Guides
Answers first.
The questions people ask before they call a builder, answered in the first paragraph and explained underneath. No prices on these pages; every number comes from a site walk. Permit facts stop where our certainty stops.
01What drives the cost of a custom home in the GTA?The things that move a custom home price in the Greater Toronto Area, in words: the lot, the approvals, the structure, the envelope, the finishes and the schedule.02Second storey addition, or move house?When a second storey on a GTA bungalow makes more sense than moving, and when it does not: the foundation, the lot, the street, the plan, and the months out of the house.03How long does a building permit take in Toronto?The steps between a design and a Toronto building permit for an addition, a second storey or a new house: zoning review, Committee of Adjustment, conservation, and who files.04How long does a building permit take in Vaughan?The steps between a design and a City of Vaughan building permit for an addition, a second storey or a custom home: zoning, Committee of Adjustment, conservation, heritage.05Laneway house rules in Toronto: does your lot qualify?The Toronto rules that decide whether a lot can take a laneway house: lane frontage, the fire access route, setbacks, height and lot depth, and what to check before drawings.06Underpinning or benching: which lowers your basement?Underpinning extends the foundation down in engineered sections and keeps the walls flush.07Can you live in the house during a renovation?Which GTA renovations let a family stay in the house and which do not: additions, underpinning, kitchens, whole-home work and second storeys, and how the site is run around you.08How to read a contractor's quote before you signWhat a renovation or custom home quote in the GTA should show line by line, where the money hides in allowances and exclusions, and the questions that expose a number that will move.
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