The Cost Of Building A Custom Home In Ontario

If you are looking to build a custom home in areas such as Collingwood, Blue Mountain, Thornbury, Wasaga Beach and surrounding area – below you will find an estimate of the cost of building a home in Ontario and the areas mentioned above. You can find stunning craftsman homes all over Ontario. Architects, home designers and custom home builders are able to build the exact home you have always wanted and help inspire some useful upgrades that add great value to your lifestyle. Custom homes and craftsman homes often include extra touches and trims, along with expansive rooms, incredible exteriors and curb appeal, and some “must have” upgrades.  Alternatively, a custom home can also be designed with efficiency and price point in mind, using new home designs that take in to account the future of your family. We’ll take a look at what goes into creating a custom home in Ontario, and importantly, some of the costs you should be aware of.

The Factors That Go Into The Cost Of A Custom Home In Ontario

The Cost Of The Land

Nowadays, this is by far and away the big one.  Land values have exploded in recent years and show no sign of abating, no matter where you are in Ontario.  The Georgian Bay area has seen an increase in population due to the changes in the real estate market, as are its immediate surrounding areas.

In some cases, the lot you select will have a house already on it.  That means to get the land, you have to buy the house as well, thus incurring additional costs.  To that, you must also add the cost of demolition of the existing dwelling, before you can start building your custom home.

The Location Of Your Custom Home

This factor is crucial too.  The cost of land, as mentioned above, is general.  Location is specific.  At the end of the day, it’s all relative.  A custom house built on a downtown Toronto ravine lot will be far more expensive to build than the exact same house on a similar-sized lot in Penetanguishene, Midland, or many other places in Ontario. Even within a specific area, there will be more expensive and less expensive lots on which to build.  The more desirable a location, in terms of amenities, services, transportation and roads, proximity to a body of water – all the nice-to-haves will drive up the cost of a vacant property to build on in Ontario.

Design And Construction

For a custom home with lots of upgrades and extras, chances are you will want to work with an architect or building firm that can assist with the design of your custom home.  They will have the expertise you’ll want, along with the latest in home design trends and styles. They’ll also be able to assist with permits, building code inspections and everything else when it comes to the legal documentation and permits to ensure you can actually build what you want to on the plot of land you select.

Administrative Costs

Permits, fees, the costs of inspection.  All these should be factored in at the outset, so there are no surprises.  You’ll need to contact your local municipality to confirm all the requirements for building a house – a good custom home builder will help you with all of this.

Square Footage And Amount Of Floors

The bigger you build, the more it’s going to cost; it’s pretty basic arithmetic.  The actual cost of building boils down to two main factors:

• Labour
• Materials

The bigger the structure, the more of each will be necessary.

Materials And Styling

These two factors will play a big role in the overall cost of a custom home.  The more customised the plans are – or the less off-the-shelf they are, the more expensive the finished project will be.  Think about one example: suppose you are envisioning a multi-story home with an elevator in the middle.  This feature will obviously cost significantly more than simply installing staircases.

Stylistic details can also drive the price upward.  For example, many rounded finishes in walls, stairways, window details, etc. can be significantly more expensive, both in materials and labour, than their squared-off counterparts.  Upgrades such as heated floors will not only cost more to install; they will also cost more to keep running.

Areas such as kitchens and bathrooms have many potential luxury upgrades that will impact the cost of the custom home.  Consider the granite or marble countertops, fancier light fixtures, wood types and styles for cupboards, appliances – the list goes on and on.

The Big Picture – Approximate Square Foot Cost Of A Custom Built Home

For Georgian Bay and surrounding areas including Collingwood, Blue Mountain, Thornbury, Wasaga Beach, statistics show a great disparity between the square foot cost of a typical production home, and a custom-built home with upgrades and customizations.  Using the benchmark of 2,000 square feet, the cost to build a house runs from approximately $400 per square foot up to $650 per square foot.  A luxury home of the same size would cost in the range of $650 to $1200 per square foot.  That means the upgrades and special features you incorporate into your luxury dream home could double its building cost.  When you consider that the labour component is likely comparable, it means that most of the additional cost – though not all, depending on the complexity of the upgrades – will be primarily on the material side.

