Adding space for GTA families since 1997
Know what your project will cost before you pay for drawings.
Let's build a space your family is proud of. Powered by The Constructible Design Guarantee™.
Or answer a few quick questions and we will tailor this page to your project
Tailor this page
Tell us about your project
A few quick questions. The page below changes to show the projects, numbers and next step that fit.
Your plan
Not a homeowner? Trades and suppliers · Media
How it works
From your first question to a fixed price, one step at a time.
Each step tells you whether the next one is worth taking, and every paid step is credited toward your build.
Start with The Planning GuideBook your 30-minute call- ★
The Planning Guide
Start here · freeReal budgets from additions we have built, what moves the number, and the stay-or-move math.
- 1
Read a real feasibility report
FreeFourteen pages we wrote for an East York family: the zoning review, every Committee of Adjustment file on their street, the scope of work and the budget. Names removed, dollar figures hidden.
- 2
30-minute discovery call
Free · with RyanA free call about your project, your lot and your timing. This is where we figure out together whether there is a fit for a Feasibility Session and Report. If there is not, we say so.
- 3
Your Feasibility Session and Report
$250 + HST this fall · credited towards your projectAn hour with Ryan Meagher, our Pre-Construction Manager, then a written report on your property within 5 business days: the zoning, the scope and an accurate budget. It is the cheapest insurance you can buy before you commit to design, and it is how we keep our Constructible Design Guarantee: we won't start design if it doesn't fit your budget. If the honest answer is "don't build", the report says so.
- 4
Design & Feasibility Sprint
$7,500 + HST · credited towards your projectCustom preliminary plans, a 3D rendering, confirmation the project can be built, and a fixed-price budget. A traditional design process usually costs $15,000 to $30,000 or more before anyone prices the build.
- 5
Design and Permitting
6 to 12 monthsFull drawings, engineering, interior design and permits for the plan you chose. Closer to 12 months if a Committee of Adjustment hearing is needed.
- 6
Fixed-price contract and build
The number you sign is the number you pay, built by a family-run team.
Our promise
The Constructible Design Guarantee™
We won't start design until two things are confirmed in writing. If either check fails, we tell you plainly and we do not take you into design.
It can be built on your lot
We check your property against the zoning by-law: lot coverage, setbacks, height, trees and the other rules that decide what can go on your street.
It fits your budget
We price the scope from projects we have built and compare it with the budget you set. If it does not fit, we show you what would.
Where we check: your Feasibility Session and written report, before any design work. It is not a fixed price (that comes from the Sprint) and it is not a permit guarantee (the City issues permits). It is our promise that we will not design something that cannot be built, or that does not fit your budget.
The real numbers
Build or move: what each one actually costs.
What an addition costs
$620,675
The full budget, before HST, of an addition we are building in East York, published line by line with every change order and the reason for it. Most builders will not show you this before you sign. We put it in the guide.
What moving costs
$100,000+
- Realtor commission: 4 to 5%, or $60,000 to $75,000 on a $1.5M home
- Land transfer tax, provincial and municipal: about $57,000 on $1.8M
- Legal, moving and bridge financing: $10,000 to $20,000
None of it buys space. Sometimes moving is still right, and when it is, we say so.
Projects we have built
Real families, real streets.
East York
Two years of planning, then a second storey
Scarborough
A bungalow becomes a four-level family home
Guildwood
A two-level side extension
East York
A bungalow goes to two storeys
Birch Cliff
When the honest answer was "move"
Scarborough
An addition that looks like it was always there
Where we have built
The projects we’ve built since 2011, when we started keeping full records. BVM has been adding space for GTA families since 1997.
Click a pin to see the project. Zoom with the + and − buttons, a double-click, or Ctrl + scroll (Cmd + scroll on a Mac).Tap a pin to see the project. Pinch with two fingers to zoom and move the map.
Neighbourhoods we have built in: Birch Cliff (21), Cliffcrest (16), East York (13), East End (11), The Beaches (6), Guildwood (4), Don Mills (3), North York (3), Scarborough (3), Upper Beaches (3), Willowdale (3), Agincourt (2), Centennial (2), Danforth (2), Scarborough Village (2), West Rouge (2), plus Briar Hill, Clairlea, Davisville, Ionview, Leslieville, Markham, Mimico, Oakridge, Oakwood Village, Parkwoods, Riverdale, Rosedale, The Kingsway, The Pocket.
Why families choose BVM
A family building for families.
BVM Homes is family owned and operated by the Meaghers. Vince started the company in 1997, and all four of us work in it today.
We build for families who want to stay where they are and need the house to fit them: more room for growing kids, a place to work from home, space for parents. We plan every project the way we would plan our own.
The number you sign is the number you pay
Fixed-price contracts, always. No cost-plus and no "we'll figure it out later."
No design until it fits your budget
Our Constructible Design Guarantee: if the numbers do not work, we stop before you spend money on drawings.
We will tell you to move
If moving is the right call for your family, we say so, even though it costs us the project.
We are not for everyone
If you plan to live in the house during the build, want cost-plus, or are hiring on price alone, we are the wrong fit.
Who you'll meet
Ryan Meagher runs every Feasibility Session himself.
Ryan is BVM's Pre-Construction Manager and the person who writes your report. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in engineering from Queen's University, worked in technical sales, and has spent the last eight years at BVM, where he has completed more than 500 property reviews across Eastern Toronto.
BVM is his family's company: his father, Vince, started it in 1997. Ryan is renovating his own house right now, with his first child due in February.
"My job is to teach you how this works and tell you the truth about your house. For better or worse, I will give you answers."Ryan Meagher, Pre-Construction Manager
Not ready for a step yet?
Other ways to get started.
Price your project
A planning-level estimate from our completed projects. No email required.
Use the calculatorRather talk first?
A free 30-minute call with Ryan. Bring your partner: you should both hear the answers.
Book a callStart here
The answers we give every family, written down.
Questions
What families ask before they plan an addition.
How much does a home addition cost in Toronto?
There are two ways to see it for yourself. The cost calculator gives you a first number for your addition in a few minutes. The Planning Guide includes the live budget for our most recent East York addition, $620,675 before HST, line by line. Yours depends on the size, the foundation and how much of the existing house changes.
How long does a home addition take?
Design and permitting takes 6 to 12 months, closer to 12 if your project needs a Committee of Adjustment hearing. Construction on most of our home additions takes 5 to 8 months, depending on the size, complexity and type of addition. Your schedule is written into the fixed-price contract.
Can we live in the house during the addition?
No. Once work starts the house is a construction site, with services off at times and kitchens and bathrooms out of use. We plan every project with the family living somewhere else, and we build that cost into the budget from day one.
Is it cheaper to add on or to move?
Moving costs $100,000 or more before you buy any space: realtor commission, provincial and municipal land transfer tax, legal fees and bridge financing. An addition puts that money into your home instead. When moving is the better choice for your family, we say so.
Do I need a permit for a home addition?
Yes. Every addition needs a building permit, and many also need a minor variance from the Committee of Adjustment. We check what your lot allows before any design starts, so you do not pay for drawings that cannot be built.
Do you work on a fixed price or cost plus?
Fixed price, always. The number you sign is the number you pay. With cost plus, the homeowner carries every overrun.
Know what your lot supports before you spend tens of thousands on drawings.
Start with The Planning Guide. When you want your own answer, the Feasibility Report is the next step.
Start with a free 30-minute call with Ryan. If there is a fit, the Feasibility Report is the next step.