Custom homes in North York
Custom home builder in North York.
Willowdale, Bayview Village, York Mills, Armour Heights, Bedford Park and Lansing: North York is one of the busiest places in Toronto to replace an older house with a new one. We design and build custom homes and multiplexes there under Toronto’s current rules.
Building in North York
Know the lot before you design.
- Willowdale
- Bayview Village
- York Mills
- Hoggs Hollow
- Armour Heights
- Bedford Park
- Lansing
- Newtonbrook
- Don Mills
- Bridle Path
Much of North York was built in the 1950s with 50 ft lots and one-storey houses. In Willowdale, Lansing, Armour Heights and Newtonbrook many of those bungalows have already been replaced with two-storey homes, and the rest are prime knockdown candidates. York Mills, Hoggs Hollow and the Bridle Path have larger lots, often with ravines and mature trees.
Toronto allows up to four units on any residential lot. North York is outside the wards where fiveplexes and sixplexes are allowed, but a fourplex, or a home with a basement or garden suite, fits many 50 ft lots.
Variances go to the Committee of Adjustment’s North York panel. Designing within the zoning from the start is the surest way to keep your schedule.
Example lot
What fits on a typical lot in Willowdale.
A worked example with typical setbacks. Your Lot Check uses the exact rules for your address.
- Lot
- 50 × 120 ft · 557 m²
- Setbacks
- Front 6.0 m · rear 9.1 m · sides 1.5 m
- Buildable area
- 12.2 × 17.0 m, limited by the 17 m building length
- Coverage limit
- 45% of the lot
- Footprint
- Up to about 2,240 sq ft
- Two storeys
- Up to about 4,480 sq ft
Toronto standards for an RD zone with a 15 m minimum frontage and a house with a secondary suite: front yard in line with the neighbours, a rear yard of 25% of the lot depth (at least 7.5 m), 1.5 m side yards, 45% coverage and a 17 m building length.
The rules
What North York allows today.
Current to November 2026. Rules change often; your Lot Check uses the rules in force the day we write it.
- Up to 4 units on any residential lot (since 2023); fiveplexes and sixplexes are limited to eight Toronto and East York wards and Ward 23
- Since 2025, 45% lot coverage and no floor space index cap for multiplexes and houses with a secondary suite, where the zone allowed less
- Garden suites city-wide, and laneway suites where the lot backs onto a public lane
- No minimum parking for most homes since 2022
- No development charges or parkland fees on multiplexes of up to six units
- Setbacks can be up to 10% smaller than the by-law requires without a minor variance on most urban lots (2025 provincial rule).
Approvals and timeline
From first call to keys.
Design and approvals come first, then a build of under 12 months from permit to keys.
Lot Check and survey
Two to four weeks: zoning, a topographic survey and, where trees are protected, an arborist report.
Design and pricing
Two to four months: concept plans, 3D views and a line-by-line proposal.
Approvals
A building permit in one to three months; add three to six months if you need a minor variance.
Build
Under 12 months from building permit to keys, with weekly site walks.
Check first
What can slow a North York project.
- The Ravine and Natural Feature Protection by-law and TRCA permits near the East and West Don and Wilket Creek
- A City permit for trees 30 cm or more in diameter, on your lot or close to it
- Building length, 17 m for most houses
- A clear fire access path from the street for any garden suite
Questions
Building in North York.
Can I build a fourplex in North York?
Yes. Toronto allows up to four units on any residential lot, and a fourplex fits many 50 ft lots in North York. Toronto doesn’t charge development charges on multiplexes of up to six units. See our fourplex and sixplex guide.
My street has big new houses. Will mine be allowed too?
Not automatically. Many recent houses were approved with variances. Your Lot Check shows what the zoning allows as-of-right and where a variance might be reasonable.
How long does a custom home take in North York?
About 3 to 6 months for design and approvals, plus 3 to 6 months if you need a minor variance, then under 12 months from building permit to keys.
Do you work on ravine lots in North York?
Yes. Ravine lots need a ravine by-law review, often a TRCA permit and a geotechnical report. We check those first, because they decide where the house can go.
Free Lot Check
What fits on your lot?
Send the address. Within two business days you get the zoning, what you can build, the approvals you’d need, a budget range and a timeline.
- Free and no obligation
- Reviewed by Sami personally
- Then, if you like, a site walk
Your request is ready to send
Online submissions aren’t connected yet. Copy your request and email it to sami@oaksmith.ca.
Thank you. Your request is with Sami.
He’ll reply personally, usually within one business day.