Custom homes and rebuilds, engineered and permitted in-house

Typical cost in Toronto and the GTA: $450 to $900 per sq ft (Construction of a custom detached house, mid-range to high-end; land not included). By level of work: Builder-grade custom: $350 to $450 per sq ft; Mid-range custom: $450 to $650 per sq ft; High-end custom: $650 to $1,130 per sq ft; Production builder, for scale: $150 to $275 per sq ft. Finish level moves the price most, then the complexity of the design and the site: demolition, a tight infill lot, the basement and the structure. These are typical ranges, before HST, with prices checked in 2026; your estimate is built from your own measurements and choices.

A builder licensed by the Home Construction Regulatory Authority. That includes a contract home, where you already own the land and hire a builder to construct a house on it: the HCRA requires that builder to be licensed as both vendor and builder. New homes must also be enrolled with Tarion. Your contract names the licensed builder and the enrolment before work starts, and you can look the builder up in the HCRA’s Ontario Builder Directory.

It runs from the date of possession. The one-year warranty covers defects in work and materials, unauthorized substitutions and Ontario Building Code violations. The two-year warranty covers water penetration through the basement or foundation, defects in the electrical, plumbing and heating systems, and exterior cladding. The seven-year warranty covers major structural defects. Tarion publishes the full terms and exclusions.

Ontario allows it in limited cases. The HCRA says a person building a home for their own use on their own land may not need a builder’s licence, as long as they do not sell it after construction. An owner-built home is not eligible for the statutory warranty, and the owner takes on the builder’s role, including permits, workplace safety and insurance, and contracts with trades.

A demolition permit for the old house and a building permit for the new one. In 2026 the building permit costs $18.56 per square metre plus $56.33 per unit, about $5,230 for a 3,000 sq ft house, and an unfinished basement is not counted. Demolition is $0.18 per square metre. Mississauga charges $18.99 per square metre and Vaughan $21.82. A design outside the zoning by-law needs a minor variance first.

Usually not. The HCRA says renovations or upgrades to an existing home typically do not make it new, so the new-home licensing and Tarion warranty do not apply to them. A house demolished and replaced is a new home. Projects in between, such as keeping part of an old foundation, should be checked with the HCRA before the contract is signed.

Published custom home rates cover construction only. They leave out the land, demolition of the existing house, landscaping, HST, financing, permit fees and municipal charges. Design, engineering and survey costs are often separate as well. Ask for an estimate that lists each of these, so two quotes can be compared on the same basis.

Yes. We model the house in 3D, inside and out, so you can see every room, compare finishes and approve the design before the permit drawings are made.