The following is a central Ontario-based example; the range will probably still apply in other regions of Ontario, with perhaps some increases in square foot cost related to transportation (distance) and access issues on more remote properties.

Let’s delve a little deeper now, into the individual components and details that go into the building of a custom home.  This way, you’ll know what comprises the per square foot cost. It’s important to remember, not to Rely Solely On Cost Per Square Foot When Building A House.

A Quick Lesson On Home Building – The Steps Involved In Building Your Custom Home

Whatever type of custom upgrades you are considering for your dream home in Georgian Bay and surrounding areas, the basic steps and components that go into building it are the same as any other house.  Here’s a summary of the steps that will go into building your custom home.

Applications And Acquisition Of All Permits

This is pretty standard; unless you have some really wild requirements or approvals to apply for, the costs for permits will not vary among house types.  There may be some differing costs and requirements from municipality to municipality. The approvals required include zoning, grading, septic system if not municipally serviced, the actual construction of the dwelling, plumbing and electrical systems.

Excavation And Levelling Of The Building Site

Again, this will be pretty standard, cost-wise – an obvious variable will be the size of the structure’s footprint; the bigger it is, the more digging and levelling there will be, and therefore a higher cost.

Foundation And Footings

Here’s the digging and levelling part.  The footprint of the home is created, including digging downward for the basement, putting forms in place for the foundation and building footings – the part that connects the earth to the structure.  All the requirements for plumbing and electrical are built into this phase of the construction, as per the plans and drawings. 

Following the completion of foundation and footings, an inspection will take place, to ensure everything is properly installed and meets code requirements.

Framing Of The Structure

The skeleton of your future dream home can now be erected.  This includes the flooring, walls and the roof framing.  Upon completion of the exterior walls and roof decking, usually done with plywood or oriented strand board (OSB), a house-wrap barrier is installed which prevents moisture infiltration into these newly installed components.

Once the framing is complete, all siding, exterior doors, windows and the roof can be installed.  This is an important step because it waterproofs the structure so that interior work can commence.

HVAC, Plumbing And Electrical Installation

This is when all the mechanical components of the new house are installed.  All the pipes and wires for plumbing and electrical service are put into place according to the plans and drawings.  Heating and air conditioning components are installed.  This includes:

• Drains
• Sewers
• Incoming water line connection, piping for both hot and cold water fixtures throughout the house – all taps, sinks, toilets, showers and baths
• HVAC vent piping and ductwork

There are three more inspections and approvals required upon completion of this phase – for the framing, plumbing, and electrical HVAC installations.  Once everything is approved, interior finishing work can commence.

Insulation

This is a very important step, given the climate conditions in our part of the world.  We have temperature extremes to deal with – both cold and heat – and insulation plays an essential part in helping deal with both, creating the most comfortable interior living conditions while conserving energy use.  Insulation for the walls and attic of your new dream home can include:

• Foam board panels
• Spray foam to a designated thickness
• Foam mineral wool
• Fibreglass
• Cellulose
• Insulated panels of various types

The type of insulations for the structure and the R-factor they achieve are typically worked out well in advance, as part of the plans, drawings and specifications for the project.

Interior Settings And Drywall

During this part of the process, the skeleton of your house will be covered over, and the rooms start to take shape as such.  This would include drywall and taping and any textures for fancy finishing and accents to ceilings, doorways and walls.  Upon completion of the drywall installation, a primer coating of paint can be applied, which will serve as a substrate for the final painting with custom colours.

Concurrently, exterior work can also be completed, which might include any brick, stucco or stonework remaining to be done.

Interior Trim

Now the house can be converted into its final visible form, with all the finishes.  The vision for your future home’s interior takes shape with the installation of:

• Baseboards
• Door casings
• Mouldings
• Interior doors
• Stairs and bannisters
• Window sills
• Cabinets
• Vanities
• Mantels over fireplaces
• Any other decorative trim

The prime coating of paint will now be covered with the finished coats and/or wallpaper as specified.

