A laneway suite is a detached dwelling unit located at the rear of a residential lot. Dubbed as the “new housing typology for Toronto” laneway suites can be used for family or as a rental. All services (sewer, water, electricity, garbage, gas, mail, and so on) come from the front street, not the laneway.
Laneway suites have unlocked new housing opportunities for the City of Toronto, and Acadia Design Consultants handles all aspects of designing the exterior and interior of laneway suites, including applications for all necessary permits.
At Acadia Design Consultants, we’re committed to sustainable architectural design achieved through innovative technologies and solid partnerships. With a strong dedication to improve the City of Toronto’s landscape and to help our clients achieve better, more sustainable housing, we provide you with a comprehensive set of laneway suite design services.
You’re just a phone call away from transforming that old garage in your backyard into a beautiful laneway suite. Laneway suites are one of our specialties, and we love doing them! With a little bit of imagination, lots of knowledge and experience, we can turn any unappealing space into a fully functioning, inviting unit. Get in touch with us today for a free, no-obligation consultation.
All plans and drawings by Acadia Drafting are completed according to the Ontario Building Code (OBC) and stamped by a BCIN professional and/or Engineer based on project requirements.
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Acadia Drafting in Toronto can provide you with a quote, design, and construction of your luxury home. From the ground up, we have experts in every field of construction to ensure that when your project is complete, it is exactly as you envisioned. To ensure that your suite is constructed correctly and beautifully, we will be at your disposal right from the beginning to the end.
Typically, laneway suites are built on narrow lots next to public laneways behind existing homes. Often, they include features like a kitchenette and bathroom and are often smaller than traditional secondary suites. In addition to providing an extra income for the homeowner, laneway suites can also serve as a place for aging family members or adult children to live independently. They can also increase the value of your property.
A garden suite is a type of secondary suite that is generally located in the backyard of a single-family home. Like laneway suites, garden suites are usually smaller than the primary house on the lot. Due to the lack of access to a laneway, garden suites are a more flexible alternative to laneway homes.
Garden suites are self-contained units that usually include a kitchen, bathroom, and living area. They can be used as a rental unit, in-law suite, or guest house. The reason they’re popular is that they offer more privacy than apartments or condominiums, and they often have their own outdoor space. Furthermore, they’re a great way to earn money if you rent out your garden suite.
There are several barriers to building a laneway suite, including municipal zoning bylaws that forbid “house-behind-house” construction. You must obtain a building permit and meet all bylaw requirements in order to be approved.
You can find out more about the specific requirements for laneway suites on the City of Toronto website, including requirements for building size, garden platforms, balconies & projections and landscaping.
You must first obtain a building permit to build a laneway suite in Toronto. Eligibility requirements for building a laneway suite include:
Building and owning a laneway or garden suite has many benefits, including:
As a leading provider of drafting and permit design services, Acadia Drafting has extensive experience working with Toronto homeowners for fast and professional permit approvals. We handle all permits and bylaws so you don’t have to.
With our permits team, who has more than a decade of experience, we can assist you from concept to completion to make the process as simple as possible. Your building plans will be compliant with all safety and health codes, and the drawings will be detailed to your specifications.
The designer must communicate clearly with the client when building something truly unique. Throughout your building project, we strive to maintain clear lines of communication to ensure you get the laneway or garden suite you desire and need. Through phone calls, emails, in-person meetings, and more, we keep you posted on what’s going on with your Toronto building project.
To build a laneway or garden suite in Toronto, all you need is an idea.
Once you have an idea of what you’d like your suite to look like, we’ll help you get all of the necessary paperwork in order to begin the project. We can help you determine how we will approach building a laneway or garden suite on an existing property. Afterward, we’ll draft budgets, permits, outlines, and more to illustrate your property’s potential.
Have an idea for a laneway suite or garden suite in Toronto or the surrounding area? Contact us today to get started!
Home renovations, additions, custom home builds and more. We help homeowners get their building permit fast with a complete set of drawings prepared in-house by our experts.
We work with restaurant owners, retail store owners, office managers and any other commercial owners to get their building permits approved fast and make their project reality.
We also specialize in working with all kinds of industrial properties, including distribution centres, warehouses and even grow houses that are sustainable and fully functional.
We work with contractors and builders to ensure any project goes smoothly and the building permits get approved fast. We provide a full range of construction management services.