Guide to Secondary suite in Vaughan, Ontario.
What is a secondary suite?
A secondary suite is a self-contained unit within a house. It has its own kitchen, bathroom and separate entrance. Most secondary suites, especially in Vaughan, are basement units. These units can serve as an in-law suite or a rental unit. With rents increasing in Vaughan, it can be a lucrative investment.
Secondary suites in Vaughan require compliance with bylaws from the City of Vaughan as well as Building Codes from the Province of Ontario. We have summarized both below. This guide is meant for the homeowner that wants to know the amount of work required. However, you will need licensed professionals (engineers, contractors, plumbers, etc.) to prepare the drawings and do the work.
The Process
Prepare drawings that indicate the proposed construction details and demonstrate compliance with the Ontario Building Code. These drawings must be prepared by an architect, engineer or designer under the Ontario Building Code.
Submit a building permit application with the drawing to the Building Standards department
Once signed off and the permit is issued, building inspectors will be required to inspect the work at different stages of construction. It’s important to know when to check with the city of Vaughan. If your contractor puts up a drywall before the inspection is complete, they will need to remove the drywall for the inspector before they can sign off.
The Contractor
The City of Vaughan requires all renovators/contractors to have a City of Vaughan business license to work in Vaughan.
Ask your renovator or contractor if they are licensed or contact the City to verify their license status before hiring them.
Building inspections
As mentioned earlier, building inspectors from the city of Vaughan must review work at various stages during construction.
They will need to check framing, insulation, plumbing, interior finishes and other items as outlined in the Building Code. Make sure to confirm with your inspector what needs to be inspected.
If your contractor or project manager is familiar with the permitting process, they will know when to contact the inspector. However, as a homeowner, it would be prudent to understand when inspections are required so that you can follow up with your contractor.
Age of House
Different Building Code rules apply depending on the age of your house
If your house is more than five years old, it is classified as an existing house and you have more flexibility under the Building Code when you make renovations. This guide is for houses more than five years old.
If your house is less than five years old, then it is classified as a new building and have different requirements.
Eligible property
Secondary suites are only allowed in specific single detached, semi-detached and street townhomes.
Only one secondary suite unit is allowed in each eligible house.
The lot must have a minimum frontage of 9 metres or 29.53 feet.
A secondary suite may occupy up to 45% of the gross floor area of the house
Minimum size of the secondary suite is 35 square metres or 377 sq feet.
Secondary suites are not allowed:
in an attached or detached garage.
in another building on the property not attached to the house.
in dwellings used for a bed and breakfast, home occupation, a private home tutor, a private home daycare or a group home.
within a floodplain.
in the Woodbridge Special Policy Area (grey areas in map below)
Parking
At least three parking spaces are required
The parking spaces must be located on a properly surfaced driveway or garage or carport and cannot include parking on the street.
Location
You can build a second unit in any part of your house. It can be all on one floor or on multiple levels. Most second units are built in the basement, especially given some of the requirements.
Building Code rules can vary depending on where the second unit is located in your house.
Entrance
A secondary suite must be accessed through a separate entrance located on the side or rear wall of a dwelling or through a common indoor vestibule.
The entrance must be accessible from the street by an unobstructed hard landscaped surface walkway measuring a minimum of 1.2m or 3.94 feet in width, or a driveway
The entrance cannot be located on the same wall or facade as the entrance to the main dwelling.
Smoke and Carbon monoxide alarms
Smoke alarms must be connected to each other so that when one alarm sounds, they all do.
Carbon monoxide alarms must be installed outside all sleeping areas in each unit.
Smoke alarms must be located:
on every level of a house
outside sleeping areas (which, depending on the layout of a floor, can also count as the smoke alarm for that level)
in each bedroom in the second unit
in common areas of the house shared by occupants of both units, such as entrances and laundry rooms
Fire Safety
When adding a second unit, the Building Code requires a 30-minute fire separation between units, and between units and common areas.
You are required to make a 30-minute fire separation between the units. This would mean the floor and/or walls between the secondary suite and primary dwelling will need some type of fire insulation.
A fire separation can be reduced to 15 minutes if the entire house has interconnected smoke alarms.
Units built before and after July 14, 1994
A secondary suite built after July 14, 1994, must comply with the Ontario Building Code.
If a secondary suite was built before July 14, 1994, the homeowner must arrange for a fire code inspection from the Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service. After the inspection, Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service will identify any required upgrades.
Room Sizes
The general minimum sizes for rooms and spaces are described in the table below.
| Room | Minimum required floor area |
|---|---|
| Living Area | 145 sq ft or 13.5 sq m |
| Dining Area | 75 sq ft or 7 sq m |
| Kitchen | 45.2 sq ft or 4.2 sq m |
| Combined living, dining and kitchen areas in a one bedroom unit | 118 sq ft or 11 sq m |
| Master bedroom (without built in closet) | 95 sq ft or 9.8 sq m |
| Other bedrooms (without built in closet) | 75 sq ft or 7 sq m |
| Bathroom | Sufficient space for sink, toilet and shower stall or bath |
| Combined sleeping, living and dining areas and kitchen space | 145 sq ft or 13.5 sq m |
Ceiling heights
A basement second unit requires a minimum ceiling height of 1.95 m or 6’ 4¾” over the entire required floor area, including the route inside the unit leading to the exit.
Windows
Some windows in secondary suites can be used as another way to exit a second unit. Please see the section on exits.
Minimum window sizes where the window is not being used as an exit are described in the table below.
| Room | Minimum required window area |
|---|---|
| Living and dining rooms | 5% of the floor area |
| Bedrooms | 2.5% of the floor area |
| Laundry room, kitchen and bathrom | Windows not required |
Plumbing
Your second unit will need, at a minimum:
a hot and cold water supply
a sink, bathtub or shower, toilet, or a drainless composting toilet in the bathroom
a kitchen sink
access to laundry facilities, which may be provided in a shared laundry room or a separate laundry area in the second unit
The work must be done by a qualified plumber.
Second units must also have their own separate water shut-off valves which allow plumbing work or repairs to be done in one unit without affecting the other.
If your house is in an area that often has flooding or sewer backup, you may need to install a backwater valve to prevent the sewage in municipal drain pipes from entering floor drains and plumbing fixtures.
Heating and ventilation
You are allowed to have a single furnace and a common system of air ducts. But for fire safety, you will have to install a special type of smoke detector in the main supply or return air ducts. This device will turn off the fuel supply and electrical power to the furnace causing it to shut down and prevent the spread of smoke from one unit to the other.
Ventilation is also required for the bathroom and kitchen through a ceiling exhaust fan or a window that opens to the outside.
Electrical
You are required to have:
a light and switch in every room and space of your secondary suite
a switch at both the top and bottom of the stairs
You will need to get an electrical permit to do the electrical work and it will require an inspection by the ESA.
Exits
The secondary suite requires a separate exit. But if that is not possible:
a common exit for both units in your house is allowed if the exit area has a 30-minute fire separation and contains smoke alarms that are interconnected to both units
in cases where the exit from one unit leads through another unit, a second means of escape must be provided by using a window
windows that may be needed in an emergency as a second means of escape must be large enough for a person to get through and be easy to open without the use of tools
