Open every day 7:30 AM to 11:30 PM | Call (613) 920-4558 for a free estimate
Garden Suites and Laneway Suites Bylaw Numbers Measured First

Garden and Laneway Suites in Toronto

Renovator Toronto builds garden suites and laneway suites in Toronto. A garden suite runs $400 to $500 per square foot standard and $500 to $550 premium; a laneway suite $450 to $550 standard and $550 to $600 and up premium. A 600 square foot garden suite all-in is $240,000 to $300,000 and a 600 square foot laneway suite $270,000 to $330,000. The bylaw, not the budget, is what decides whether either one is possible on your lot.

Garden suite: $400 to $550 per square foot
Laneway suite: $450 to $600 per square foot
No car parking required, two bicycle spaces are

Check if your lot qualifies

Send your address, rear yard dimensions and whether the lot backs onto a public laneway.

What can we help with?

So the right crew reviews your project.

We measure against the bylaw before quoting. HST at 13 percent shown.

Garden suite or laneway suite

A laneway suite needs a lane

The lot must have at least 3.5 m abutting a public laneway. The suite can be up to 10.0 m long by 8.0 m wide and two storeys, reaching 6.3 m in height once it sits 7.5 m or more from the house.

A garden suite is the no-lane version

Footprint is the lesser of 40 percent of the rear yard or 60 square metres, height 4.0 m at 5.0 m of separation rising to 6.0 m at 7.5 m, with a 45 degree angular plane starting at 4.0 m on all sides.

No parking, but bicycle spaces

Neither suite type requires a car parking space, which removes a constraint owners expect. Both require two bicycle spaces, and a garden suite needs 50 percent soft landscaping in the rear yard on lots over 6 m frontage.

The full budget

What a garden suite budget covers, and what it does not

Construction is the largest line but not the only one. Design and engineering for a custom suite runs $15,000 to $38,000, dropping to $5,000 to $21,000 if you use the City’s pre-approved garden and laneway suite plans. Permits and development charges are $5,000 to $15,000, and the new laneway or garden suite zoning certificate alone is $644.38, non-refundable. Utility servicing, running water, sanitary and electrical from the street or the house to a separate building, is $15,000 to $40,000 and up, and it is the line most owners have never heard of. Add it together and a published full all-in budget for a garden or laneway suite is $365,000 to $525,000. Premium finishes push a 600 square foot garden suite to $350,000 to $385,000 and a laneway suite to $385,000 to $420,000 and up.

60 m2 Maximum garden suite footprint, or 40 percent of the rear yard
3.5 m Laneway frontage a lot must have to qualify
$644.38 Non-refundable zoning certificate for a new suite
$15k-$40k Utility servicing, the line owners miss

What a suite project involves

Six work packages, in the order they happen.

Before anything is drawn

Bylaw feasibility study

Rear yard measured, footprint, height, setbacks, separation, angular plane and soft landscaping tested against the bylaw.

Can be a hard stop

Tree and access assessment

A garden suite cannot result in removal of a protected tree, and a 1.0 m emergency access path with 2.1 m clearance is required within 45 m of a street.

$15,000 to $40,000 servicing

Foundations and servicing

Footings below frost depth, then water, sanitary and electrical brought to a separate building.

Two storeys where permitted

Framing and envelope

Structure, roof, insulation, windows and cladding, built to the height and angular plane the bylaw allows.

A full dwelling unit

Interior fit-out

Kitchen, bathroom, heating, ventilation and finishes, because a suite is a complete home, not a room.

Inspections closed out

Occupancy and handover

Staged inspections closed, the unit tested and documented, and the paperwork handed over complete.

The garden suite bylaw numbers we measure on site

Four measurements that decide whether your project is as-of-right or a Committee of Adjustment application.

Footprint and rear yard coverage

A garden suite footprint is the lesser of 40 percent of the rear yard or 60 square metres, all ancillary buildings are capped at 20 percent lot coverage, and the suite's interior floor area must be less than the main building's.

Height against separation

A garden suite is limited to 4.0 m at 5.0 m of separation and 6.0 m at 7.5 m. A laneway suite gets 4.0 m between 5.0 and 7.5 m of separation, rising to 6.3 m at 7.5 m or more. The angular plane applies to both.

Setbacks and openings

Garden suite rear setback is a minimum 1.5 m and the side setback is the greater of 0.6 m and 10 percent of lot frontage, capped at 3.0 m, becoming 1.5 m where there are openings. A laneway suite can sit at 0.0 m with no openings and 1.0 m with them.

