Design and permit drawings for homes and small buildings

A complete drawing set your building department can review, tailored to what your municipality asks for. Drawings are prepared and stamped by our BCIN-qualified designer, and we can submit the application to your municipality on your behalf.

• Site plan
• Existing and proposed floor plans
• Elevations and building sections
• Wall assemblies and construction details
• Ontario Building Code notes
• Energy efficiency (SB-12) information
• Permit submission, if you would like

Whether you are adding a second storey, extending the back of the house or opening up the main floor, we start by drawing what is already there, then design the change around how you live.

Where walls come out or loads change, we coordinate with the engineers we work with so the structure is covered.

• Second-storey additions
• Rear and side additions
• Garages and workshops
• Decks and covered porches
• Interior layout changes
• Removing or moving walls

An additional dwelling unit, also called an ADU, secondary suite or additional residential unit, is a self-contained home with its own kitchen, bathroom and entrance on the same property as your house. It can house family, give aging parents their own space close by, or earn rental income.

Ontario now allows up to three units on most residential lots with municipal water and sewer: the main house, a unit inside it, and one in a separate building such as a garden suite or coach house. Rural properties on a well and septic follow local rules. A building permit is always required.

We check what your property allows, design the unit and prepare the permit drawings, including Ontario Building Code requirements such as egress windows, ceiling heights, fire separations and smoke alarms. See our basement suite project for an example.

• Basement apartments
• In-law and multigenerational suites
• Garden suites and coach houses
• Suites above garages
• Converting part of a house into a second unit
• Finished basements

New houses, cottages and off-grid buildings, designed from your first sketch. You see your home in floor plans and 3D views before anything is built, then receive a full set of construction drawings for your permit and your builder.

Offices, restaurants, shops and workshops, as well as interior fit-outs and changes of use. Our Small Buildings qualification covers commercial projects within the limits below.

Measured drawings of a building as it stands today. Useful as the starting point for a renovation or permit, for your records, or when selling a property.

Already have drawings? We review drawings prepared by others against the 2024 Ontario Building Code and return clear notes on anything that needs to change.

We also provide Energy Efficiency Design Summary (EEDS) review and sign-off for permit applications.

Several programs can help pay for your project. We can point you to the ones that may fit and prepare the drawings and documents they ask for.

Home Renovation Savings Program (Ontario). Rebates from Enbridge Gas and Save on Energy for energy upgrades such as insulation. Extended to November 2026.

Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit (federal). A refundable credit of 15% on up to $50,000 in costs to build a self-contained unit for a family member who is 65 or older, or an adult eligible for the disability tax credit.

CMHC insured refinancing for secondary suites (federal). Lets homeowners borrow against the finished value of their home to add units, up to four units in total.

Local programs. Some municipalities offer grants or reduced fees for secondary suites. We can help you check what your town offers.

Programs, amounts and deadlines change often. Always confirm eligibility with the program before you start; we are not tax or financial advisors.