Cost guides · Toronto · updated Aug 2026

How much does a laneway or garden suite cost in Toronto?

Toronto's laneway and garden suite permits, with the declared construction value of each — the clearest public price signal for ADUs.

$200K median declared value
$100K–$400K middle 50% of projects
$225/SF median declared value per SF · 1,019 with floor area
Distribution

The full spread, not an average

PercentileDeclared value
P25 — smaller jobs$100K
Median$200K
P75 — larger jobs$400K
Largest in sample$10.0M

1,077 permits with a declared value, trailing 36 months. Medians and quartiles only — one outlier can't move them.

What moves the number

Why two of these quote differently

  • Floor area and storeys — most are 500–1,200 SF over one or two levels.
  • Servicing: a new water and sanitary connection to the main house or street is often the single largest line.
  • Fire access and separation distances, which can force upgraded cladding and windows.
  • Foundation type and tree protection — a protected tree can dictate the whole structural approach.
Recent permits

Check it against the record

AppliedAddressDeclared value
Aug 2026 84 KINGS PARK BLVD
Proposal to construct a new 2 storey garden suite.
$300,000
Aug 2026 109 REGINA AVE
Proposal for Garden suite
$1,500,000
Aug 2026 592 RIDELLE AVE
New one storey rear yard garden suite
$1,000,000
Aug 2026 96 DOVERCOURT RD
Construct new 2 storey laneway suite
$600,000
Method

Where these numbers come from

Declared construction values on City of Toronto building permits (tier C), trailing 36 months, minimum 12 permits before a guide is published. A declared value is what the applicant stated the work is worth — it can sit below final hard cost, which is exactly why GROUND also publishes awarded contract prices.

Garden suites (rear yard, no laneway required) were legalized citywide in 2022; the mix in this data has shifted toward them since.

Data: Open Government Licence — Toronto. Recomputed automatically as new permits land; the figures above are current as of August 18, 2026.

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