Laneway houses.
A laneway house is a self-contained home at the back of a lot that fronts a public lane, built where the garage used to be. Toronto permits them as-of-right on lots that meet the by-law's rules on lane frontage, fire access, setbacks and height, and other GTA municipalities have followed with their own versions. Savino Construction checks the lot against those rules before you spend anything on drawings.
Concept imageryOn the drawing.
A lot check against the laneway by-law: lane frontage, fire access route, setbacks, height, lot depth
Engineered drawings and a rendering of the laneway house
Building permit filed and followed by us, with the demolition permit for the garage
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, and how much of the allowed footprint is used. |
| Services | Water, sewer, gas and hydro run from the main house or from the street, and the distance sets the trenching. |
| Fire access | The route for a fire hose from the street decides whether sprinklers or other measures are needed. |
| The old garage | Demolition and whether the old slab and footings can go. |
| 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, plus a demolition permit for the garage.
- In Toronto, laneway suites are permitted as-of-right on qualifying lots under the City's by-law; a lot outside the rules goes to the Committee of Adjustment.
- The fire access route from the street is part of the permit review.
- Other municipalities have their own additional residential unit rules. [Kam confirms which ones Savino has built under.]
The paperwork wall: WSIB, insurance, licences, the HCRA status and the warranty, on one page and dated.
It has to front a public laneway, have a route for a fire hose from the street within the by-law's distance, and meet the setbacks and lot depth. We check all of it before drawings, and if the lot misses on one, we tell you what the Committee of Adjustment path looks like.
Rented, yes. It stays on the same title as the main house and cannot be severed or sold on its own under the current rules.
The by-law sets the footprint, the height and the setbacks, and the lot depth sets what fits. Two storeys are common where the lot allows. The lot check gives you the envelope.
Most GTA municipalities now permit an additional unit on a residential lot. The rules differ from Toronto's, and a laneway house needs a lane. [Kam confirms which municipalities Savino has built suites in.]