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High home values, high renovation budgets
Markham is a high-value, detached-heavy market where renovation budgets are set by what the house is worth, and the houses are worth a lot.
In July 2026 the average Markham sale price was $1,131,324 across 288 transactions, with detached homes averaging $1,507,841 and the MLS HPI benchmark at $1,058,600. Those numbers change how a handyman and renovation business operates. A homeowner sitting on $1.5 million of detached house does not shop a bathroom renovation the way a first-time buyer does. They care about finish quality, about the work being done properly, and about the contractor showing up when they said they would.
The 2021 Census counted 338,503 residents in 110,867 occupied dwellings out of 114,908 total private dwellings. Population growth between 2016 and 2021 was 2.9 percent. Markham is not a market where you chase new arrivals. It is a market where you serve established households in established homes.
Markham by the numbers
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Population (2021) | 338,503 |
| Occupied private dwellings | 110,867 |
| Population change 2016 to 2021 | +2.9% |
| Owner households | 90,545 (81.7%) |
| Median household income (2020) | $104,000 |
| Average sale price, July 2026 | $1,131,324 |
| Detached average, July 2026 | $1,507,841 |
| MLS HPI benchmark, July 2026 | $1,058,600 |
| Sales, July 2026 | 288 |
The low transaction volume is worth reading carefully. 288 sales in a month against 110,867 occupied dwellings means well under one percent of Markham households moved. People are staying put, and where the typical home is worth $1,058,600 the arithmetic of moving is unattractive: land transfer tax, agent fees and a larger mortgage, against spending a fraction of that on the house you already own. That calculation is what puts renovation work on the table, and it is not going to change quickly.
Under one percent of Markham households moved last month. The rest are deciding what to renovate.
What a protected territory looks like here
Markham splits cleanly into distinct sub-markets, and a territory boundary follows them rather than cutting across. Old Markham Village and Unionville are historic cores with genuinely old buildings and heritage constraints. Thornhill in the west is older postwar suburb. Milliken, Middlefield and the areas east of Highway 404 are 1980s and 1990s subdivision. Cornell and the newer north-east communities are recent build.
Markham also has one of the largest corporate and technology employment bases in the country, concentrated in business parks along Highway 404 and Highway 7. That is a real commercial opportunity, not an afterthought. Office suites, small industrial units and multi-tenant business parks all need the same recurring work: door hardware, drywall repair, painting, lighting, minor plumbing, seasonal exterior maintenance. Commercial accounts smooth out the seasonality that hurts pure residential service businesses in January and February.
Markham is also one of the most linguistically and culturally diverse municipalities in Canada, and franchisees who can serve customers in the languages spoken on their own street have a genuine advantage here.
Who this territory suits
Markham suits an owner who wants to compete on quality rather than price. The customer base can afford good work and expects it. Franchisees who present professionally, quote in writing and manage the job properly hold margin here that they would have to fight for in a lower-value market.
It also suits an owner willing to build a commercial book alongside the residential one. That is a slower sale, but the accounts are sticky and they pay on schedule.
No construction experience is required.
Availability
Territory status: contact us for current availability. Franchisees must live within one hour of their office location.
What it costs
The total investment is $140,000, with $90,000 cash to open, a 6 percent royalty and a 2 percent marketing fund. The investment page has the full schedule. See the franchise overview and the FAQ.