Four stages, always in this order.
Every second suite we work on goes through the same four stages: feasibility check, permit drawings, permit submission, then approval and construction. No shortcuts, no stage skipped. It’s the order that gets a permit approved on the first pass instead of bounced back with questions.
Four stages. Four handoffs.
- YouAccess to the space and your address.Supports
- NorthpointChecks the property against the code and bylaw.Leads
- MunicipalityNot involved at this stage.Not yet
- ContractorNot involved at this stage.Not yet
Planning ranges, not a promise. We give a number for your municipality at the feasibility stage.
Don’t pay for drawings before the idea works.
Check first
Find the dealbreakers early.
Draw once
Design around what is actually allowed.
Submit cleanly
Reduce avoidable review comments.
One project. Four clear handoffs.
- 01Can it work?
Feasibility check
We look at your specific property, basement ceiling height and layout or backyard size and setbacks, against what your municipality actually allows. This is where we tell you honestly whether a basement apartment, a garden suite, or neither is realistic, and roughly what it will cost before you spend anything on drawings.
- What we need from you
- Access to the space (or recent photos and measurements), and your address.
- What you get
- A plain answer on feasibility, and which zoning path (as-of-right or legacy bylaw) applies.
- 02Prepare it
Permit drawings
Building design and HVAC design, done in-house under one BCIN, not split between a drafter and a mechanical subcontractor. The stage that takes the longest and matters the most: drawings that anticipate a municipality’s actual review comments go through faster than generic ones.
- What we need from you
- Sign-off on the layout and any changes before drawings are finalized.
- What you get
- A complete building and HVAC drawing package, ready to submit.
- 03File it
Permit submission
We file the drawing package with your municipality on your behalf and handle review comments as they come back. That back-and-forth is a normal part of permit review, not a sign something went wrong.
- What we need from you
- Nothing, unless the municipality asks a question only you can answer.
- What you get
- The permit, once approved.
- 04Build it
Approval and construction
Once the permit is issued, construction begins. We’re not the contractor building it, but the drawings are what your contractor and the building inspector both work from.
- What we need from you
- A licensed contractor to do the build.
- What you get
- A legal, inspected, permitted second suite.
Honest ranges, not a promise.
Basement apartment
Garden suite
We’ll give you a realistic number for your specific project and municipality at the feasibility stage, not a generic one here.
Feasibility saves the expensive mistakes.
Skipping the feasibility check to jump straight to drawings is the single most common way homeowners waste money in this process: paying for a drawing package before knowing whether the property can support what’s being drawn. Every project here starts with stage one, even if you’re confident about your property already.
Check, then draw
- Check
- Draw
- Submit
- Approve
Drawings designed around what the property can actually support. Paid for once.
Draw, then find out
- Draw
- Check
- Redraw
- Submit
A height, egress or setback problem found after the drawings are paid for. Paid for twice.
Pick the question closest to yours.
Timeline & Turnaround
The same stages, measured in weeks.
Does my property qualify?
A self-check on space, lot rules and servicing before you call.
Projects
Real projects and worked examples, with the numbers behind them.
Book a consultation. That’s stage one.
No cost, no commitment, just an honest answer on your property.