We built a 640 sq ft garden suite on our Toronto (Leslieville) lot — a new-build accessory dwelling unit in our backyard. 18 months from first consultation to tenant move-in. Sharing the real experience.
Our lot:
25x120 ft lot. Existing detached garage (single car, unusable condition). We demolished the garage and built the garden suite in its footprint plus additional area permitted under the Garden Suite bylaw.
Pre-design process:
- Toronto pre-application consultation: $0 — we got 45 minutes with a planner who told us exactly what was and wasn’t possible on our lot
- Architect (Toronto firm with garden suite experience): $18,000 for full drawings, permit submissions, and site visits during construction
- Structural engineer: $3,200 for foundation and structural components
Permit:
- Toronto building permit: $4,180
- Issued: 22 weeks (backlogged — Toronto was averaging 18-24 weeks for garden suites in 2024)
Construction (GC bid):
- Demo existing garage: $4,800
- Foundation (helical piers, grade beam): $22,000
- Framing, insulation, windows, exterior cladding (James Hardie): $68,000
- Mechanical (Mitsubishi mini-split, HRV, tankless water heater): $18,400
- Plumbing (full rough-in, service connection, kitchen + bath): $22,000
- Electrical (100A service, full rough-in): $8,600
- Interior finish (kitchen, bathroom, flooring, paint): $32,000
- Site work (new walkway, landscaping): $6,400
- Construction total: $182,200
Full project cost: $207,580 (construction + architect + engineer + permits + demo)
Tenant: $2,350/month. Gross yield on project cost: 13.5%.
What I’d change: Hire the architect earlier. We lost 3 months at the start because we tried to use a technologist who wasn’t familiar with Toronto’s garden suite bylaw specifics. The right architect streamlines the pre-app and permit process significantly.