Backyard Home Offices in Aurora - Design, Permits, Construction

Old Aurora lots routinely run 200 ft deep - the longest average rear-yard depth of any town in York Region. That depth is why Aurora is one of the few GTA municipalities where a two-storey garden suite with its own private yard still clears the angular plane without a minor variance. Aurora permits additional dwelling units with the Aurora Village and Northeast Old Aurora heritage districts adding design review in the core.

Large mature lots in Old Aurora with 200 ft depths, and Oak Ridges Moraine constraints on the western edge.

A backyard office is judged by the building department on one question: is it habitable space or an accessory structure? A unit with plumbing and year-round occupancy is reviewed in Aurora as a dwelling, with everything that implies for servicing and setbacks. Insulation and heating are the whole point in a climate averaging -5.1°C - a shed-grade envelope is unusable from November, so we build to dwelling-standard walls, glazing and a heat pump.

Data and power are trenched from the house on the same run as the water line, which is why a plumbed office costs far less if it is decided before the trench is dug rather than after.