Studio
430 sq ft
40 m² · Fits more lots
- ◆Open living, kitchen, sleeping zone
- ◆Separate 3-piece bath
- ◆Smallest footprint
- ◆Best when the backyard is tight
Pre-Approved Plans
Pre-approved plans.
The lot still has to fit.
Mississauga and Toronto already drew the buildings. Modular X delivers them turnkey — site plan, permits, build. A free plan that misses setbacks or fire access is still a no.
Why Pre-Approved
Why a pre-approved plan is the money page.
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The drawings already exist
The City has the building drawings. You do not pay a designer to redraw the suite.
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Reviewers look at your lot
Site plan, grading, trees, fire access — not the kitchen layout again.
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Soft costs and review time drop
The build does not get cheaper just because the PDF was free.
Finishes — siding, windows, doors, flooring — can change. Walls, doors, windows and room locations cannot, or you leave the pre-approved path.
Mississauga
Two garden suite plans
Building permit fees refunded after construction and final inspections. Second and third ARUs exempt from most municipal charges. New-address fee still applies.
One-Bedroom
600 sq ft
55 m² · A real second home
- ◆Separate bedroom
- ◆Full kitchen and living area
- ◆3-piece bath
- ◆The illustrated GTA one-bed turnkey around $310,000 is this scale of home — illustrative, not a quote
You still need a site plan and a grading plan. In ePlans you reference the model; you do not re-upload the City drawings. First review on a complete file is about 15 business days.
Permit walk-through: Mississauga garden suite permits (2026). Cost range: garden suite cost in Mississauga. City page: garden suites in Mississauga.
Mississauga does not have a laneway product. If the lot is in Toronto on a public lane, use the Toronto laneway plans below.
Toronto
Made-in-Toronto garden and laneway plans (2025 catalogue)
Pre-reviewed by Toronto Building for the Ontario Building Code and zoning. Reference the plan number — no re-review of the building design. Zoning on your lot is still site-specific. Development charge deferral may apply — a deferral, not a grant.
Studio Garden Suite
Studio
2025 catalogue · Compact backyard home
- ◆Open layout, 3-piece bath
- ◆Heat pump or forced air
- ◆Three fire-access configurations
- ◆Rear setback typically 1.5 m; separation from the house typically 4 m
Two-Bedroom Garden Suite
2-Bedroom
2025 catalogue · Room for a family
- ◆Two bedrooms, full kitchen, living
- ◆Same HVAC options
- ◆Same three fire-access options
Studio Laneway Suite
Studio
2025 catalogue · Fronts a public laneway
- ◆Rear setback typically 1 m, side 0 m on a blank wall
- ◆Separation 4 m if height ≤ 4 m; 7.5 m if taller (By-law 847-2025)
- ◆Heat pump or forced air
- ◆Three fire-access configurations
Two-Bedroom Laneway Suite
2-Bedroom
2025 catalogue · Family-sized laneway home
- ◆Two bedrooms + full living and kitchen
- ◆45–90 m fire path needs the extra City-accepted package (sprinkler / strobe / interconnected alarms or upgraded construction)
- ◆Heat pump or forced air
A lot takes a garden suite or a laneway suite, not both. No public lane: garden. Public lane: laneway. Fire access cannot be varied — ≤ 45 m from the street is the clean path, and over 90 m is usually a no.
Cost range: garden and laneway suite cost in Toronto. Permit file: Toronto laneway and garden suite permits (2026). City pages: garden suites in Toronto, laneway suites in Toronto, Etobicoke.
Straight talk
What a pre-approved plan does not do.
- ◆It does not skip the building permit.
- ◆It does not fix a tree, a 1.0 m / 0.9 m fire path, or a hydro meter in the walk.
- ◆It does not apply in Brampton or Oakville. Those cities have no catalogue twins — we design to the survey there.
- ◆It does not make $310,000 a quote.
Build Method
Two ways we build the same plan.
Full custom on a catalogue layout
Still the City plan, site-built. Typical 9–14 months.
Modular crane-in
Same layout, factory floor plus slab in parallel. Typical 5–8 months. Crane day has to fit the lot.
FAQ
Questions we get on plans.
Which plan do I pick?
Mississauga: 430 if the backyard is tight, 600 if you want a real bedroom. Toronto: garden vs laneway is the lot, not a preference. Then studio vs two-bed.
Can I change the floor plan?
No, not if you want the pre-approved path. Finishes yes.
Do I still need a designer?
For the building, no. For the site plan and grading plan, yes.
What if I am in Brampton or Oakville?
No City catalogue like these. We still build. Start with feasibility — those cities do not get an instant zone code.
Is this cheaper than custom?
Soft costs and review time, usually yes. The build is still a house.
A free plan on a lot that fails fire access is still a failed lot.
Mississauga and Toronto addresses get the zone code with no email. Brampton and Oakville skip the instant map.