbside-ready pile can be 5 to 15 percent less when that discount applies.

A contents-only commercial clear-out, with no tear-out, is quoted by volume and access from photos. Household junk prices are not used for a commercial unit. That haul is the commercial junk removal service at junkofurs.com/services/commercial-junk-removal.

If you are comparing strip-out contractors in the GTA, ask for the same three things: the written base-building spec, the building's rules, and a price confirmed from photos before removal. Lease-end restoration on a commercial unit is that package, not a guess from a floor plan.

What we do not do

The work is interior and non-structural. We do not remove load-bearing walls, roofs, foundations, or slabs. We do not excavate, and we do not demolish a whole building. We do not test for, handle, or remove asbestos or any other hazardous material. We do not do mechanical, electrical, or plumbing disconnects, and we do not work on fire alarm or sprinkler systems.

Junk 'Of' Urs has 6 years of non-structural interior strip-out and junk removal across the GTA. Past work includes York University, Sheridan College, St. Clair College, Humber College, and the Toronto Zoo. References from our main general contractor are available on request.

Send photos, the base-building spec, and the building's rules through https://junkofurs.com/quote. Include the hand-back date, the keep list, and the freight or dock window. The price is confirmed in writing before anything is removed.

Frequently asked questions

What does "return to base building" mean for a commercial unit?

Base building is the condition the landlord defines, usually in the lease under a restoration, reinstatement, or surrender clause, and in the landlord's base-building standard or tenant handbook. It differs by building and by landlord. Read the lease, ask for the written spec, and agree in writing what stays and what goes before work starts. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

Do I need a permit for a commercial strip-out in Toronto?

The City of Toronto says a building permit is required for construction or demolition of a building, an addition, or a material alteration. The City's examples include demolishing or removing all or a portion of a building, and adding or removing walls in a way that changes room sizes or uses. Installation of cabinetry and millwork is on the City's list of work that does not require a permit. The City says those lists are not exhaustive, and a commercial strip-out is not given its own line. Confirm the scope with Toronto Building or your general contractor. Outside Toronto, check with the local building department.

Can you work after hours or around a freight elevator booking?

Yes, when you send the building's rules with the scope. That includes the freight elevator booking, the loading dock window, permitted work hours, and any after-hours window, plus floor and corridor protection and the rules for bins and debris. We schedule the strip-out and the haul inside that window. We do not set the building's rules.

Do you remove partitions and demising walls?

Only when the landlord, the general contractor, or a structural engineer has confirmed in writing that the partition is non-structural. We do not decide what is structural. A demising wall stays unless that written confirmation covers it.

How is a commercial strip-out priced?

All figures are before HST. Light mixed debris is a small pile at $99 to $150, an eighth of a load at $150 to $220, a quarter load at $250 to $400, a half load at $400 to $550, a three-quarter load at $550 to $700, and a full load of about 15 cubic yards at $650 to $850. Each full load includes 60 to 90 minutes of crew time. Tear-out labour after that is $100 to $150 per hour for a two-person crew. Heavy material starts at $300 to $450, then about $100 to $160 per tonne. Stairs, basements, and long carries add $50 to $150 or more. Rush is 10 to 20 percent, or $50 to $100. A curbside-ready pile can be 5 to 15 percent less when that discount applies. A contents-only clear-out is quoted by volume and access from photos. The price is confirmed in writing before anything is removed.