Straight answers
What is the difference between a laneway home and a garden suite?
Both are self-contained backyard homes on a lot with an existing house. A laneway home fronts onto a rear lane; a garden suite sits in a backyard without lane access. Municipal programs treat them slightly differently, but the construction is the same, and so is the value they add.
01 — The longer answer
How the naming shifts from city to city
The naming shifts city by city: Kelowna says carriage house, Surrey says garden suite, and Toronto runs separate laneway-suite and garden-suite programs with different siting rules but similar intent.
The practical test: if your lot backs onto a public lane, you are likely in laneway territory; if not, the garden-suite rules apply. We confirm which fits your address as part of a free feasibility review.
02 — Where to go next
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