City of Toronto · Service area
General Contractor in Etobicoke
Kingsway Tudors, Alderwood bungalows, Long Branch infill lots and Rexdale semis, planned around Toronto’s zoning, tree and ravine rules.
Etobicoke has been part of the City of Toronto since 1998, so every project here runs on Toronto rules: Zoning By-law 569-2013, the private tree by-law and the Etobicoke York Committee of Adjustment. Permits go to Toronto Building at 399 The West Mall, where CarpentryBoys Inc., a general contractor, files for Etobicoke homes and businesses.
Renovating in Etobicoke
What’s different in Etobicoke
| Permit office | Toronto Building, Etobicoke York District (City of Toronto) (official site, opens in a new tab) |
|---|---|
| Zoning by-law | Toronto’s city-wide By-law 569-2013. Variances go to the Etobicoke York panel of the Committee of Adjustment. |
| Extra units | Up to 4 units per house since May 2023. No second-unit registration, and no parking space required since December 2021. |
| Garden suites | Footprint the lesser of 40% of the rear yard or 60 m². At least 1.5 m from the rear lot line. |
| Protected trees | Permit to injure or remove a private tree of 30 cm or more (Chapter 813). Any size inside mapped ravines (Chapter 658). |
| Conservation authority | TRCA along the Humber River, Mimico Creek, Etobicoke Creek and the lakeshore. |
| Flood subsidy | Toronto pays up to $6,650 per property for backwater valves, sump pumps and drain severance. |
| Character guidelines | Long Branch Neighbourhood Character Guidelines (2018) steer severances and variances in Long Branch. |
Housing stock
Lakeshore cottages, Kingsway Tudors and post-war suburbs
Mimico, New Toronto and Long Branch were built first, mostly between the 1910s and the 1940s. Long Branch began as a summer cottage community, and many of its houses are winterized cottages on shallow foundations. Lots there run 7.5 to 15 m wide, and many 15 m lots have been severed in two. North of the Queensway, The Kingsway has 1920s to 1940s Tudor Revival and Georgian houses with plaster walls and big trees. Alderwood, Eatonville, Richview and Markland Wood filled in after the war with bungalows, side-splits and back-splits on block foundations. Rexdale, Thistletown and Kingsview Village followed from the late 1950s to the 1970s with semis, raised bungalows and townhouses. At the lake, Humber Bay Shores adds condo towers, where the corporation’s rules decide most of the work.
Neighbourhoods we work in: The Kingsway · Humber Valley Village · Alderwood · Long Branch · Rexdale and Thistletown · Humber Bay Shores
Nearby: Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville
Services in Etobicoke
Nine services, each with its own local page
Frequently asked questions
Renovating in Etobicoke: local questions
No. Toronto runs no registration or licensing program for a second unit in a house. The legal record is a Toronto Building permit and a passed final inspection. Toronto Fire Services can still inspect a rented unit under the Ontario Fire Code, and zoning has allowed up to four units in an Etobicoke house since 2023. Keep the permit, inspection records and ESA certificate together, because buyers, lenders and insurers ask for them.
Up to $6,650 per property for eligible work completed on or after November 12, 2025, at up to 80% of the invoiced cost. That covers up to $500 for a plumbing assessment, $1,600 per backwater valve with alarm (two at most), $2,250 for a sump pump with alarm, $300 for battery backup and $400 for severing a foundation drain. You must own a house with up to four units and apply within two years.
When any part of the work falls inside TRCA’s regulated area: flood plains, valley slopes and an allowance beyond them along Etobicoke’s three river valleys and the lakeshore. Under Ontario Regulation 41/24, the TRCA permit comes before Toronto Building can issue the building permit. Basement finishes are rarely affected. Additions, garden suites, decks and rebuilds on valley lots can be. Allow four to eight weeks for the review.
Reviews from CarpentryBoys clients near Etobicoke
03 / In our clients’ words
“Very professional, hard working they know their job very well. They built our legal basement, we are totally satisfied with their work. Highly recommended.”
Rated 5.0 out of 5 across 13 customer reviews on Bark.com
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