Driveways, Walkways, Patios

These are generally installed at the same time as interior finishes are being done.  Many builders prefer to leave driveway installation to this later stage to avoid damage from equipment and vehicles during construction; gravel pre-surfacing is generally the substrate left exposed.  Occasionally driveways will be poured and finished at an earlier stage.

Flooring, Countertops

This might include stone tile – ceramic, porcelain, granite or marble, along with kitchen counters.  Other flooring options would be wood or vinyl and broadloom carpet.

Now that driveways, walkways and patios are in place, final grading of the exterior will take place at this stage as well.

Mechanical Trim and Bathroom Fixtures

The house is just about ready for occupation.  Outlets, switches, light fixtures, electrical panels, heating and air conditioning equipment are all installed at this stage.  In bathrooms and kitchen, sinks, faucets and toilets are installed, as are mirrors and shower doors.

Exterior Landscaping

The exterior landscaping can now be done, as the grading has been completed and the water flow away from the house has been established. Landscaping items include grass (sod), shrubs, and trees, along with any other landscape features.

Before the home is certified as occupiable, a final inspection is performed, ensuring that all components were installed according to code.  This inspection is performed by a building code official – any deficiencies noted during the inspection must be corrected before approval and sign-off.

How Costs Breakdown In The Building Of Your Custom Home

As a very rough guide, here’s how the various components and stages break out as a percentage of the overall cost of construction:

• Excavation, foundation, footings, framing, rough exterior, finish exterior, roof (including soffit, fascia, eaves)  – 40-45%
• Doors and windows – 10-15%
• Electrical, plumbing, HVAC – rough and finish – 10-15%
• Insulation, drywall, paint – 10-15%
• Flooring – 10%
• Interior doors, cabinets, counters – 10%
• Deck, railings – 5%

This can only serve as a very rough guide, but you can see that the bulk of the cost of constructing a house is the mundane stuff that goes into the building of any type of house, your luxury dream home or more entry level custom craftsman home included.  There are, of course, some variables, particularly in:

• Insulation upgrades to increase R-factors and energy efficiency
• Metal roof versus traditional asphalt shingles can triple the cost of roofing
• Fixtures – upgrades can double or triple the cost of lighting, interior doors, more extensive use of woods over prefabricated materials, etc.
• Smart technologies of all types – in HVAC, electrical

Detailed Break Down Of Building A 2000 Sq.Ft Home In Ontario

This breakdown is an average cost on the low end based on design choices and build materials for a 2000 square foot custom home in Ontario. Para Builds Custom Home builders can provide a very detailed, free quote based on your design and build choices. Contact our team for more information.

So how much does a 2000 Sq. Ft Custom Build Home cost?

The table below is an average estimate in the starting range. Please remember this is an example and for an updated quote, please contact us. 

