Grand Design Build1558 Avenue Rd
Menu
Discuss your project

Guildwood / Toronto

Custom Home Builders in Guildwood

Compare a renovation, addition and new home around the same household priorities.

Send us the property details and the work you have in mind. We can discuss the design, scope and next planning steps.

Discuss your project
Two adjoining modern homes with pale masonry, dark panels and a paved driveway
Exterior design reference

Renovations, additions and custom homes

How should an addition respond to the existing roofline and landscape?

The 2026 Guildwood Village guidance discusses horizontal roof forms, front entrances, windows and landscaped yards. Check its study area against the site and compare a proposed upper storey with the existing house and neighbouring context. Zoning permissions require their own review.

For a house project, begin with the parts worth retaining: useful rooms, structure, entrances and the connection to the yard. Compare an internal renovation, an addition and a replacement home against the same household priorities before fixing the scope.

Local housing context / 2021

Guildwood housing, in the 2021 Census

The City’s Guildwood profile records single-detached homes as its largest structural category, at 55.1%. The largest construction-period category covers dwellings originally completed from 1961 to 1980. These are separate measures of the area’s housing.

55.1%

Single-detached dwellings

2,165 of 3,930 occupied private dwellings in the structural-type group.

52.5%

Originally built from 1961 to 1980

2,065 of 3,935 occupied private dwellings in the construction-period group.

Bring the current survey, measured plans and records of later alterations. Use them to identify which parts of the existing home the proposed work would retain or change.

Source: City of Toronto Neighbourhood Profiles, 2021, Guildwood (140). Each measure uses its own published total; rounded counts may differ. These area figures do not establish what can be built at an individual address. View the source workbook.

Official neighbourhood reference: Guildwood (140). Use the City’s address lookup to select the correct profile.

Before the scope is fixed

A property brief for the options you are comparing

Set a retained-house option beside the new-build option

Use the same room list for each design. Identify the parts that remain, the new connections and the outdoor space retained. This makes the decision about practical use and site fit before it becomes a choice of exterior style.

Check the records for the actual building

The largest original-construction group in the Guildwood profile is 1961 to 1980, at 52.5%. That date refers to original completion. Identify subsequent additions and internal changes so the design reflects the current building and available records.

How should an addition respond to the existing roofline and landscape?

Bring a marked address map and the relevant extract from Guildwood Village Neighbourhood Character Guidelines, July 2026. Ask which parts of the document are relevant to the intended work and record any property-level questions that still need a response.

Show how the proposed work reaches the rest of the property

Mark the current stairs, side or rear access, garden connections and any structures that would remain. For an addition or separate-suite option, include the space required around the proposed work in the initial comparison, subject to the property review.

For the property and proposal, the City’s preliminary zoning review information explains the available review routes.

Sources: Find the official neighbourhood for your address · Guildwood Village Neighbourhood Character Guidelines, July 2026

What we do

Six services, shaped around your project

How the work moves forward

From the first conversation to handover.

Work through the property, scope and decisions before construction. Keep responsibilities and changes recorded as the project progresses.

Discuss your project
  1. Discuss how you want to live

    Start with what works, what does not and the changes that matter most to your household.

  2. Review the existing house

    Assess the layout, structure and relevant site conditions before developing the renovation approach.

  3. Develop the design and scope

    Coordinate the rooms, structural approach, services and finishes. Review inclusions, exclusions and responsibilities before construction.

  4. Prepare the approval work

    Coordinate the drawings and applications required within the agreed scope, including a Committee of Adjustment application where needed. Allow for review comments and further information. The proposal identifies how City fees, Committee fees and survey costs are handled.

  5. Manage the construction

    Sequence the work and trades around the project plan. Keep decisions and changes documented, with updates through the project coordinator.

  6. Review and hand over

    Walk through the finished work, record outstanding items and agree the follow-up. Confirm the applicable closeout and warranty documents.

Planning questions

Guildwood project questions

How do I compare renovating with rebuilding?

Start with the current layout, the changes you need and a review of the building. Compare the work retained in each option, the new floor area proposed and the decisions still unresolved. The neighbourhood’s mix of homes does not establish the right answer for your property.

How should I use the Guildwood housing profile for my project?

Treat it as a dated description of the official area, then verify the property itself. The 2021 profile separates dwelling form from original construction period; it does not show the condition or permissions of your home. Start with the address, existing plans and the changes you need.

Find the official neighbourhood for your address

What local documents should I bring to the first project review?

Start with the survey, existing plans and any previous approvals. Add the relevant map or extract from Guildwood Village Neighbourhood Character Guidelines, July 2026 if the address falls within its scope. Mark anything that still needs confirmation so it can be resolved alongside the room and construction brief.

Open the City planning reference

What should be checked before planning an addition?

Start with the current survey, existing building and rooms you want to add. The review needs to address the proposed size, placement and relationship to the existing home. The City’s preliminary zoning review information explains how the property and proposal can be checked.

Read the City’s zoning review information

Toronto

Explore more neighbourhood profiles

View all service areas

Start with your home

Tell us what you want to change

Share the address and the work you have in mind. We can discuss whether the project is a fit and what information will help with the next planning step.