A four bedroom 2,000 sqft two storey home will typically start around $650,000 plus HST.
There are many factors involved in determining the cost for this type of project. There are four main cost categories involved with this complex project:
- cost of surveys, drawings and permits
- cost of upgrading the sanitary lines and water lines
- cost of the home itself excluding the basement
- cost to finish the basement
- cost of exterior landscaping
All municipalities will require that you have detailed construction drawings in order for a permit to be issued. In the province of Ontario a licensed architect or someone with a BCIN designation is able to provide such drawings. The drawings need to show all the structural engineering components and the new heat loss calculation for the new heating system.
Architect fees can vary greatly and go upwards of $30,000. Our fees are more reasonable and cost approximately $15,000 to $20,000 depending on the size of the home. In the city of Toronto the permit fees are approximately $3,000 to $5,000 for this type of project. When designing your new home it is best if possible to avoid "minor variances". A minor variance is required when a zoning regulation isn't complied with in your drawings.
Each property has its own set of "rules" based on bylaws for your area. The big ones are "lot setbacks", "coverage" and height restrictions. For example if the zoning in your pocket only allows for 30% lot coverage and your new project requires 31%, you will need to ask for a minor variance at the Committee of Adjustment (CoA). With a committee of adjustment application there are additional costs that add up to approximately $5,000. This includes the application fees and the services associated with the presentation to the committee by the architect.
Most municipalities (Toronto specifically), will require you to upgrade the sanitary line and water lines coming into the new home. Older water lines were typically only 1/2" wide and do not provide adequate water pressure when running several showers at the same time. Similarly, old sanitary lines were made of clay and prone to root damage. Both need to be upgraded when building a new home. This can cost approximately $50,000 on its own, as the road needs to be opened up to connect new lines into the main city trunks and connect into the new home services.
A common industry estimate when providing costs to build a new home has been $300 per square foot. Now, for starters, let's be clear on what this includes and excludes. As a matter of fact, it excludes more than it includes. It does not include the following:
- Cost of obtaining a new topographic survey
- Cost of the drawings from the architect
- Landscaping costs (new driveway, new trees, grass, interlock, etc.)
- Cost to finish the basement
- Cost to update your sanitary and water lines coming into the home
What is does includes is the actual cost of the home itself. Starting with the demo of your existing home, excavation, new concrete foundation, framing of your new home, shingles, windows and exterior doors and patio doors, cladding of your choice (this will impact greatly the cost per square foot) and all the new interior finishes: tiles, hardwood, millwork (kitchen and bathroom vanities), trim work (baseboards, doors, casings), paint and basic electrical fixtures. Exterior decks can be included in the base price per square foot depending on your construction style. If there is more than a 24" drop from your back door to your yard, a deck will need to be build to make your home OBC compliant.
Building a new home on lots with tight set-backs (i.e. Toronto) can also be a challenge as your new foundation cannot impact your neighbors footings and foundation, This can be predicted very easily when looking at your topographic survey and measuring the distances between your new footings and your neighbor's existing footings. When too close, you will need to shore up the soil to prevent the neighboring property from collapsing. Shoring costs can add a solid $25K to $50K (or more) depending on the linear footage of shoring that is required. Shoring costs are typically not included in the base price per square foot and can push the total price up beyond this.
Construction prices have being going up and up, and you may still wonder if $300/sqft is still reasonable in 2025? We are happy to report that this price can be achieved for larger square footage homes. The smaller the home, this price can go up to $350/sqft and up.
Many elements of surprise are eliminated by building new... However, one variable that cannot be predicted easily is the quality of the soil and the potential for higher excavation and foundation cost to work around poor soil. It is a good idea to budget an additional $30K to $50K for this potential surprise. In some cases, helical piles are required to support your new home.
Feel free to contact us to discuss your new potential build and its associated costs! Call us at 416.425.1080
Finishing your new basement is typically an added cost and not included in the industry standard base price per square foot. You can count on a minimum of $60/sqft for a very basic open concept basement. If you start adding a number of partition walls (rooms), fancier design features and a few bathrooms and wet bar, the price can easily go up to $125 to $150/sqft.
The final cost component for your new construction home is landscaping. The landscaping component includes everything from interlock pathways, trees, specialty flowers and shrubs, pools, etc. Grass being the cheapest and easiest to lay down. You can spend anywhere from a few thousand dollars to well over $100,000 depending on what you do. Often, this is something that homeowners take on down the line, as the finances are usually tapped out at this point!
We'd be happy to give you a detailed quote, so reach out to discuss your project!
Find out more about Allard Custom Home: our background, our experience and our reputation. We are located in the heart of Scarborough, Toronto and only take on 3-5 projects yearly to ensure we give clients the best customer experience possible. Contact us for a quote and start making things happen.
Allard Custom Homes
104 Crockford Blvd
Toronto, ON
M1R 3C3
