Start with a flat price
Four of the 17 packages are published as a single flat fee — no estimate and no range. If one of them is your project, open it directly and skip the questions below.
Which service fits my project?
Two taps narrows it down to one package. The result opens straight to its service page.
Where is the work?
Your best fit
Asking carries this answer into the contact form, so you will not have to describe it again.
Residential
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Legal basement apartment drawings covering fire separation, egress, a separate entrance and mechanical design.
$750 flat
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Finishing a raw basement as living space, with egress, lighting, insulation and moisture details.
From $750 starting price
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Opening the rear foundation for a grade-level door, with retaining walls and drainage designed.
Quoted per project
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Dividing one house into two to four legal units with fire separation and independent entrances.
Quoted per project
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A detached backyard dwelling, with zoning, foundation and separate utility design.
$1,750 flat
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New custom homes and additions, with architectural and structural design through permit.
From $1,750 starting price
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Engineered footings, beams, railings and connections for a deck that passes inspection.
$900 flat
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Interior Alteration & Renovation
Wall removal and open-concept renovation, with engineered beams carrying the load above.
From $1,750 starting price
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Garage drawings covering zoning and setbacks, foundation, framing and electrical layout.
$900 flat
Commercial
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Commercial kitchen, ventilation and dining drawings coordinated with health and fire requirements.
Quoted per project
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Office fit-out drawings addressing egress, accessibility, HVAC and electrical for tenant improvements.
Quoted per project
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School renovation and expansion drawings meeting life-safety and AODA accessibility standards.
Quoted per project
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Storefront and retail interior drawings with merchandising flow, lighting and code compliance.
Quoted per project
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Salon and spa drawings with specialized plumbing, ventilation and electrical for the trade.
Quoted per project
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Service bay drawings with exhaust extraction, fluid drainage and structural floor design.
Quoted per project
Mechanical
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Residential and commercial mechanical drawings: heating, ventilation, duct sizing and equipment schedules.
From $750 residential
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Residential and commercial plumbing drawings: supply, drain-waste-vent, gas piping and fixture layouts.
From $750 residential
Every service above is also offered in each of the 44 municipalities we serve, and each of those pages names the building department that reviews the file and the local rule that decides what can be built there. The full list of city and service-in-a-city pages is on the service area index.
Published prices
All figures are in Canadian dollars and cover the drawing package only. Municipal permit fees and construction are separate. The four flat prices below are the same figures stated on each service page and in that page’s structured data.
| Service | Price (CAD) | Pricing basis | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basement Second Unit | $750 | Flat — separate entrance quoted on its own | View |
| Garden Suite | $1,750 | Flat — HVAC design included | View |
| Decks & Porches | $900 | Flat | View |
| Detached Garage | $900 | Flat | View |
| Basement Finishing | $750 | Starting from | View |
| Custom Homes & Additions | $1,750 | Starting from — larger custom homes quoted per project | View |
| Interior Alteration & Renovation | $1,750 | Starting from | View |
| HVAC | $750 | Starting from — residential | View |
| Plumbing | $750 | Starting from — residential | View |
| Restaurants, Office Fit-Out, Schools, Retail Store, Spa & Hair Salons, Mechanic Shop, Basement Walkout, Multiplex Conversion | Quoted per project | Free consultation, then a written quote | View |
Terms worth knowing before you book
These are the same terms published on the service pages and in the site’s business data.
- Payment 50% deposit to begin, 50% on completion of the drawing package.
- Turnaround we control Residential drawings in 5–7 days, commercial drawings in 10–15 days, measured from the measured survey to a submission-ready set.
- Review time we do not control Municipal review runs on top of the drawing clock and is set by each building department.
- Guarantee Permit approval, or fees refunded in full.
- Qualification RCI Consulting is a BCIN certified firm, which is what allows the drawings to be submitted directly to the building department. What BCIN means.
- What the price excludes Municipal permit fees and construction. The package covers the drawings.
The questions clients ask before booking
These answers are the same ones published on the FAQ page and on Guides & Resources.
Do these guides apply to my municipality?
Mostly yes, with one caveat. The Ontario Building Code applies province-wide, so the code requirements in every guide — egress, fire separation, structural loads, ventilation — read the same whether you are in Toronto, Mississauga, Ottawa or Barrie. Zoning, setbacks, height limits and submission standards are set by each municipality instead, which is why the guides flag the local rules that vary. We design to the specific building department reviewing your file rather than sending a generic package that gets bounced back.
Are the costs in the guides current?
The figures are typical Ontario ranges for the project type described, and the flat package prices in the table above are our own published fees, not third-party estimates. Ranges shift with material costs and municipal fees, so treat them as a planning budget rather than a quote. Send us your project and we will confirm the exact number for your scope.
Do I need a BCIN-certified designer to submit drawings?
For most building permit applications in Ontario, drawings must be prepared by a qualified designer — that is what a Building Code Identification Number (BCIN) certifies. A homeowner can file the application, but the drawings generally still have to come from a BCIN-qualified person for the parts of the code the project touches. RCI Consulting is a BCIN certified firm, which is why our drawing packages can be submitted directly to the building department.
How long does a permit take once the drawings are ready?
The drawing work is the part we control; the review clock belongs to the municipality. Standard residential reviews are usually measured in weeks and commercial fit-outs often take longer because they involve zoning, fire and sometimes health approvals. The review time also stops while the reviewer waits on answers, so a complete, coordinated package is the single biggest lever on your timeline. We can tell you the typical window for your specific municipality when you book a consultation.
Is a guide enough, or do I also need project-specific drawings?
The guides tell you what applies to your type of project and roughly what it costs — they are not a drawing set. Every permit submission needs drawings dimensioned to your actual property, existing conditions and proposed scope, reviewed and sealed by a qualified designer. Use a guide to plan and budget, then book a site visit so the drawings are built on real measurements.
Talk to the office
RCI Consulting
4030 Sheppard Ave E, Scarborough, ON M1S 1S6, Canada
Telephone +1-416-545-9336 ·
Email info@rciconsulting.ca
Office hours Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Site visits Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM,
by appointment.
Request a free consultation · Browse the service pages · Commercial fit-outs · Where we work