If you are interested in a custom home design, building your dream house, or doing any other house plan design, construction or renovation project in the city of Toronto… then you have come to the right place!
We are experienced in working with house plan design, research, development, technical support, and construction administration for buildings in many locations, including York Mills, Bridle Path, Sunny Brook, Hoggs Hollow, Forest Hill, Lawrence Park, Roose-Moore, and Kingsway. (You can see a few of our projects here.)
In this page, you will find the summary of a Toronto luxury home design and building permit process and how Memar Architects can help you go from a simple idea to the key of your dream home!
The city of Toronto has four different planning Districts, each associated with different wards or neighborhoods, and each District has its own customer service office. Before you start any architectural work, you will need to find out which office will oversee your project. The map on this page will help you find out which one of the District customer service offices you will need to contact. For your convenience, we have included their contact information below. You can also look up your ward by the convenient tool provided in the city of Toronto website:
Toronto City Hall
100 Queen St. W.
Toronto, ON, M5H 2N2
416-392-7539
Wards: 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
North York Civic Centre
5100 Yonge Street
North York, ON, M2N 5V7
416-395-7000
Wards: 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 23, 24, 25, 26, 33, 34
2 Civic Centre Ct.
Etobicoke, ON, M9C 5A3
416-394-8002
Wards: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 17
Scarborough Civic Centre
150 Borough Dr.
Scarborough, ON, M1P 4N7
416-396-7526
Wards: 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44
You will need to obtain a building permit before starting any major construction of custom homes in Toronto. Depending on the size of your project, the modern house design and building permit process could take anywhere from one to six months.
Smaller projects that don’t include changes to the exterior of the
Once your design has been completed by a Toronto residential architect, you will need to submit it to the building department. An examiner will be assigned to review your project to make sure that it complies with local Zoning Bylaws as well as the Ontario Building Code and any other Applicable Law. This is a required step in order to obtain a building permit.
Tip: An architect experienced in contemporary architecture can help you complete this process and assist you in hiring other consultants when needed. A local architect, specifically a Toronto residential architect, can facilitate this process as they are more familiar with all bylaws and regulations.
The city of Toronto requires you to obtain a permit before altering any fixed structural and architectural elements of the house. This includes (but is not limited to) relocating mechanical fixtures, removing and/or relocating load-bearing and non-load-bearing walls, making new openings in exterior walls, and any addition or change to the grading of the house.
For a complete list of what is required to receive a building permit, along with more useful information and tips regarding a luxury home design or the construction of a custom house in Toronto, you can download our FREE Guide.
Creating a custom home in Toronto is an exciting and dynamic experience! Your first decision: would you rather work with a drafting technician, or contact a professional residential architect? A drafter can help you draft what you need but an architect understands why and what you need to change, and can help you find the most efficient and cost-effective design. There are many other advantages to hiring an architect because they will be able to help you avoid many common mistakes, especially if they are already familiar with local neighborhoods and building codes.
In the city of Toronto, your building application has to be in compliance with zoning bylaws, both new and old. A skilled architect can help you get through this phase, as they understand limitations and requirements related to bylaws. They will know how to apply proper changes to the modern home design in order to maximize the use of the land and increase design efficiency.
Next, your architect will prepare a complete set of drawings for your Toronto luxury home. These drawings will include sections, elevations, and construction specifications. Should you decide, the architect can also contact other professionals such as Structural Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, and Surveyors, to prepare additional documentation required by the City of Toronto.
When all of your drawings and technical documentations have been assembled, it is time to submit your application to the city of Toronto. City examiners will work alongside your architect to conduct a complete review of the application. This phase requires constant communications between the city examiners and architect to ensure that the submitted documents are in full compliance with the City’s requirements.
Memar Architects is a top Toronto residential architect firm and we have helped many clients to successfully receive approval from COA (Committee of Adjustment) and OMB (Ontario Municipal Board). While we can’t guarantee the outcome of these meetings, we make sure to be well prepared for them. For us, it is not just about showing up at the meeting to talk, but in addition to that, we make sure to design the project and present it based on solid precedential evidence and planning common laws. While this preparation takes a lot of resources from us, at the same time makes sure the proposed house plan design, along with prepared evidence and supporting documents, have a higher chance of approval. And that’s what we focus on--results!
The multifaceted nature of our expertise allows us to provide top of the line efficiency, saving time and conserving other resources in the process of creating your final product. We pass this efficiency on to our clients by offering an extremely competitive rate for all Toronto luxury home design and building permit processes without any sacrifice of quality.
We keep our promises... this is the bottom line for us. We do everything in our power to move your project forward, making sure to keep you updated and informed throughout the process. We can guide you through the steps and help you make the most realistic and efficient decisions in regards to your Toronto luxury home. We respond to emails and phone calls in a timely manner, and a dedicated project manager is assigned to each and every project. Clients are provided with direct access to their project managers, ensuring that they will receive the personal attention and up-to-date information that they need. We have two briefings per week to review all projects to make sure no project is left behind.
The contemporary architecture design experts at Memar Architects can make your dream Toronto luxury home come true! We provide the quality results you need, as quickly as possible and in a cost-effective way. We are dedicated to offering our clients the top Toronto residential architect services.
Memar Architects is a member of the Ontario Association of Architects, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC), and the American Institute of Architects. We are an award-winning architectural firm with extensive experience in design, building permits, and building science. We have won awards for our high quality, luxury home design and service in a wide range of residential and commercial buildings. Our projects have been published in many different blogs and magazines. Memar Architects’ resourceful and talented staff are equipped with years of valuable industry expertise. We work hand in hand with some of the best engineers, surveyors, and other consultants to provide our clients with one point of contact for all of their modern home design and building permit related needs. We have a proven track record of helping our clients solve a vast array of different issues that may arise throughout the home construction in Toronto process; and when we do not have the answer, we can refer you to the right consultant. In addition to our knowledgeable team, we use some of the best architectural 3D software that allow our clients to walk through the building model and apply changes and modifications on spot, while getting a clear sense of how the space will look, even before it is built. Our primary specialties are modern home design, research, development, technical support, and home construction in Toronto administration.