Protected trees and emergency access

A garden suite cannot require the removal of a protected tree, and both types need a 1.0 m unobstructed emergency access path with 2.1 m of vertical clearance within 45 m of a public street. Either one can end a project outright, which is why we check them first.

Garden and laneway suite pricing, all in

Published Toronto ranges current in 2026. Figures are before HST at 13 percent. The all-in figure includes soft costs and servicing, which per-square-foot rates do not.

Most popular

Garden Suite, Standard

$400 – $500 / sq ft

  • 600 sq ft all-in: $240,000 – $300,000
  • Premium build: $500 – $550 per sq ft
  • Premium 600 sq ft: $350,000 – $385,000
Get a written quote

Laneway Suite, Standard

$450 – $550 / sq ft

  • 600 sq ft all-in: $270,000 – $330,000
  • Premium build: $550 – $600+ per sq ft
  • Premium 600 sq ft: $385,000 – $420,000+
Get a written quote

Design and Engineering

$15,000 – $38,000

  • City pre-approved plans: $5,000 – $21,000 instead
  • Structural and servicing design included
  • Committee of Adjustment work priced separately if needed
Get a written quote

Permits and Servicing

$20,000 – $55,000

  • Permits and development charges: $5,000 – $15,000
  • Zoning certificate: $644.38, non-refundable
  • Utility servicing: $15,000 – $40,000+
Get a written quote

Full All-In Budget

$365,000 – $525,000

  • Published figure covering everything
  • The number to plan financing against
  • The lot cannot be severed for separate ownership
Get a written quote
Our Process

How a suite project runs

1

Bylaw feasibility

Rear yard, footprint, height, setbacks, separation, angular plane, trees and emergency access measured and tested. A written go or no-go.

2

Design and permit

Custom drawings, or the City's pre-approved plans where they fit your lot, then the zoning certificate and building permit filed.

3

Servicing and structure

Water, sanitary and electrical brought to the building, footings below frost, then framing, roof and envelope.

4

Fit-out and occupancy

Kitchen, bathroom, mechanical and finishes, staged inspections closed out, then handover with the paperwork complete.

Garden and laneway suite client feedback

5/5

Renovator Toronto transformed our outdated kitchen into a functional and modern space. The team kept us informed at every stage, and the finished work exceeded our expectations.

Michael D.

Direct Client

Direct Client

5/5

The crew completed our basement renovation with excellent attention to detail. They listened to our needs, offered practical suggestions, and created a comfortable space for our family.

Daniel P.

Direct Client

Direct Client

5/5

We had a great experience with the team from the initial estimate to the final walkthrough. Communication was clear, the schedule was well managed, and the results look fantastic.

Christopher T.

Direct Client

Direct Client

Garden and laneway suite questions

How much does a garden suite cost in Toronto?

Construction runs $400 to $500 per square foot standard and $500 to $550 premium, so a 600 square foot garden suite is $240,000 to $300,000 all-in standard and $350,000 to $385,000 premium. A published full budget including design, permits and utility servicing is $365,000 to $525,000.

Can I build a garden suite on my lot?

That is the first question we answer, not the last. It turns on rear yard size, the 40 percent or 60 square metre footprint cap, height against separation from the house, setbacks, the 45 degree angular plane, 50 percent soft landscaping, protected trees and the 1.0 m emergency access path within 45 m of a street.

Which suite type does my lot allow?

A laneway suite requires at least 3.5 m of lot abutting a public laneway and can be up to 10.0 m by 8.0 m and two storeys, reaching 6.3 m in height. A garden suite is the version for lots with no lane, capped at 60 square metres of footprint and 6.0 m of height.

Do I need a parking space for a suite?

No. Neither garden suites nor laneway suites require a car parking space. Both require two bicycle spaces.

Can I sell the suite separately from the house?

No. The lot cannot be severed for separate ownership. A garden or laneway suite is an additional dwelling unit on your lot, which makes it a rental or family-use asset rather than a property you can sell on its own.

Will I need a minor variance?

If the design misses any of the bylaw numbers, the route is the Committee of Adjustment, and that adds months. The City publishes pre-approved garden and laneway suite plans specifically to avoid that, and where one fits your lot it also cuts design cost to $5,000 to $21,000.

Find out whether your lot allows a garden suite

Send your address and rear yard dimensions. We measure against the bylaw before anyone spends on design.

Request a Free Estimate Call (365) 360-7014
Back to top