Fixed design fees. Nothing else hidden inside them.
Our fees start from the figures below, plus HST, and are fixed once we quote your property. Permit fees go to your municipality and construction goes to your contractor. Here’s what each one covers, so you can budget the whole job.
Pick your project, see the starting fee.
- 01Second suite
- 02Garden suite
- 03Add-ons
- Feasibility check, paid up front
- $295
- Second suite, 1-storey house
- $1,950
- Feasibility check credited
- −$295
- HVAC design / heat loss
- Not added
- Starting fee
- $1,950 + HST
Starting fees, fixed once we quote your property. Municipal permit fees and construction are paid to others and are not in this number.
Our design fees.
Starting fees, plus HST, fixed once we quote your property. HVAC design is not part of any drawing fee; it’s added only when your unit needs it.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Feasibility check | $295 + HST credited toward your drawings |
| Second suite, 1-storey house | From $1,950 + HST |
| Second suite, 2-storey house | From $2,450 + HST |
| Garden suite, 1 level | From $3,500 + HST |
| Garden suite, 2 levels | From $4,500 + HST |
| HVAC design / heat loss report | From $695 + HST when the unit needs it |
What a drawing fee includes.
The drawings and forms
The permit set and the forms your building department asks for.
Two rounds of revisions
Before the permit set is final, so the layout is the one you want.
Examiner comments
Answered within the original scope, at no extra charge.
Submission
We submit the application and see it through to an issued permit.
What it doesn’t include.
- HVAC design and heat loss. From $695 plus HST, when the unit needs it.
- Structural design. Where needed, prepared and sealed by an outside licensed professional and quoted separately.
- Municipal charges. Permit fees, development charges and conservation authority fees, paid to them directly.
- Lot grading plans, septic design and minor variance applications. We don’t offer these.
- Electrical. Electrical work and inspections go through the Electrical Safety Authority.
- Construction. Priced and built by your contractor.
Municipal fees go to the municipality.
Each building department sets its own permit fees, usually by floor area or construction value, with a minimum fee. Some set flat fees for second units, and fee waivers and grants open and close. Under the provincial rule, a second or third unit in a house is exempt from development charges, though some other charges can still apply. Each city page lists the fees we found for that department.
Construction is the big number.
Your contractor prices the build. As a guide, typical all-in budgets in 2026 run about $80k to $175k for a basement apartment and $200k to $300k+ for a garden suite. These are published estimates, not quotes.
Fee questions.
Is the quote fixed?
Yes. The fees on this page are starting fees. Once we’ve seen the house and the scope, we quote a fixed fee. Any change to the scope after that is quoted before we do it.
Ask for a fixed quoteDoes the feasibility check fee carry over?
Yes. The $295 feasibility check is credited in full toward your drawings if you go ahead with us. If you don’t, the written result is still yours to keep.
Why is HVAC design separate?
Some units can share the existing system and some need their own design and heat loss calculation, depending on the house and the department. When it’s needed, it starts at $695 plus HST, and we tell you before we quote.
What if the examiner asks for changes?
Answering the examiner’s comments within the original scope is included in the drawing fee.
Do you charge for structural design?
Structural design, where a project needs it, is prepared and sealed by an outside licensed professional and quoted separately. We coordinate it with our drawings.
Do you publish timelines?
No. We don’t publish a turnaround for our own work. Once an application is complete, the Building Code sets the department’s review period.
How long a permit takesWhere to go next.
Ask for a fixed quote, plus HST.
Send the address, a few photos and what you want to build. We’ll quote the drawings as a fixed fee, and tell you up front if HVAC design or structural work applies.