Process & Build Stage	% Of Build	Starting range
Excavation and Site Preparation – Covers all initial groundwork, including clearing the site, digging, and grading.	4	$32,000.00
Footings, Foundation, and Concrete Work – Includes all foundation-related tasks, such as forming, pouring, and setting the concrete.	4	$32,000.00
Framing and Structural Assembly – Encompasses the construction of the structural framework, including walls, floors, and roof supports.	17	$136,000.00
Roofing System Installation – Covers the complete roofing process, including underlayment, shingles, and flashing.	6	$48,000.00
Doors, Windows, and Exterior Openings – Includes all aspects of exterior openings, such as installation and sealing of doors and windows.	9	$72,000.00
Soffit, Fascia, and Gutter Installation – Encompasses all tasks related to finishing the roof edges and directing water away from the structure.	3	$24,000.00
Rough-in Electrical Systems – Covers the initial installation of electrical wiring, panels, and outlets.	3	$24,000.00
Rough-in Plumbing Systems – Includes all plumbing work before walls are closed up, such as pipes, drains, and venting.	3	$24,000.00
Rough-in HVAC Systems – Encompasses all heating, ventilation, and air conditioning ductwork and unit placements.	4	$32,000.00
Basement Floor and Subfloor Installation – Includes the preparation and installation of basement and subfloor surfaces.	2	$16,000.00
Insulation and Vapour Barrier Installation – Covers all tasks related to insulating the home and preventing moisture penetration.	5	$40,000.00
HVAC Equipment Installation – Includes the installation of heating and cooling equipment, such as furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps	2	$16,000.00
Drywall Installation and Finishing – Encompasses the hanging, taping, and finishing of drywall throughout the home.	5	$40,000.00
Interior Painting and Priming – Covers all painting tasks, including surface preparation, priming, and final coat application.	4	$32,000.00
Interior Doors, Trim, and Millwork – Includes the installation of interior doors, casings, baseboards, and other trim work.	3	$24,000.00
Flooring Installation – Encompasses all types of flooring, including hardwood, tile, carpet, and underlay.	7	$56,000.00
Cabinetry, Countertops, and Built-ins – Includes the installation of kitchen cabinets, countertops, bathroom vanities, and other built-ins	4	$32,000.00
Finish Electrical Work and Fixtures – Covers the final electrical work, including installing light fixtures, outlets, and switches.	2	$16,000.00
Finish Plumbing Work and Fixtures – Includes the installation of final plumbing fixtures, such as sinks, toilets, and faucets.	2	$16,000.00
Exterior Siding and Cladding Installation – Encompasses all work related to the exterior finish of the home, including siding, stonework, and cladding.	7	$56,000.00
Decks, Railings, and Exterior Features – Covers the construction of outdoor structures like decks, patios, railings, and stairs.	4	$32,000.00
*Totals	100	$800,000.00
*There are many factors which can affect totals. This is an average cost of building the house only, this does not include such things as engineering, septic, fill materials, septic, hook up to utilities, landscaping and other factors. The actual build can be higher or lower.

Disclaimer:

The cost breakdown provided in this guide is intended to offer a high-level estimate of the expenses associated with building a 2000 square foot home in Ontario. It is important to note that every construction project is unique, and the stages involved may vary depending on the specific requirements and complexity of your build. Additionally, the costs of materials and labour can fluctuate seasonally and may be influenced by market conditions, regional availability, and other factors beyond our control.

This guide should not be considered a definitive quotation but rather a tool to help you understand the potential costs and scope of building a home. For a more accurate and detailed estimate tailored to your individual project, we recommend consulting with a professional builder or contractor who can assess your needs and provide a comprehensive quotation based on current prices and specific project details.

Factors That Will Affect The Final Price Of The Build

1. Lot Conditions:

• Existing Structures: If there’s an existing house on the lot, demolishing it will add to the costs. The age, size, and materials used in the old structure can vary these costs.
• Treed Lot: A lot with many trees might require tree removal, which can be costly, especially if there are large, mature trees.
• Soil Conditions: The type of soil on the lot (sand, clay, rock) affects the excavation costs and foundation requirements. For instance, rocky soil might require blasting, increasing costs.

2. Foundation:

• Ground Conditions for Footings: The stability and type of ground determine the depth and type of footings needed.
• Engineering Requirements: In some cases, a structural engineer may be required to ensure the foundation is sound, adding to the costs.
• Rebar Requirement: Depending on soil conditions and design, rebar might be required for additional strength.
• Type of Foundation: The choice between block, poured, or ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) foundation can influence costs, with ICF typically being more expensive but offering better insulation.

3. Building Materials:

• Structure: Wood studs are generally cheaper than steel studs but might not offer the same durability.
• Roofing: The choice between truss or hand-cut roofing can affect labour costs. Additionally, the roof profile design, whether it’s a bungalow, split, or multi-story, can influence materials and labour costs.
• Front Door Style: A single door is typically cheaper than double doors or those with sidelights.
• Window Style: Casement windows are generally more expensive than sliders or hung windows due to their mechanism.
• Exteriors: The choice between metal or vinyl for soffits, eaves troughs, and their covers can vary costs. Metal is typically more durable but more expensive.

4. Electrical:

• Plug Points: The number and type of electrical outlets can influence costs, especially if you require many specialty plugs.
• Service Type: Overhead electrical service might be cheaper initially than underground service, but the latter is less prone to damages from storms or accidents.

