Toronto now offers free fourplex and sixplex designs: what to check before you buy or build
The City's pre-approved plans program has expanded from garden suites to fourplexes and sixplexes. Here's what the plans do (and don't) change, and how to read the permit trail on a lot where one shows up.
On October 2, 2026, the City of Toronto expanded its Pre-Approved Building Plans Program to cover fourplexes and sixplexes. The free designs build on the City's existing plans for garden and laneway suites, and come in versions for both wide and narrow lots.
This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your own project with Toronto Building before you start.
What the plans are (and aren't)
According to the City, the designs meet the Ontario Building Code and include options for sustainable features, bicycle parking and waste storage. An architectural firm chosen through a competitive procurement process created them, with accessibility, climate resilience, cost and ease of construction as core goals.
What they are not is a permit. An owner still has to:
- Hire a qualified design professional, who takes responsibility for the design and prepares the site-specific drawings for the property.
- Submit a building permit application, which goes through the City's normal review.
- Meet zoning for the lot. Per the City, fourplexes are permitted city-wide, while sixplexes depend on location.
A free design saves on architecture fees. It doesn't skip the permit, the inspections, or the zoning check.
Why it matters for neighbours
If a proposed multiplex meets zoning, the City says owners can apply for a building permit without going to the Committee of Adjustment. That's the same as-of-right path we covered in the sixplex next door won't send you a notice: no rezoning sign, no community meeting, no mailed notice. Pre-approved plans make that path cheaper and faster to start, so expect more of these applications, not fewer.
Why it matters for buyers
If you're looking at a house on a lot that could take a multiplex, the listing might hint at "development potential." The record tells you what has actually happened:
- A new-build or demolition permit at the address signals real plans, not just potential.
- An issued permit means work can begin; under review means it's still some way off.
- Open orders or violations from earlier work stay with the property, so check them before you offer (see what an open work order means).
- Nearby permits show whether the street is already changing, which affects construction noise, parking and tenant turnover.
Those same details matter if you're buying into a finished multiplex: a closed permit means the work was inspected; one that was opened and never closed is a question for your lawyer. Our guide to reading a building permit explains the status fields.
Check the address
Pull the permit history and any orders and violations for the lot you're eyeing, then scan nearby development applications for the larger projects that do go through planning. Monitor the address and a new permit on your street lands in your inbox before the excavator arrives.
Sources: City of Toronto, City of Toronto introduces pre-approved multiplex designs (October 2, 2026); plans at toronto.ca/PreApprovedPlans.