Tips for Buying Land to Build a House On (GTA Edition)

Picture this: you find a beautiful lot with mature trees, a quiet street, and the perfect spot where your future living room could catch the afternoon sun. It looks ideal, yet beneath the surface are the rules, services, soils, and approvals that decide whether your dream home actually fits, and at what cost. Buying land in the GTA is as much about purchasing permission as it is about purchasing property. The smartest buyers treat the process like a well-sequenced project, testing assumptions early, and turning uncertainty into clear, buildable steps.

The goal is simple—avoid costly surprises, protect your budget, and shorten your timeline from offer to occupancy. With careful due diligence, the right professionals, and a clear plan, you can move from possibility to a home that truly serves your lifestyle.

Start with the end in mind

Decide your build path before you write an offer. If you plan to hire a licensed builder and designer, engage them now to review the lot, the zoning, and the rough budget. If you intend to act as an owner-builder for a primary residence, understand your responsibilities under Ontario’s regulatory framework, and confirm how those choices affect warranties, permits, and resale strategy. This one decision influences everything from financing and insurance to your construction schedule and risk tolerance.

Budget beyond the sticker price of the land. In addition to closing costs, plan for surveying, architectural and engineering design, grading and drainage plans, geotechnical and hydrogeological studies where needed, municipal application fees, building permits, and development charges. A realistic budget also accounts for tree protection or replacement, utility connections, temporary services, driveway and entrance approvals, and contingency for rocky soils or high water tables. Price the full journey, not just the first step.

Zoning, lot fit, and “can I build what I want?”

Zoning dictates what will actually fit on the lot. Confirm the property’s zoning and any site-specific exceptions, then translate those rules into a buildable envelope with setbacks, height limits, lot coverage, and maximum building depth. Two lots with the same area can yield very different homes once all standards are applied. If you are targeting a particular architectural style or square footage, have your designer sketch a quick massing study to prove the concept against the by-law before you firm up.

Order a recent survey from an Ontario Land Surveyor if one is not available. A precise survey reveals boundaries, encroachments, easements, and rights-of-way that can quietly shrink your building area. Where timing allows, request a preliminary zoning review from the municipality to flag issues early. Turning assumptions into written confirmations is how you de-risk an offer.

Protected, regulated, and “look twice” areas

Conservation authority lands and floodplains

Large parts of the GTA fall under conservation authority regulation. If the lot is in a regulated area (valley, watercourse, floodplain, or wetland), you will likely need written permission for development and site alteration—in addition to your municipal building permit. Check early with the relevant authority (TRCA, CVC, LSRCA, etc.).

Toronto ravines and trees

In Toronto, work in ravine-protected areas, or involving protected trees, needs its own permit stream separate from building permits. Map your address against the Ravine and Natural Feature Protection layer, and factor tree protection and replacement into budget and timelines.

Oak Ridges Moraine and Niagara Escarpment

If your target lot is on the Oak Ridges Moraine or within the Niagara Escarpment control area, expect additional land-use restrictions and, in many cases, a separate development permit process.

Services, access, and site engineering

Municipal services vs. private systems

• On sewers and municipal water: confirm availability, connection points, and fees with the city, and ask your designer about required grading and drainage plans (often reviewed before permit). Toronto and neighbouring cities publish step-by-step permit guides for new houses.
  
  

• On wells and septic: you must meet Ontario Building Code (OBC) Part 8 setbacks and capacity. As a rule of thumb, keep septic systems at least 15 metres from wells and open water, and site wells upslope, outside floodplains, and away from potential contamination sources. Your local public health unit or building department will confirm standards during permit.
  
  

Road access and entrances

• Lots on or near provincial highways may require Ministry of Transportation (MTO) land-use/access permits for entrances, grading, or building within the highway corridor. Check the MTO’s corridor management rules early.
  
  

Before you dig—ever

After closing and before any excavation, submit a free locate request through Ontario One Call. It is the law to obtain locates to protect underground infrastructure, yourself, and your contractors.

Smart due diligence to write into your offer

Make your offer conditional on:

• Zoning and official plan compliance (obtain confirmation in writing).
  
  

• Survey (updated) and title free of surprise easements/ROWs.
  
  

• Environmental screening where appropriate. For properties with industrial, commercial, or agricultural histories, order a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment to the CSA Z768 standard; if changing to a more sensitive use (e.g., residential), you may be required to file a Record of Site Condition under O. Reg. 153/04.
  
  

• Soils and groundwater: geotechnical and hydrogeological studies can confirm bearing capacity, seasonal high water, well yield, and septic suitability. (Your municipality or conservation authority may require these for the permit.)

Approvals: the usual sequence

Most successful projects follow a predictable order. 

• Concept + zoning review with your designer/planner.
  
  

• Conservation authority screening (if regulated).
  
  

• Engineering and studies (grading, servicing, geotech, hydro-geo).
  
  

• Building permit application to the municipality (Toronto, Vaughan, Mississauga publish clear checklists).
  
  

• Tree, ravine, and entrance permits as applicable.
  
  

• Development charges and fees are typically paid before permit issuance. Confirm the current rate, and any exemptions or deferrals that may apply.

Financing, taxes, and rebates (what to ask your lender and accountant)

• Financing land vs. construction: lenders treat vacant land differently from build mortgages. Ask about down payment expectations, interest-only during build, draw schedules, and conditions tied to permits or appraisals.
  
  

• HST on land: the sale of vacant land can be exempt when sold by an individual for personal use, but taxable in other cases (e.g., business use, multiple lot subdivisions). Have your lawyer confirm the GST/HST status for your specific deal using CRA guidance.
  
  

• HST New Housing Rebate: if you build a new primary residence, you may be eligible for federal and Ontario new housing rebates (owner-built or builder-built), subject to CRA criteria and forms.

GTA red flags that deserve extra scrutiny

• Green, ravine, or flood-susceptible lands (added permits, design limits, build restrictions).
  
  

• Oak Ridges Moraine / Niagara Escarpment parcels (strict land-use controls, special permits).
  
  

• Highway frontage that triggers MTO corridor permits.
  
  

• Lots requiring wells and septic without space to meet OBC setbacks, or with poor soils.
  
  

• Assumptions about “as-of-right” size—zoning may cap depth, length, and coverage more than you expect.

The bottom line

Buying land to build in the GTA rewards curiosity, patience, and rigour. When you validate zoning, account for protected features, plan servicing, and structure the right studies and approvals in the right order, you turn uncertainty into a clear path from offer to keys. The result is not just a lot that looks great, but a home that fits, functions, and closes on time.

The key is to work with a team that has done this before. Meet The Johnson Team — known for their strong reputation and unparalleled market knowledge. Whether you are hunting for an infill lot in the city, or acreage at the edge of the Moraine, we will help you source buildable opportunities, coordinate due diligence with trusted surveyors, planners, and builders, and guide you from offer to occupancy. If you are ready to move from raw land to a home you love, contact The Johnson Team to start working with an agent right away.