After 18 months of planning, we finally completed our garage conversion. North York detached, 2001 build, 480 sqft double-car attached garage. The goal was a legal secondary suite we could rent.
Zoning hurdle: City of Toronto requires parking for the main unit plus one space for any secondary suite. Our driveway holds two cars, so we satisfied the requirement. If we had a single-car driveway, conversion would not have been possible.
Permit process: Applied through the city’s online portal. Building permit took 31 days (they wanted architectural drawings, not just a sketch). We used a draftsperson, not a full architect: $1,800. Permit fee: $820 (assessed on construction value of $78,000).
Major scope items:
- Garage door opening infilled with insulated wall, 3 new windows, exterior siding to match: $8,900
- Slab — existing 4-inch slab. We installed 2-inch rigid foam over slab, then 2x4 sleeper floor, then engineered flooring: $4,200
- Wall insulation: spray foam (2-inch closed cell on exterior walls, R-13 batts interior): $3,800
- Ceiling/attic: added R-40 blown cellulose above new drywall: $2,200
- Mini-split heat pump (1.5 ton, Mitsubishi) for heating and cooling: $4,800 installed
- 3-piece bathroom (toilet, vanity, walk-in shower): $18,400 (this drove most of the cost — required new drainage, rough-in through slab)
- Kitchen kitchenette (counter, sink, small fridge space, no stove — city limitation): $5,600
- Electrical (100-amp sub-panel, all circuits): $6,200
- Egress windows (2 bedrooms): $3,800 including wells and permits
- Drywall, paint, flooring, doors, trim: $7,400
- Total: $82,100 (permits included)
Rental income: The suite rents for $2,100/month. At that rate, payback period is under 4 years before accounting for property value increase.
Inspectors came at footings, framing, rough-in (electrical and plumbing), and final. Every stage passed first visit.