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Residential, commercial and industrial design

Renderings of a modern stone and glass house, a warehouse aisle, an open-plan kitchen, a backyard garden suite from above and a finished two-storey home

Garden suites · Multiplexes · Additions · Basement apartments · Underpinning

Architectural design for Toronto homes. From first sketch to building permit.

We design it with you, make the drawings and take them through the City's permit review. Rated 5.0 from 273 HomeStars reviews.

Get a quote647-654-6898
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5.0 on HomeStars
273 reviews
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4.9 on Houzz
16 reviews
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BCIN registered
Insured · 20+ years

What can I build on my lot?

Design and drawings for Toronto homes and businesses, from garden suites to industrial units.

Sixteen project types from one Etobicoke office. Seven of them come with a free planning tool you can use before you call.

We also design underpinning and load-bearing wall removal.

Not sure which one fits your lot? Send the address

What have you designed before?

Real work, from houses to industrial buildings.

Photos from Architalcan's own projects and design renderings, grouped by kind of work. Choose one to see it.

Choose a kind of work

Rendering of a modern two-storey house with a stone tower, tall windows and a glass balcony, lit at dusk
Rendering of a two-storey stone house with black-framed windows, a wood garage door and curved front steps
Rendering of a kitchen and dining room with a live-edge table and folding glass doors to a deck
Rendering of a modern stone, stucco and glass house lit at dusk behind a birch tree
Rendering of an open-plan living room with a white kitchen and an open staircase
Rendering of a stone column, glass balcony railing and cedar soffits on a modern house
Rendering of a living room with a marble fireplace and lit built-in shelves
Rendering of a new two-storey stucco and stone house with a bay window between brick bungalows
Rendering of a modern two-storey house with a sloped roof, a stone tower and a glass balcony in daylight
Rendering of a marble kitchen island looking into a family room with built-in shelves and a fireplace
Rendering of the rear of a cream stucco house with a cedar deck and black railings
Rendering of a dining room with a coffered ceiling and a view to the staircase
Rendering of a sitting room with a tiled fireplace wall, a tray ceiling and a window seat
Rendering of a modern two-storey house in stucco, wood and stone with a two-car garage
Modern custom home with stone, stucco and dark cladding, near completion, behind a stamped concrete driveway
Corner of a modern custom home with tall glass, stacked stone and dark cladding, near completion
Line perspective drawing of a modern house with a two-car garage and window planters
Rendering of a two-storey house in brick, cream panels and wood with a two-car garage
Rendering of the rear of a two-storey brick house with balconies and a deck
New custom house framed and sheathed, with scaffolding
Vaulted ceiling framing inside a new custom house
Roof and window framing inside a new custom house
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Photos from Architalcan's project albums, design renderings and drawings.

See custom homes

What would a garden suite look like, and what does it cost?

Garden suites in Toronto: nine models, one $5,000 price for the drawings.

The price is the same for every model. It covers the building drawings, the structure, the heating and cooling, and the insulation and weatherproofing details.

Choose a model

9 models, smallest to largest. Select one to see its rendering, floor plan and size.

Oakwood one-bedroom garden suite rendering
2/9 · Oakwood

Oakwood

360sq ft

Storeys
One
Layout
1 bed · 1 bath
Options
Optional 10' × 10' or 10' × 8' extension

Drawings for the permit

$5,000Same price for all 9 models

Designed and built from $112,000

Ready to apply for a permit in as little as one week

See the Oakwood plans
Check my lotAll 9 models

Will a garden suite fit my backyard?

Toronto garden suite rules, in four numbers.

Garden suites are allowed in Toronto's residential neighbourhoods. If yours meets these rules, you don't need special permission from the City. City of Toronto ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Aerial rendering of fenced backyards behind brick bungalows, one with a garden suite under willow trees
How tall
4.0 m
At most, for one storey; 6.3 m for two
City rule ↗ (opens in a new tab)
From your house
4.0 m
At least, for one storey; 7.5 m for two
City rule ↗ (opens in a new tab)
From the back
1.5 m
At least, from the back lot line; 3.0 m if upstairs back windows of a two-storey suite face a neighbour; more on lots over 45.0 m deep
City rule ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Walk from the street
45 m
At most, from the street to the suite door, so firefighters can reach it
City rule ↗ (opens in a new tab)
  • You don't need a parking space, but you need room for two bikes.
  • The suite must be smaller than your house, and no bigger than 60 m² (646 sq ft) on one storey or 120 m² (1,292 sq ft) on two.
  • A walk longer than 45 m, up to 90 m, is allowed if you add sprinklers or fire-resistant construction, plus a flashing light outside and smoke alarms.
Check my lot

Three measurements and two quick questions. A first check only: we confirm the rules for your property before any design.

What happens after I get in touch?

