Garden suites.
A garden suite is a laneway house for a lot without a lane: a self-contained home in the back yard, reached from the side of the main house. Toronto permits them as-of-right on qualifying lots, and most GTA municipalities now allow an additional residential unit under provincial rules. Savino Construction checks the lot, draws the suite and builds it with its own crew.
Concept imageryOn the drawing.
A lot check against the garden suite rules: lot depth, setbacks, height, the access route from the street, tree protection
Engineered drawings and a rendering of the suite
Building permit filed and followed by us
Foundation, framing, envelope, roof, mechanical, electrical and finishes
Services from the main house or the street as the drawings call for
A deficiency walk with the list closed before the last payment, and a written warranty
Drivers, not figures.
| Driver | What we look at |
|---|---|
| Storeys and floor area | One storey or two, within the footprint the rules allow. |
| Access | Material and machines reach the back yard through a side passage or over a neighbour's lot by agreement. |
| Services | Water, sewer and hydro trenched from the main house or the street. |
| Trees | Protected trees on the lot or next door shape where the suite can sit. |
| Finish level | Kitchen, bathroom and flooring chosen from the catalogue. |
No price per square foot on this site. The lot check and the drawings set the number.
Paper first.
- A building permit with engineered drawings is required in every GTA municipality.
- In Toronto, garden suites are permitted as-of-right on qualifying lots under the City's by-law.
- Other municipalities permit additional residential units under their own by-laws and provincial rules. [Kam confirms which ones Savino has built under.]
- Protected trees need a permit before removal or work inside their root zone.
The paperwork wall: WSIB, insurance, licences, the HCRA status and the warranty, on one page and dated.
If the lot fronts a public lane, it is a laneway house. If it does not, it is a garden suite, reached from the side of the main house. The rules are similar; the access is the difference.
Through the side passage by hand and small machine, or by crane over the house on a planned day. The site walk decides which, and it goes into the schedule and the price.
Yes. It stays on the same title as the main house and cannot be severed or sold separately under the current rules.
Often. A protected tree's root zone is off limits without a permit, and the suite is placed around it. We check the trees at the site walk.