Toronto homeowners planning to add rental or family housing to their properties now have a shortcut: the City has released pre-approved building designs for fourplexes and sixplexes, available free of charge.
The designs are the latest expansion of the City's Pre-Approved Building Plans Program, which already offers ready-made plans for garden suites and laneway suites. According to a City of Toronto news release issued October 2, the new plans were created specifically with Toronto's range of neighbourhoods in mind and can fit both wide and narrow lots.
By handing homeowners a set of drawings at no cost, the City says it is giving them a head start on a design process that can otherwise be one of the more expensive and time-consuming steps in adding housing to a residential property.
What the designs include
The plans comply with the Ontario Building Code and were developed with accessibility, climate resilience, construction cost and ease of building as core considerations. They leave room for sustainable features, bicycle parking and waste storage.
The designs were produced by an architectural firm chosen through a competitive procurement process.
The City says the initiative complements the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's Housing Design Catalogue and supports Toronto's housing objectives, including its expanded multiplex zoning permissions.
What homeowners still have to do
Fourplexes are currently permitted city-wide, while sixplex permissions vary by location. Where a proposed multiplex meets zoning requirements, owners can apply directly for a building permit without going through the Committee of Adjustment.
The pre-approved plans can be used to prepare a building permit application, which will still go through the City's review process. Applicants must also hire a qualified design professional to take responsibility for the design and prepare site-specific drawings and information for their property.
The plans can be downloaded at toronto.ca/PreApprovedPlans.
