Custom Home Builder in Markham
Most people looking for a custom home builder in Markham assume there is one zoning by-law to check. There are two. Comprehensive Zoning By-law 2024-19 now covers most of the city, but properties tied to outstanding appeals still sit under the by-law that governed them before, and some projects still run under transition rules that expire in January 2027. Which set of numbers applies to your lot decides how wide, how deep and how tall the house can be, so it is the first thing we confirm.
Select Design Build is a design-build custom home builder working across Markham, from Unionville and Markham Village through Thornhill, Cornell, Berczy Village and Cachet. We read the zoning, carry the file through Committee of Adjustment where it is needed, and stay on the site through construction, which is the part where most schedules slip.
Send the address. We confirm the zone, the by-law, the trees and the established building line before anything is drawn.
Licence
HCRA licensed builder and vendor
Warranty
Homes enrolled with Tarion
Local
Serving Markham from our Oakville office, on site across York Region
Licensed to Build in Ontario
Before any Markham zoning question matters, there is a provincial one. Building a new home in Ontario requires a licence from the Home Construction Regulatory Authority, and the public Ontario Builder Directory lists every licensed builder and vendor along with their record. Checking a builder there takes two minutes and tells you whether the warranty behind your contract is real.
What the Warranty Covers
A home built under contract with a licensed builder is enrolled with Tarion before work starts. That enrolment carries a seven year warranty on construction defects with coverage up to $400,000, plus protection for your deposit if the contract ends before the house is finished. The protection follows the enrolment, not the handshake.
The Owner-Builder Route
Building for yourself, on land you own, while managing the construction yourself makes you an owner-builder, and no HCRA licence is required. The cost is that owner-built homes are not enrolled with Tarion, so none of the warranty above exists. If anyone suggests structuring your project this way, ask directly whether they hold a current builder and vendor licence.
Which Zoning By-law Applies to Your Lot
Markham spent years replacing a patchwork of forty two zoning by-laws with one document, and the result is a city where two properties on the same street can be read from two different rule books. Before design starts, three questions decide which numbers govern your project.
Is the lot covered by By-law 2024-19? Council enacted the Comprehensive Zoning By-law on January 31, 2024, and the Ontario Land Tribunal approved it city-wide on September 19, 2024, except for lands tied to site specific appeals. Those excepted lands appear greyed out on the City’s interactive zoning map and still run under their former by-law.
Which former by-law covered the property? The names read like a list of Markham’s neighbourhoods: By-law 1229 for the Village of Markham, 122-72 for Unionville, 2150 and 2237 for North and South Thornhill, 19-94 for the Buttonville core, 177-96 for everything built after 1995 including Cornell, Berczy, Wismer, Angus Glen, Box Grove and Cathedral Town. Each is repealed only on the lands where 2024-19 is fully in force, which is why some Committee of Adjustment files still list variances to both by-laws at once.
Was there a variance on this property before? A minor variance already granted by the Committee of Adjustment or the Tribunal stays alive. By-law 2024-19 is modified to the extent needed to give effect to that earlier approval, but only for the relief actually granted. If you are buying a lot with an approval attached, that approval has value.
DEADLINE
January 31, 2027
Applications that were complete before January 31, 2024 fall under the transition provisions in Section 1.7 and have to secure a building permit before that date. A 2026 amendment added a second transition layer with its own three year clock. If your project started under the old rules, the calendar is now part of the design decision.
What RES-ENLR Actually Allows
If your property was developed before 1996 and sits in the Residential Low Rise designation, By-law 2024-19 zones it RES-ENLR, short for Residential Established Neighbourhood Low Rise. The zone exists to control exterior massing rather than floor area, which is why the numbers below look different from the lot coverage and FSI rules other municipalities use.
Standard | RES-ENLR, detached dwelling |
|---|---|
Minimum lot frontage | The greater of 23.0 m or the average of the two neighbouring lots |
Minimum lot depth | The greater of 30.0 m or the average of the two neighbouring lots |
Maximum main building coverage | 30% of lot area for the first storey, 20% for any storey above |
Maximum lot coverage | 45% |
Maximum distance from the established building line | 19.5 m first storey, 14.5 m above, or the neighbouring average if greater |
Minimum front yard | The average front yard of the neighbouring lots |
Minimum rear yard | 7.5 m |
Minimum exterior side yard | 2.4 m |
Minimum interior side yard | 1.8 m, with both sides combining to the greater of 4.0 m or 25% of the frontage |
Maximum outside wall height | 7.0 m |
Maximum storeys | 2 |
Maximum garage door width | 50% of the building facade |
Garage projection past the main wall | 1.8 m |
The Established Building Line Is the Number That Surprises People
Depth is not measured from your front property line. It is measured from the established building line, the line the neighbouring houses already sit on, and the first storey can run 19.5 metres back from it while anything above the first storey stops at 14.5 metres. Where the two neighbouring houses are already deeper, you inherit their average instead. Unenclosed decks, porches, cold cellars and balconies are left out of that measurement, so an outdoor room at the back is not what pushes a design offside.
