Canadian Land Development
In-depth articles on development charges, construction costs, permits, financing, and feasibility — for Canadian land developers.
Development charges can add $20,000 to $140,000 per unit to your project cost, and most feasibility models get them wrong. Here's how DCs work across Canada and how to budget for them.
Toronto has some of the highest development charges in North America. This guide breaks down current DC rates for Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, and how they affect project economics.
Hard construction costs in Canada range from $175/sqft in Atlantic cities to over $430/sqft in Vancouver. Here's how to read $/sqft benchmarks and use them in your feasibility model.
Approval delays in Ontario can cost developers hundreds of thousands in carrying costs. Here's a realistic guide to permit timelines by city and how to model their cost impact.
CMHC MLI Select can give rental developers 95% LTV, 50-year amortization, and a 50% premium discount, but you need to score at least 50 points across three pillars. Here's exactly how it works.
Most early-stage feasibility studies miss at least one major cost category. Here are the four costs that consistently blow up Canadian development budgets, and how to model them correctly.
Statistics Canada's BCPI tracks quarterly construction cost changes across 16 Canadian cities. Here's how to read it, what recent trends mean for your project, and how to apply it in feasibility.
A rental development pro forma is fundamentally different from a for-sale condo model. Here's a step-by-step guide covering NOI, cap rates, debt sizing, CMHC MLI Select, and the return metrics that matter.
Ottawa revised its DC by-law in 2025, bringing significant rate increases for residential and ICI development. Here's what you need to know before budgeting your next project in the National Capital Region.
BC construction costs have climbed sharply since 2020. From Metro Vancouver wood-frame to cast-in-place concrete towers in Victoria, here are the 2026 benchmarks you need for accurate feasibility modelling.
Brampton and Vaughan are two of the highest-volume development markets in Canada, and two of the highest-DC municipalities. Here's how Peel Region and York Region charges stack up in 2026.
Soft costs are the hidden budget killers in Canadian development, architecture, engineering, permits, environmental studies, legal fees, and a dozen other items that can add 15–25% to your hard construction budget before a single trade is on site.