Garden Suite Builder in the GTA — Detached ARU & Backyard Suite Design-Build

The cost of a detached garden suite depends on its size, foundation type, the distance utilities have to travel across your backyard, and your finish level. A compact one-bedroom backyard suite sits at the lower end of the range, while a larger two-bedroom suite with upgraded finishes costs more. Because every lot, soil condition, and servicing run is different, we provide a transparent written quote after a free feasibility assessment rather than a one-size-fits-all number. For typical ranges and what drives them, see our garden suite cost guide for Toronto.

Most garden suite projects take roughly 5 to 9 months from the first feasibility assessment to occupancy. Design and the permit application typically take a few months depending on your municipality, and construction generally runs 3 to 5 months including foundation, servicing, framing, and finishes. We give you a realistic schedule with your quote and keep you updated at every milestone.

Many GTA lots can accommodate a detached garden suite. Ontario now allows up to three residential units per lot as-of-right, and the City of Toronto permits up to four units citywide. Whether a suite fits your specific property depends on your lot size, the available backyard area, and municipal size, height, and setback limits, which vary by city. The honest answer comes from a zoning review, which is exactly what our free feasibility assessment covers before you commit to anything.

Yes. As a design-build garden suite builder, we manage the full approval process — zoning review, permit drawings, the building permit application, and coordination with municipal inspectors through to occupancy. You get one accountable team from concept to final inspection, so you are not juggling separate designers, expeditors, and trades. We cannot guarantee a municipal approval, but we design to the applicable rules to give your application the best chance.

Yes. A legal, permitted garden suite is an additional residential unit (ARU) that can be rented for income, used for multigenerational living such as aging parents or adult children, or set up as a private home office or studio. We build complete, rentable suites with a full kitchen, bathroom, and living and sleeping areas and durable finishes chosen for long-term, low-maintenance use.

It depends on your property and your goals. A detached garden suite gives a tenant or family member full privacy and a separate building, and it does not disturb your existing home, but it needs available backyard space and servicing run to the rear of the lot. A legal basement apartment uses space you already have and is often less expensive to build, but it shares the main structure. If you have the backyard for it, a garden suite usually commands stronger rent and resale appeal. If you would rather convert interior space, our legal basement apartment and basement renovation services are the better fit — we are happy to assess both during your free feasibility visit.