Basements, Additions & Outdoor · Pickering
Garden Suites & Detached ADUs in Pickering
Detached additional dwelling units, garden suites and coach houses built behind the main house, from zoning check to occupancy.
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Pickering, Durham Region
Garden Suites & Detached ADUs in Pickering
More Pickering families are building garden suites: a separate small home in the backyard for a parent, an adult child or a tenant. With lakeside post-war homes, established 1970s and 1980s subdivisions and new Seaton builds across Bay Ridges, Amberlea and Liverpool, the right design depends on the lot, the services and the local zoning.
Garden suites in Pickering are approved by the City of Pickering, which sets the setbacks, height, size and lot coverage on top of the Ontario Building Code. We check what your lot allows, coordinate drawings and the permit, plan the water, sewer and electrical connections, and build the suite through to occupancy.
Call (647) 424-1511 or send the form on this page for a free garden suite quote in Pickering. Tell us what you want to change, add a few photos of the space, and we will book a visit and send a written quote that lists the scope, the materials, the permits involved and the schedule.
Pickering homes
What garden suites & detached adus involves in Pickering's houses
Post-war bungalows and back-splits in Pickering
Pickering's post-war bungalows often have generous rear yards and a detached garage near the back of the lot. Replacing that garage with a garden suite, or building beside it, is a common approach, and the existing driveway often provides the access path a suite needs.
1970s to 1990s family homes in Pickering
Lots in Pickering's 1970s to 1990s neighbourhoods are often wide enough at the back for a modest garden suite, especially pie-shaped lots on crescents. Easements, buried utilities and drainage toward neighbouring yards are the details to check before choosing the spot.
Newer homes built since 2000 in Pickering
Newer Pickering lots tend to be tighter, so rear-yard setbacks and lot coverage decide whether a garden suite fits and how big it can be. The subdivision's grading plan matters too, because a new building must not send water onto neighbouring lots.
Rules in Pickering
Permits and approvals for garden suites & detached adus in Pickering
Building permits
Building permits in Pickering are issued by the City of Pickering. Electrical work anywhere in Ontario is done by a licensed electrical contractor under an Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) permit. We confirm what your project needs before you sign and book every inspection.
Additional residential units
Since the province's More Homes Built Faster Act (2022), most urban serviced lots in Ontario with a detached house, semi or townhouse can have up to three units: the main home plus two additional units, one of which may be in a separate building. Municipalities still set zoning details, and the province limits how much parking they can require. The City of Pickering applies these rules locally, and every unit needs a building permit and must meet the Building Code and Fire Code.
Conservation authority
Much of Pickering falls within the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) watershed. Building near a shoreline, river, floodplain, valley or wetland can need a conservation authority permit before the municipality will issue a building permit. We check the regulation mapping for your property early so it does not hold up the schedule.
Testing before demolition
Homes built before the 1990s can contain asbestos in plaster, textured ceilings, floor tile, vermiculite insulation and pipe wrap, and homes from before the 1960s often have lead paint. In Pickering's older houses we test suspect materials before demolition and handle them by the regulations if they are found.
The service
Garden Suites and Detached ADUs, Built Properly
A garden suite, also called a detached additional dwelling unit (ADU), coach house or backyard home, is a separate small house behind the main one. Families build them for aging parents, adult children, or rental income, and they give everyone more privacy than a basement apartment.
Ontario's More Homes Built Faster Act (2022) allows most urban lots on municipal water and sewer with a detached house, semi or townhouse to have up to three units, and one of them can be in a separate building. The municipality still sets the zoning details: how far the suite must be from the lot lines, how tall and how large it can be, and how much of the lot it can cover.
More about garden suites & detached adus →The process
How your Pickering project comes together
01
Consultation
Tell us what you want to change and send a few photos. We visit, measure and talk through options.
02
Written Quote
A clear scope, materials, permits and schedule, in writing. No vague allowances.
03
Permits & Planning
Drawings, permits and material orders lined up before demolition starts.
04
Build & Walk-Through
Work done in the right order, inspected where required, and walked through with you at the end.
Across Pickering
Garden Suites & Detached ADUs throughout Pickering
Pickering runs from Frenchman's Bay and Bay Ridges up to the new Seaton community, with post-war homes near the lake, established subdivisions in Amberlea and Liverpool, and newer homes in Duffin Heights.
Questions
Garden Suites & Detached ADUs in Pickering: FAQs
How do I get a garden suites & detached adus quote in Pickering?+
Call (647) 424-1511, use the form on this page or email info@ontariorenovationcompany.com. Tell us what you want to change and send a few photos, and we will book a visit and send a written quote for your Pickering project.
What kinds of Pickering homes do you work on?+
All of them. Housing in Pickering includes post-war bungalows and back-splits, 1970s to 1990s family homes and newer homes built since 2000, and each comes with its own considerations, from older wiring and foundations to builder warranties, septic systems and shoreline rules. We plan the work around the house you actually have.
Do I need a conservation authority permit in Pickering?+
Only if your property is in a regulated area, such as near a shoreline, river, valley, floodplain or wetland. Much of Pickering falls within the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) watershed. We check the mapping for your address before applying for the building permit.
Can I build a garden suite on my property?+
On many urban lots in Ontario, yes. Provincial rules allow a third unit in a separate building on most serviced residential lots, but your municipality's zoning sets the setbacks, height, size and lot coverage. We check your lot before any drawings are made.
What is the difference between a garden suite and a basement apartment?+
A basement apartment is inside the main house; a garden suite is a separate building in the yard. Garden suites give both households more privacy and keep the main house intact, but they involve a foundation, a new structure and new service connections.
Does a garden suite need its own water, sewer and hydro?+
It needs all three, usually connected through the main house's services or run from the street. Older services may need to be upgraded to carry two homes. We assess this early because it affects the cost and the layout.
Can I sell the garden suite separately?+
Generally no. An additional residential unit is part of the same property as the main house and is not severed into its own lot.
Do you offer garden suites & detached adus across Pickering?+
Yes. We work throughout Pickering, including Bay Ridges, Amberlea, Liverpool, Brock Ridge, Rougemount, Duffin Heights and Seaton, and in nearby Ajax, Scarborough, Oshawa, Stouffville and Markham.
More renovation services in Pickering
Alongside garden suites & detached adus, we also handle legal basement apartments, home additions and accessible and aging-in-place renovations in Pickering, so related work can be planned together.
Other basements, additions & outdoor services in Pickering: basement finishing, legal basement apartments, home additions and decks & outdoor living.
Further reading
Your Pickering renovation, done properly.
Tell us what you want to change and send a few photos. We will book a visit and send a clear written quote, with no obligation.