01Municipal charges
Development charges, honestly labelled
Municipal charges are the largest soft-cost line most early budgets miss entirely. Below is everything Buildlor holds, with the bylaw citation and whether we have verified it. Nothing here is a fee quote.
02What we hold
| Municipality | Use class | Charge | Citation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary | non-residential | $12/sf | City of Calgary Off-Site Levy Bylaw 2M2024 | Unverified seed |
| Edmonton | non-residential | $10/sf | City of Edmonton Arterial Roads and Sanitary Servicing Bylaws | Unverified seed |
| Hamilton | non-residential | $22/sf | City of Hamilton Development Charges By-law 24-104 | Unverified seed |
| Montreal | non-residential | $6/sf | Ville de Montreal parks and infrastructure contributions | Unverified seed |
| Ottawa | non-residential | $27/sf | City of Ottawa Development Charges By-law 2024-166 | Unverified seed |
| Toronto | non-residential | $38/sf | City of Toronto Development Charges By-law 1347-2022 (as amended) | Unverified seed |
| Toronto | multi-residential | $52,000/unit | City of Toronto Development Charges By-law 1347-2022 (as amended) | Unverified seed |
| Vancouver | non-residential | $24/sf | City of Vancouver Development Cost Levy By-law | Unverified seed |
0 of 8 rows verified against the bylaw. Unverified rows are excluded from the default cost stack.
How these figures were produced
- Baseline seed — A documented starting estimate awaiting first observation. Treat as an order-of-magnitude figure only.
03Why it matters
Charges are set at permit, not indexed
Development charges are fixed by the schedule in force when the permit is issued, which makes them one of the few lines in a construction budget that does not escalate with the market — and one of the few that can jump overnight when a council passes a new bylaw.
Because they are levied per square foot on non-residential work and per unit on residential work, they hit small commercial buildings and small-unit apartment buildings hardest. On a low-rise rental building in a high-charge Ontario municipality, charges can exceed the entire soft-cost allowance.
The Cost Stack Builder treats charges as their own line, excluded from escalation and included in the contingency base, so you can see exactly what the municipality is adding to your budget.
04Questions
What is a development charge?
A municipal charge levied at building permit to fund growth-related infrastructure: roads, water, sewer, transit and community services. In Ontario it is authorised by the Development Charges Act; in British Columbia the equivalent is a development cost charge or levy, and in Alberta an off-site levy.
Why are some rows marked unverified?
Because we have not yet checked them line by line against the municipality's current schedule. An unverified row is a baseline seed and is excluded from the default cost stack rather than quietly inflating your budget. We would rather publish a labelled gap than an unsourced number.
Can I rely on these figures for a permit budget?
No. Charges change annually, vary by service area and use class, and are calculated on the specific application. Confirm the figure with the municipality before you commit it to a proforma.
05Sources
Sources
- [1] City of Calgary Off-Site Levy Bylaw 2M2024 — Baseline seed awaiting verification.
- [2] City of Edmonton Arterial Roads and Sanitary Servicing Bylaws — Baseline seed awaiting verification.
- [3] City of Hamilton Development Charges By-law 24-104 — Baseline seed awaiting verification.
- [4] Ville de Montreal parks and infrastructure contributions — Baseline seed awaiting verification.
- [5] City of Ottawa Development Charges By-law 2024-166 — Baseline seed awaiting verification.
- [6] City of Toronto Development Charges By-law 1347-2022 (as amended) — Baseline seed awaiting verification.
- [7] City of Toronto Development Charges By-law 1347-2022 (as amended) — Baseline seed awaiting verification.
- [8] City of Vancouver Development Cost Levy By-law — Baseline seed awaiting verification.
Not advice — Buildlor is a data publisher. We do not bid, price, estimate, or build work, and nothing here is a quote, a tender price, or construction advice. Figures are indicative order-of-magnitude benchmarks for early budgeting and must be confirmed by a qualified cost consultant, quantity surveyor, or general contractor before you rely on them. About Buildlor