Five steps, from your first message to your building permit.

You tell us what you want. We design it with you, make the drawings and deal with the City's questions.
You
Architalcan
The City

Step 1 of 5 · You

  1. Step 1 · You

    Tell us what you want to build

    Email or WhatsApp us the address and a few photos of the house and yard. If you have a survey (the drawing of your property from when you bought it), send that too.

    Rendering of a two-storey family home in pale brick and cream panels on a tree-lined Toronto street

  2. Step 2 · Architalcan

    We check what's allowed and send a price

    We look up the City's rules for your property and tell you what you can build. If your idea needs special permission from the City, we tell you before anything is drawn. Then you get a written price.

    Aerial rendering of a street of small modular houses with fenced yards

  3. Step 3 · Architalcan

    We design it and make the drawings

    You choose the layout and the look with us. Then we make the drawings the City needs for a permit: floor plans, structure, heating and cooling. If your project needs an engineer, we bring one in.

    Walnut one-storey studio garden suite rendering

  4. Step 4 · The City

    The City checks the drawings

    We send the drawings to Toronto Building, the City's permit office. If they have questions, we answer them for you. The City decides how long its review takes.

    Rendering of a new two-storey stucco and stone house with a bay window between brick bungalows

  5. Step 5 · You

    You get the permit and build

    Your builder works from the approved drawings.

    Rendering of a brick house with a modern rear addition in pale brick and timber, glass walls opening onto a garden
  6. See how we work

Can I trust them with my house?

An Etobicoke design firm rated 5.0 from 273 HomeStars reviews.

Rocco Schipano runs the firm from Etobicoke and works across Toronto and the GTA. The registration, the awards and the office address each link to where you can check them.
Rocco Schipano holding the HomeStars Best of the Best 2023 award
Registration
BCIN 25897 – 41741House · Small Buildings · Large Buildings · HVAC-House · InsuredBCIN (Building Code Identification Number) is Ontario's registration for designers who prepare building permit drawings.
Look up the BCIN ↗
Awards
Best of the Best20254× winnerBest of Awards202515× winnerBest of the Best2023WinnerBest ofhouzz2019ServiceBest ofhouzz2015ServiceIn business20+Years in Toronto
Office
2842 Bloor St W, Unit 10, Etobicoke M8X 1B1
Map ↗
About Rocco and the firm
Rocco was efficient and effective. He worked closely with us to ensure the design meets our needs and recommended valuable solutions that we previously weren't aware of. We got the permit within a reasonable amount of time despite submitting it just before the holidays.

Renovation of a semi in Toronto

HomeOwner · Jan 17, 2025

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Can I read the rules myself?

Toronto building guides, in plain English.

What the by-laws and the Building Code say for 2026, taken from the source documents and dated.
All guides

What else should I know before I call?

Straight answers to what people ask first.

Six questions that come up before almost every project. Each project page answers the questions for that kind of work.

All questionsOr call 647-654-6898

  1. A legal survey of the property is the single most useful document. If you don't have one, the address and a few photos are enough for a first look, and we'll tell you how to order a survey.

  2. For our garden suite models, the plan set (architectural, structural and HVAC drawings) is a flat $5,000. Other projects are quoted after the zoning review. City permit fees are separate and paid to the City.

  3. Toronto Building's review time depends on the project type, the completeness of the application and the season. A complete, coordinated permit set with fewer comments is the fastest route, which is why we check our own sets before submission. We track your file and tell you as soon as the City responds.

  4. Drawings are prepared and signed under BCIN 25897 – 41741. Drawings prepared by a qualified designer must carry the designer's name, BCIN registration number, qualification number, signature and a statement accepting responsibility for the design. Where the Building Code requires a Professional Engineer (for example certain underpinning), we coordinate the engineer and the Commitment to General Reviews they sign. Where the Architects Act requires an architect (houses over three storeys, larger multiplexes, most larger commercial and industrial buildings), the architect designs and seals that work; we tell you at the zoning review.

  5. Yes. You can build with your own contractor or with us. Our design-build garden suites start from $112,000, with wall panels built in a factory. Either way, we schedule the City's inspections, answer the inspector's questions and file the final report.

  6. Toronto and the GTA: Toronto, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, East York, York, Mississauga, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Brampton and Oakville. The office is at 2842 Bloor St W, Unit 10 in Etobicoke.

How do I start?

Get a quote for your Toronto project.

Tell us what you want to build and where. If you have a survey of your property, add it: it shows us the property lines from the start.

Step 1 of 3 · Project

What are you planning?

Pick the closest match. You can change it later.

BCIN registered · Insured · 20+ years in Toronto

Serving Toronto · Etobicoke · North York · Scarborough · East York · York · Mississauga · Vaughan · Markham · Richmond Hill · Brampton · Oakville