5. Plumbing:

• Specialty Requirements: Custom plumbing solutions, such as for a luxury shower system or a specific kind of bathtub, can add to the costs.

6. Heating:

• Sources: The choice between electric, gas, or oil heating can affect both installation and long-term costs.
• Equipment: The type and size of heating equipment, such as boilers or furnaces, can vary costs.

7. Insulation:

• Type: Foam insulation might be more expensive than batts or blown insulation but can offer superior thermal performance.

8. Interior Finishes:

• Drywall/Backer: Specialty drywall or backers for wet areas can increase costs.
• Flooring: Hardwood or tile is typically more expensive than carpet or laminate.
• Cabinetry and Countertops: Premium materials like granite or custom cabinets can significantly increase costs.

9. Exteriors:

• Siding: Stone or brick siding is generally more expensive than vinyl or wood, but they offer a different aesthetic and durability.

10. Outdoor Features:

• Deck and Landscaping: The size and style of decks, as well as landscaping features like ponds, patios, or gardens, can greatly influence the final price.

By understanding each of these factors and their potential impact on costs, homeowners can make informed decisions that align with their budget and preferences.

Additional Upgrades Or Design Ideas In A Custom Built Home In Ontario

Now, for some custom home luxury upgrades.  Here are some examples of what are considered to be the luxury, or modern home design must-haves in a custom home nowadays.  Some of these items are not strictly construction and building-related.  These bells and whistles, however, should for the most part be factored in at the design, prior to building.  Attempting to retrofit any of these features would be difficult and, in fact, even more costly than factoring them into the new house at the design stage.

Technology and Home Automation Features

There is smart this, and there’s smart that – virtually every component in a house can be automated and made smart, from the lights to the appliances, to the alarm system, to the front doorbell. Finding the right home automation ecosystem that works for you is important and should be considered when planning your home design

Kitchen Upgrades

The word “upgrade” doesn’t quite capture it – today’s kitchen upgrades can include commercial-grade, restaurant-quality appliances, wine coolers, walk-in pantries, warming drawers.  Kitchen opulence at its most opulent.

Outdoor Cooking Station

Having a house with a knock-your-socks-off custom kitchen is not enough with today’s most luxurious custom-built homes.  The cream of the crop also includes an outdoor kitchen, complete with a cooking area – built-in gas grill, food prep area, fridge/freezer, sink, and of course, a seating area on the patio.  Needless to say, all of these amenities must sit adjacent to a pool/hot tub combo, preferably with a waterfall or other water features.

Games Room/Home Theatre

These have been around for a while, but they are getting more and more elaborate.  The sky’s the limit these days – full theatre sound and seating, indoor basketball court, bowling alley; you name it.

Exercise Room or Home Gym

Barely considered an upgrade these days, having a home gym in your basement or a specially crafted room with lots of windows and mirrors will provide you the perfect gym room in your custom home and help you create the healthy habit of getting out of your desk or office and getting the workout in each day.

Spa Bathroom

The same as you see in hotels, only you don’t have to leave home to enjoy one.  Spa bathrooms rank high on must-haves in luxury homes – towel warmers, heated floors, huge walk-in showers with a multitude of jets, and a soaker tub are just a few of the necessities of a truly opulent spa experience, right in your own house.

The True Cost Of Building Custom Home Ontario

Building a custom home in Ontario is a rewarding process that allows you to create a space that truly reflects your lifestyle and needs. From the initial planning stages to selecting materials and incorporating luxurious upgrades, each step is an opportunity to bring your vision to life. While the journey involves many decisions and considerations, the result is a home that is uniquely yours, built to stand the test of time.

Whether you’re drawn to the scenic beauty of Georgian Bay or the charming communities of Collingwood, Blue Mountain, Thornbury, and Wasaga Beach, Para Builds LTD is here to guide you every step of the way. We specialize in crafting custom homes that not only meet but exceed expectations, with a commitment to quality and attention to detail that sets us apart.

Ready to start building your dream home? Contact Para Builds LTD today for a personalized quote. Our team is dedicated to making your custom home a reality in the beautiful Georgian Bay area and beyond.