Basements, Additions & Outdoor
Garden Suites & Detached ADUs
Detached additional dwelling units, garden suites and coach houses built behind the main house, from zoning check to occupancy.
- Free Written Quotes
- Permit Guidance
- One Point of Contact
- 36 Ontario Communities
Ontario Renovation Company
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.
A garden suite is a real house in miniature. It needs a building permit, a foundation, framing, insulation to current energy standards, its own heating and plumbing, and water, sewer and electrical connections, usually run from the main house or the street. It also needs a clear path for firefighters from the street. We plan all of that before you commit, so the budget reflects the whole project.
The process
From first visit to final walk-through
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.
Locations
Garden Suites & Detached ADUs by city
Durham Region
- Garden Suites & Detached ADUs Pickering
- Garden Suites & Detached ADUs Ajax
- Garden Suites & Detached ADUs Oshawa
- Garden Suites & Detached ADUs Courtice
- Garden Suites & Detached ADUs Bowmanville
- Garden Suites & Detached ADUs Newcastle
- Garden Suites & Detached ADUs Port Perry
- Garden Suites & Detached ADUs Uxbridge
Scarborough & York Region
- Garden Suites & Detached ADUs Scarborough
- Garden Suites & Detached ADUs Markham
- Garden Suites & Detached ADUs Richmond Hill
- Garden Suites & Detached ADUs Vaughan
- Garden Suites & Detached ADUs Stouffville
- Garden Suites & Detached ADUs Aurora
- Garden Suites & Detached ADUs Newmarket
- Garden Suites & Detached ADUs East Gwillimbury
Northumberland & Quinte
Peterborough & the Kawarthas
South Simcoe & Dufferin
Hamilton
Brant, Haldimand & Norfolk
Cambridge & Oxford County
Questions
Garden Suites & Detached ADUs: FAQs
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.
Can I build one on a rural property?+
Sometimes. The as-of-right rules are aimed at urban serviced lots. On rural properties, municipalities set their own policies, and some allow garden suites through a temporary use by-law. The septic system and well must also be able to serve both homes.
Often paired with legal basement apartments, home additions and accessible and aging-in-place renovations.
Let's plan your renovation.
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.