Practice 04 · Custom Homes & ARUs

From bare lot to keys in hand — or a full backyard suite.

Custom new builds, teardown rebuilds, and the new wave of laneway, garden, and coach houses that Ottawa just opened up across the city.

✓ Tarion-enrolled new builds ✓ Architect partnerships ✓ Construction financing guidance
"A house should feel inevitable —
like it couldn't have been built any other way."
What we build

Four custom-build paths.

Custom New Builds (bare lot)

You bring the lot, we deliver the home. Architect + designer + builder under one contract. Tarion-enrolled, energy-modelled, Passive-House-capable if you want it.

Typical: $700K–$2.5M · 10–14 months

Teardown Rebuilds

Buy a tired bungalow in the neighbourhood you love. Tear it down, build the home you actually want, keep the location. Demo + build + permits, all one contract.

Typical: $850K–$2M+ · 11–14 months

Laneway & Garden Suites (ARUs)

Detached secondary unit in your backyard. Now allowed citywide on most Ottawa lots under the updated zoning. Rental income, multigenerational, or just office space.

Typical: $300K–$450K · 5–6 months

Coach Houses & Above-Garage Suites

Add a self-contained unit above an attached or detached garage. Excellent for in-laws or rental — keeps the principal residence intact.

Typical: $260K–$400K · 4–6 months

The ARU opportunity

Ottawa just opened the door on backyard suites.

The city's updated zoning bylaw permits up to three units per residential lot in most neighbourhoods — your principal home + a basement suite + a detached ARU.

For homeowners with a deep lot and a mortgage they want help paying, this is genuinely the most leveraged real-estate move you can make in 2026 Ottawa.

Typical numbers: $380K build cost. $2,500–$3,200/mo rent. Roughly a 9% gross yield on cost, plus property appreciation on the bigger asset base.

Talk to us about an ARU

What you need on your lot

  • Minimum lot depth (varies by ward)
  • Separate entrance/path
  • Servicing (water, sewer, electrical)
  • Setbacks to property lines

What we handle

  • Zoning review + minor variance if needed
  • Architect drawings
  • Permit submission + inspections
  • Servicing + utilities
  • Full build to occupancy
Let's design it

Custom builds start with a vision meeting.

One 90-minute conversation. No deposit. We'll tell you whether your dream and your budget can meet in the middle, and what it would take to get there.

Book a Vision Meeting