The 4.5 Metre Rule Quietly Rewrites the Design
Any part of a storey with an outside wall height above 4.5 metres counts as an extra storey, and the zone allows two. That single line rules out the double height foyer on a design that already has a full second floor. It works the other way too: a single storey house with walls under 4.5 metres gets 45 percent main building coverage instead of 30, lot coverage of 50 percent, and another 5 metres of depth from the established building line. On a wide Markham lot, a bungalow is often the larger house.
Before 1996 and After 1996: Two Different Houses
The same by-law treats established neighbourhoods and newer subdivisions differently, and the gap is wide enough to change what is worth building. Lands developed after 1996 are zoned RES-LR1 through RES-LR7 rather than RES-ENLR, and the standards are written for streets where every house went up at once.
Standard | RES-ENLR, before 1996 | RES-LR1, after 1996 |
|---|---|---|
Minimum lot frontage | 23.0 m or the neighbouring average | 18.0 m |
Minimum front yard | The neighbouring average | 3.0 m |
Minimum interior side yard | 1.8 m, combined 4.0 m or 25% of frontage | 1.2 m |
Maximum height | 7.0 m outside wall height | 12.0 m |
Maximum storeys | 2 | 3 |
Depth control | Established building line | None of this type |
A house that is built as of right in Cornell or Berczy Village would need several variances in Unionville or Markham Village. When a client compares a Markham quote against one from a newer neighbourhood, this table is usually the reason the two projects are not the same project.
The Approval Path for a Markham Custom Home
Markham custom home construction moves through the City, the Region of York and, on many lots, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. The order matters more than the paperwork, because a step taken out of sequence usually has to be taken twice.
Zoning confirmation: Establish which by-law governs the lot, the zone under it, and any exception attached to the property.
Zoning Preliminary Review: A formal staff review of preliminary drawings against the applicable by-law, at $315 for low rise residential. It tells you which variances you need before you commit to a design.
Tree permit and tree assessment: Required for any private tree 20 centimetres in diameter or larger, and construction projects also need a Tree Assessment and Preservation Plan prepared by a qualified tree expert.
Heritage permit, where it applies: Properties in the Thornhill, Markham Village, Unionville or Buttonville heritage conservation districts need a Minor or Major Heritage Permit before exterior work or demolition.
Conservation authority approval: Where any part of the lot falls inside a TRCA regulated area, a permit under the Conservation Authorities Act comes before the building permit.
Committee of Adjustment, if the design needs it: Added between zoning confirmation and the building permit, and the step that moves the timeline most.
Demolition permit: A separate permit at $758 for a single or semi-detached dwelling, and the start of every development charge clock on this page.
Building permit: Calculated on floor area, with a separate zoning review fee attached.
Region of York and school boards: Regional servicing and the regional and education shares of development charges, collected by the City on their behalf.
Inspections: Booked in sequence through construction.
The Zoning Preliminary Review at step two is the cheapest insurance on the list. If a variance is missed there and only surfaces during the building permit review, the fix is a new application to the Committee of Adjustment, at full price.
What the City Charges for a Markham Custom Home
Permit fees are the small half of the municipal bill, but they are the half you can calculate exactly. These rates come from Building By-law 2025-121 and apply to applications submitted after December 31, 2025.
Item | 2026 fee |
|---|---|
Single detached dwelling | $22.08 per m² |
Infill residential dwelling | $24.75 per m² |
Unfinished basement or foundations | $7.53 per m² |
Deck, balcony or covered porch | $151 each |
Demolition of a single or semi-detached dwelling | $758 |
Zoning Preliminary Review, low rise residential | $315 |
Zoning review, new detached dwelling | $105 |
Zoning review, infill residential dwelling | $420 |
Permit maintenance fee, infill residential permits | $2,100 |
Two lines are worth reading twice. Markham charges more per square metre for an infill dwelling than for a new house on a new lot, and it charges a $2,100 maintenance fee on infill permits that do not close. The City treats a teardown in an established neighbourhood as its own category, and prices it that way. The full schedule sits on the City’s building permit fee schedule page.
