Ontario's construction costs 2022, by building type

Ambulatory healthcare was the type of building with the highest construction costs in Ontario (Canada) in 2021. The cost of that type of building ranged from 6,750 to 7,610 Canadian dollars per square meter. Townhouses with mid-end specifications were, along with warehouses, among the cheapest buildings to construct, even though the townhouse sale price in Canada has been increasing during the past years. On the other side of the residential spectrum, the construction cost of high-rise buildings with mid-end specifications could reach up to 4,930 Canadian dollars per square meter.

The housing sector in Ontario

The fast population growth in Toronto, the main city in Ontario, has put pressure on its housing market. From 2001 to 2022, the number of people living in Canada’s largest city increased by over 37 percent. During the past years, house prices in Ontario rose at a similarly fast pace. Combined, these elements signal a strong demand for homes in Toronto and Ontario as a whole. The construction sector has responded to this trend: In 2022, most housing starts in Canada took place in the province of Ontario. That same year, EllisDon Corporation, with headquarters in Mississauga (Ontario), was the second biggest contractor in Canada. One of its largest residential/mixed-use projects under development is the 489-539 King St. West Development, in Toronto.

Construction cost in North America

Building construction costs in Quebec, the second most populous province in Canada after Ontario, had a similar cost range: Ambulatory healthcare buildings were the most expensive, and warehouses were the cheapest to build. However, enclosed malls and higher education buildings were significantly more expensive in Quebec than in Ontario. Across the border, the cities with the highest residential construction costs in the U.S. were San Francisco for multi-family housing, and New York City for single-family housing. Meanwhile, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York had the highest hotel construction costs in the U.S.