How to Design and Build A Garden Suite Inexpensively in Toronto

BVM Contracting has been hard at work in figuring out a solution to tackle the affordability of building Garden Suites in Toronto. We have scoured the internet and have worked with industry professionals to come up with some avenues that we can present as options to home owners and property owners in Toronto and the surrounding municipalities that allow garden suites.

What are the key factors that affect the cost of a garden suite?

To preface the solutions we have come up with, we wanted to start with the key reasons why any new home or ancillary structure would cost more, or become an unaffordable option for home owners and property owners:

1. Too Customized - When you get put into the custom design funnel and hire a designer to build your new dwelling to suit all (or as many) of your needs, that is where things start to sky-rocket. When you can hire someone to add in all of your needs and wants into a design you end up with something that could become too unaffordable for your budget.

2. Too Large - Many times people over-estimate the amount of space they need and, in turn, pay for it on the backend through increase construction costs.

3. Too Much Red Tape - Sometimes your property just does not fit the criteria for adding an ancillary structure like a Garden Suite, and as a result you will have to fight a lot harder to get the approvals and end up spending a lot of money to get your permits for the project. Entities like Committee of Adjustment, Urban Forestry, and TRCA play a large role in approvals for a lot of properties in Toronto and it is important to determine if your proposed project will run into any of them.

How to Build a garden suite as cost effectively as possible

Well the answer is pretty simple now that you know the key drivers in how a garden suite can become costly. Just flip the points above and you have come up with a winning strategy! We have taken the strategy of minimal customization, small units that can be put into many different backyards and have found the following solutions that will help Toronto Property Owners cash in on an affordable Garden Suite Dwelling.

Solution #1: BVM Contracting X Tiny Box

BVM Contracting is partnered with Tinybox, an off-or-on-grid solution to ADU construction. Tinybox offers both permitted and no-permit backyard solutions that can be tied in with utilities and operate as a garden suite OR can be used as an off-grid solution for your property (for extra space or backyard office).

For Garden Suites, Tinybox handles the required permits and works with their customers to create a custom floor plan based on their needs. Garden suites are built by connecting multiple base units shown below!

Their base units can be installed as a backyard office, extra room, or shed for a no-permit approach. This is because at 160 square feet, their base unit qualifies as a shed and does not require a construction permit.

Tinybox can equip each unit with its own off-grid utilities (solar and septic) or connect them to your home, there is a lot of flexibility in their offering as you will see by visiting their website. Prices start at $22k for their base unit, which is insulated for Canadian winters. If you don’t like the mirrors, engineered wood and aluminum siding options are also available. 

Reach out to BVM Contracting to get connected with Tinybox today if this sounds like a solution for creating additional space in your backyard!

Solution #2: Premade Designs and Construction costs by BVM Contracting

Much like The City of Mississauga has done to create a more streamlined approach to building Garden Suites by allowing for pre-vetted garden suite plans, we have done something similar for Toronto properties. Our Garden Suite Plans are not pre-vetted with the City of Toronto’s zoning department but we have done the research to ensure that the studio option will fit in as many backyards in Toronto as possible. We are offering studio, 1, and 2 bedroom garden suite options that you can chose to take to permit and have some flexibility to adjust the finishes (exterior finish, interior finishes, etc.) to make the garden suite truly yours! We are offering the Studio from $150 000 + HST but will still need to evaluate each property to ensure that the utility costs can fit within this amount. Reach out to learn more about our pre-made plans.

Solution #3: Wholesale Housing Tiny Home Units

There is a Modular Home Supplier in Stouffville, Ontario that has come out with a few garden suite models that will work within the zoning bylaws for Toronto. They are called Wholesale Housing, and we can connect you with them once we have evaluated your property of interest for ADU potential. We will want to make sure your property can accommodate one of these units because there is no flexibility in changing dimensions.

Reach out to us to learn more!

Solution #4: Pre-fabricated Cabin Units

We are currently working in partnership with a pre-fabricated cabin manufacturer in Ontario to come up with a code-compliant way to roll out their cabins to the Toronto Garden Suite Market. The idea would be to offer the same footprint/layout as a base with certain customization options on the inside (i.e. flooring, kitchen, trim, etc.) so that a client can make the dwelling their own without getting too customized.

These cabins are manufactured by a company called Sawmill Structures, who were one of the first cabin/bunkie manufacturers in Ontario. The units very easy to install and we are working on a workflow/process with this company to hopefully be able to complete these projects in less than 3-4 months. The only catch to this option is there will be very minimal flexibility with changing the footprint and interior layout, but for a property owner who is looking for an easy 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom set-up with plenty of storage and a kitchen/living room area this is the perfect solution (and we have a feeling that a lot of people will be interested!)

Right now we are trialing this idea out with a select few homeowners looking to complete an affordable garden suite system in Toronto, so if you would like to learn more please reach out below! The costing will be set-up through these trials so we can determine base prices for certain types of options (i.e. crawlspace versus full height foundation) but the goal is to be able to complete the construction for less than $100 000-$120 000 (pending the complexity of the utility hook-ups). The size of the cabin that we are trialing is called the Edwin Lakehouse Plus and is around 380 square feet, with a storage area of about 100 square feet in the attic space (see below). Note that through this program Sawmill Structures is looking to sell one of their units at cost (less than what is shown on their website below) in order to trial out their product as a garden suite so if you are interested in this opportunity please reach out below to BVM Contracting Sales!

If you are interested in exploring this option please either reach out to us or check out the options on Sawmill’s website below. You can reach out to them directly but in order to get the at-cost discount the work will have to be done through BVM Contracting so once you have an idea of which model will work best for you please contact us!

Solution #5: Beaver Homes (and Garden Suites!) by Home Hardware

Beaver Homes is a popular choice for areas North of Toronto for designing and getting the required material needed for cottages and new home builds in Ontario. The idea is you can visit the Beaver Homes Page to Browse the different types of homes that they have pre-designed, and can create a login to determine the base price of these designs. Once you have determined which model will work for your new home construction or Garden Suite project you can reach out to us to set-up the preliminary meeting with our preferred Home Hardware Dealer to learn more about the process and to get a full cost for the project for the items that are not included in the Beaver Homes Package.

It is VERY important to note that the pricing that the Beaver Homes website shows is only the material costs for getting the home to the drywall phase, and does not include the electrical, plumbing, and mechanical costs. Even still this presents a unique option, when paired with a General Contractor like BVM Contracting that can price out the installation costs and other associated costs needed, for semi-customizable Garden Suites and even for new home construction projects in Toronto.

Pro-tip #1: When searching through the Beaver Homes Catalogue, filter for the smaller units so that you can see the different options that could work for your Garden Suite.

Pro-tip #2: The design you will get from Beaver Homes will just have the floor plans, elevation drawings, and roof layout, it will still need to be submitted for permit by a BCIN designer. We will be able to partner you with a BCIN designer who can help get you through the permitting process for the municipality you reside in, including Toronto.

About BVM COntracting

BVM Contracting is a full-service General Contractor or Home Builder located in Toronto. We provide home renovation and building services for major home renovations (kitchen renovations, bathroom renovations, basement renovations, full interior renovations, home additions, lot severances, and new home construction). Our goal is to help guide our clients through the process of renovating their home, from concept to completion.

Further than providing General Contracting and Project Management for major home renovations, we also offer value-added services such as renovation financing, renovation rebate consultations and services, building permit and design services, smart home installation services, and real estate investor services.

To learn more about our offering by visiting our services page.