What a Minor Variance Costs in Markham
A Committee of Adjustment application asks the Committee to relax one standard for your property without rezoning it. In Markham the arithmetic is unusually one sided, because the application fee for a new house is among the highest in the region.
Application | 2026 fee |
|---|---|
Development standards, new dwelling or addition of 50 m² or more | $6,931 |
Residential small scale, under 50 m² | $2,942 |
Technical variance to correct an existing site condition | $2,412 |
Variance on a heritage property, where heritage staff request it | $0 |
The same application costs $1,361 in Mississauga and $4,303 in Oakville. Add the consultant time behind a hearing and the months it adds, and redesigning inside the zone is almost always the cheaper answer in Markham. We price both paths before anyone commits.
The Four Tests
The Planning Act gives the Committee four questions, and an application has to pass all four:
- The variance is minor.
- It is desirable for the appropriate development or use of the land.
- It maintains the general intent of the zoning by-law.
- It maintains the general intent of the Official Plan.
What the Process Asks of You
Markham requires a notice sign posted on the property at least 14 days before the hearing, so your neighbours will know. The application itself is submitted through ePLAN, and staff strongly encourage a Zoning Preliminary Review first so that every required variance is identified in one application. That advice is worth following, because a variance discovered later means starting again at $6,931.
Development Charges on a New Markham Home
Development charges are the largest municipal cost on a new house, and Markham publishes the total openly. These are the rates in effect as of July 1, 2026 for a single or semi-detached unit.
Charge | Per unit |
|---|---|
City of Markham, city-wide hard | $42,238 |
City of Markham, city-wide soft | $36,417 |
York Region, hard services | $55,479 |
York Region, general services | $29,239 |
York Region District School Board | $8,062 |
York Catholic District School Board | $872 |
Total | $172,307 |
Area specific charges apply on top of this in parts of the city, calculated per hectare, and they range from a few thousand dollars per hectare in Armadale to figures in the millions along the Yonge Steeles corridor. The GO Transit component was removed on January 1, 2026.
On a Teardown, Three Clocks Start at Once
Replacing one house with one house usually attracts a credit rather than the full charge, but each of the three authorities sets its own window, and they do not line up.
Authority | Credit rule |
|---|---|
City of Markham | Credit applies where the redevelopment occurs within 48 months of the demolition approval |
York Region | Credit equals the charges otherwise payable less the charges applicable to the demolished dwelling, with a separate schedule for derelict buildings |
Both school boards | Replacement on the same site is exempt, but only if the building permit is issued within 2 years of the demolition permit |
The school board exemption expires first, then the City credit at four years. A slow design process on a demolished lot can cost real money with no change to the house. One more detail from the Region’s own files: because the credit reflects the services the demolished house actually used, an older home on a septic system may only generate a credit for the roads and general components, not for water and wastewater.
We confirm the eligible credit with all three authorities in writing before a budget is set.
Markham's Tree Rules Reach Further Than Most
Tree Preservation By-law 2023-164 protects every private tree with a trunk 20 centimetres or more in diameter, measured 1.37 metres above the ground, and it applies regardless of the tree’s health or risk level. A dead tree still needs a permit. Mature lots in Unionville, Thornhill, Cachet and the older parts of Markham Village routinely carry several protected trees, and their root zones decide where the excavator, the bin and the material pile can sit.
What the Permit Process Involves
The tree file runs on its own schedule, and on a custom home it starts before the building permit application:
- A processing fee applies to every application: $20.50, non-refundable, effective January 16, 2026, payable within 24 hours of the City’s email or the application may be cancelled.
- Review takes 45 days: measured from the date payment is received, which is why the tree plan belongs in the first month of design, not the last.
- Construction projects need more than a permit: a Tree Assessment and Preservation Plan prepared by a qualified tree expert, and in some cases a declaration form.
- Trees on a property line need your neighbour: written consent under the Forestry Act, on the printable application form.
- High risk trees have a faster route: an expedited review, supported by a risk assessment report from a qualified arborist.
How Replacement Planting Is Calculated
Markham does not use a flat replacement ratio. Where a permit is issued and the tree is not dead, dying or hazardous, replacement planting is calculated by the Progressive Aggregate Caliper Method, which multiplies the tree’s diameter by health and structure factors, so a declining tree generates fewer replacements than a healthy one of the same size. Where a tree is removed without a permit and nothing is left to measure, compensation is calculated centimetre for centimetre with 5 centimetre caliper stock, and at a 6 to 1 ratio where the tree’s existence has to be proven from aerial photos and surveys. Fines under the by-law start at $300 and reach $100,000, and a special fine can exceed that.
