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Where almost everyone owns the house they live in
Pickering and Ajax form the western edge of Durham Region, and they are the most owner-occupied markets we sell. 85.2 percent of Pickering households own their home. In Ajax it is 83.5 percent. For comparison, Toronto and East York is 43.8 percent.
That number is the whole argument for this territory. Owners pay for repairs, authorise work without asking a landlord, and buy maintenance rather than deferring it. A market where five in six households own is a market where almost every door you knock on is a potential customer rather than a tenant who will refer you to someone else.
Both are also growing. Pickering added 8.1 percent to its population between 2016 and 2021, going from 91,771 to 99,186. That growth is mostly detached and townhouse subdivision, which is exactly the housing type that generates deck, fence, basement and garage work five to ten years after occupancy.
The two are drawn together because the commuter corridor along Highway 401 and the Lakeshore East line ties them into one labour market and one customer base.
Pickering and Ajax by the numbers
| Measure | Pickering | Ajax |
|---|---|---|
| Occupied private dwellings | 33,430 | 39,485 |
| Owner households | 28,470 (85.2%) | 32,960 (83.5%) |
| Built before 1981 | 10,420 (31.2%) | see note below |
| Median household income (2020) | $118,000 | $119,000 |
| Population change 2016 to 2021 | +8.1% | see note below |
Where a figure is not shown, we could not confirm it from a citable source and would rather leave a gap than publish something we cannot stand behind. Ask us and we will get it for the boundary you are considering.
Five in six households here own the house. Owners authorise work. Tenants call the landlord.
What a protected territory looks like here
A Pickering and Ajax boundary is drawn south of the 407 in practice, because that is where the dwelling density is. North Pickering is largely rural and agricultural, and a territory that includes it looks larger on a map while producing fewer households.
The job mix here is suburban detached: decks, fences, garages, basement finishing, driveways, roofs, windows, kitchens and bathrooms. 31.2 percent of Pickering’s stock predates 1981, so there is a genuine repair book underneath the improvement work rather than only the newer-market discretionary spend you get in Vaughan.
Both towns also have significant employment lands and a waterfront industrial base, which supports a commercial account book. Commercial work here is less about office suites than about small industrial and multi-tenant units, which need the same recurring repairs and buy them on contract.
Who this territory suits
It suits someone who already lives in Durham. The one hour residency rule is straightforward from Pickering, Ajax or Whitby, and being able to get to a job site quickly is a competitive advantage in a market where the incumbent competition is largely individual operators without a dispatch system.
It also suits an owner who wants to grow into a second territory later. Durham has room, and a franchisee who builds a strong operation in Pickering and Ajax is well placed to look east.
No construction experience is required. We train owners to quote, schedule and manage trades through The Portal.
Availability
Territory status: contact us for current availability.
What it costs
The total investment is $140,000, with $90,000 in cash to open, a 6 percent royalty and a 2 percent marketing fund. Full detail on the investment page. See the franchise overview, the FAQ, or the neighbouring Whitby and Oshawa territory.