General Contractor in Guelph

Jacko Contracting builds additional dwelling units, decks and renovations across Guelph, including the Old University area, Exhibition Park, St. George’s Park, The Ward, Two Rivers, Kortright Hills, Westminster Woods, Hanlon Creek, Grange Hill East and Clair-Maltby. Guelph has some of Ontario’s most generous ADU rules: a single-detached house can have up to three additional units, and the first needs no extra parking. We recently rebuilt a trailer podcast studio in Guelph, from roof repairs to soundproofing.

What we build in Guelph

Guelph homeowners and businesses hire us for:

• Basement ADUs, registered with the City
• Detached ADUs, including two-unit backyard buildings
• Interior renovations, from kitchens and bathrooms to studios and workspaces
• Gut-outs and interior demolition
• Decks and covered decks

Guelph homes and what they need

Guelph’s older core, including The Ward, Exhibition Park and the streets around downtown, is full of limestone and brick homes from the 1800s and early 1900s. Low basements and old stone foundations need careful planning before they can become a unit. The Brooklyn and College Hill Heritage Conservation District, near the University of Guelph, adds heritage review for exterior work. South-end neighbourhoods like Westminster Woods, Hanlon Creek and Clair-Maltby are much newer, with full basements and deeper lots well suited to an ADU or a backyard unit.

The Speed and Eramosa rivers meet in downtown Guelph, and the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) regulates their valleys and floodplains. Lots near the rivers or their creeks can need a GRCA permit before a building permit.

Guelph permit rules we plan around

• Units: a single-detached house can have up to three additional dwelling units. A semi-detached house, duplex or on-street townhouse can have up to two.
• Detached ADUs: up to two in the rear or interior side yard, in one building. Maximum height 6.1 m, up to 80 m² per unit, no more than 30% of the yard covered, and at least 3 m from the main house.
• Parking: the first ADU needs no additional parking, and each ADU after that needs one space. If the house has no legal off-street parking, none is required.
• Registration: new ADUs must be registered (Small Multi-Unit Residential Registration), submitted with the building permit. The fee per new unit is $170 if you live in the home, or $340 if you don’t.
• Decks: a permit is needed if the walking surface is 0.6 m (24 in) or more above grade at any point, and also for replacing railings on a deck that height. Covered decks need roof drawings.
• Trees: under the private tree bylaw Council updated in April 2025, removing a tree 30 cm or more in diameter needs a permit on any lot. On lots over 0.2 ha, the limit is 10 cm.
• Conservation: GRCA permits apply near the Speed and Eramosa rivers and their creeks.

See our permit handling service.

Our project in Guelph

• Trailer podcast studio renovation in Guelph

Guelph renovation FAQ

How many additional units can I add to my house in Guelph?

A single-detached house in Guelph can have up to three additional dwelling units. Semi-detached houses, duplexes and on-street townhouses can have up to two.

Does an ADU in Guelph need extra parking?

Not the first one. Each ADU after the first needs one parking space, and if your house has no legal off-street parking, none is required.

Do I need to register an ADU in Guelph?

Yes. New ADUs must be registered with the City, and the registration is submitted with your building permit. The fee per new unit is $170 if you live in the home, or $340 if you don’t.

Do I need a permit for a deck in Guelph?

Yes, if any part of the walking surface is 0.6 m (24 in) or more above grade. Replacing railings on a deck that height also needs a permit.

Also serving nearby: Milton · Georgetown · Caledon · Hamilton · Woodstock