Heritage Districts and the Conservation Authority
Two sets of rules sit outside the zoning by-law and can each reshape a design. Unlike Mississauga, where three conservation authorities split the city, every Markham property falls within a single authority, which at least makes the question simple to answer.
Four Heritage Conservation Districts
Thornhill, Markham Village, Unionville and Buttonville are protected under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act, and every property inside those boundaries needs a Minor or Major Heritage Permit for exterior alterations, new construction or demolition. Heritage staff can approve work that follows the district plan, which keeps straightforward files moving, but a demolition request goes to Council. Two things work in your favour here: the pre-consultation fee is waived for houses in a heritage district, and a variance requested because heritage staff asked for a historic feature carries no fee at all.
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
Markham sits entirely within TRCA jurisdiction, across the Don and Highland watersheds. Where a lot touches a valley, a creek corridor or a regulated flood plain, a TRCA permit is required before any work starts, and grading and drainage get closer review. The City identifies flood vulnerable areas including the Unionville core along Berczy Creek, the Rouge near Highway 7 and Main Street Unionville, and Robinson Creek south of Bullock. In the Special Policy Area, some accessory forms such as garden suites are not permitted at all.
Building Across Markham's Neighbourhoods
Two lots a few kilometres apart can face completely different approvals, and in Markham the dividing line is usually the year the street was built. The pattern by area:
Unionville
A heritage conservation district, RES-ENLR zoning, and a flood vulnerable core along Berczy Creek. The most constrained combination in the city.
Markham Village
Heritage district rules plus established building line depth limits on older, irregular lots.
Thornhill
Heritage district in the village core, with mature canopy and narrow frontages on the surrounding streets.
Buttonville
A heritage conservation district with a small core and a mix of older lots around it.
Cachet and Angus Glen
Larger lots where tree preservation and grading drive the site plan more than setbacks do.
Cornell, Berczy and Wismer
Post 1996 subdivisions under the RES-LR zones, where lot size and garage standards are the questions that matter.
We also build in Milliken Mills, Box Grove, Cathedral Town, Greensborough, Victoria Square, Raymerville and Bayview Fairways.
Recent Custom Homes Across the GTA
A selection of recent custom homes we have designed and built across Toronto.
How do I find out which zoning by-law applies to my Markham property?
Check the City’s interactive zoning map first. Properties shown in colour are covered by By-law 2024-19; greyed out areas are tied to site specific appeals and still run under a former by-law such as 1229, 122-72 or 177-96. A Zoning Search through the City confirms it in writing, and we do this before design starts.
What is the established building line and why does it limit my house?
It is the line the neighbouring houses already sit on. In the RES-ENLR zone the first storey can extend 19.5 metres behind it and anything above the first storey stops at 14.5 metres, or the neighbouring average where that is greater. It is a depth limit measured from your street’s pattern rather than from your property line.
Can I build a three storey house in an established Markham neighbourhood?
Not in RES-ENLR. The zone allows two storeys with a maximum outside wall height of 7.0 metres, and any portion of a storey with walls above 4.5 metres counts as an extra storey. Three storeys are permitted in some of the post 1996 RES-LR zones.
How much is a minor variance in Markham?
The 2026 fee is $6,931 for a new dwelling or an addition of 50 square metres or more, $2,942 for smaller residential work, and $2,412 for a technical variance correcting an existing site condition. A variance requested because heritage staff asked for a historic feature carries no fee.
Will I pay development charges if I tear down and rebuild?
Usually a credit applies rather than the full $172,307. The City’s credit requires redevelopment within 48 months of the demolition approval, the Region calculates its credit from the services the demolished house used, and the school board exemption expires two years after the demolition permit. We confirm all three in writing before budgeting.
Do I need a permit to remove a dead tree in Markham?
Yes. By-law 2023-164 requires a permit for any private tree 20 centimetres or more in diameter regardless of its health or risk level. Replacement planting is generally not required for a tree confirmed as dead, dying or hazardous, but the permit still is.
My property is in Unionville. What extra approvals should I expect?
Most likely three: a heritage permit because Unionville is a heritage conservation district, a tree permit for the mature canopy, and possibly a TRCA permit if the lot sits near Berczy Creek or the flood vulnerable core. We map all three on the first site visit.
Send us the address. We confirm which zoning by-law governs the lot, what the established building line allows, which trees are protected, and whether the design needs the Committee of Adjustment, before anything is drawn.
