Detached garages
Garages for vehicles, equipment and storage, sized for what you need to keep in them and designed to match the house.
SERVICES
RESIDENTIAL
Garages & Accessory Buildings
Garages, workshops, additional residential units (ARUs / ADUs) and other buildings on your property, planned around how you will use them and designed to suit the home, across Durham Region and Kawartha Lakes.
01 / OVERVIEWGARAGES & ACCESSORY BUILDINGS
GARAGES & ACCESSORY BUILDINGS
Buildings that make the property work
A garage, workshop or second unit is often the building that makes a property work day to day: room for vehicles and equipment, a place to work on projects, or a separate living space for family.
Henley Contracting builds garages, accessory buildings and additional residential units (ARUs, also called accessory dwelling units or ADUs) across Durham Region and Kawartha Lakes, on town lots, rural properties and at the cottage. We plan each one around how you will use it and design it to suit the home and the property.
Accessory buildings are smaller than a house, but they still depend on the lot, the approvals and good planning. Where the building sits, how it is used and how it looks next to the home are worth working out before construction starts.
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01 / PROPERTY
The lot, its access and its services shape where the building goes.
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02 / DESIGN
A building that suits the home and the way you will use it.
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03 / PLANNING
Scope, budget and schedule defined before work starts.
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04 / CONSTRUCTION
One team on site, with clear updates from start to finish.
02 / WHAT WE BUILDGARAGES & ACCESSORY BUILDINGS
Projects we take on
Workshops
Workshops planned around the work you do: the space, the light, the power and the storage that make it useful through the year.
Garage suites (ARUs / ADUs)
A garage with a self-contained living space above, where the municipality and the property allow it: room for family, a home office or a separate suite. See Garden Suites & ARUs.
Detached ARUs and other buildings
Detached additional residential units, such as a garden suite, and other outbuildings planned with the rest of the property. For structures at the water, see Boathouses.
03 / APPROACHGARAGES & ACCESSORY BUILDINGS
What matters when planning a garage or accessory building
Six things shape every accessory building. Working through them early keeps the design, the budget and the schedule pointing in the same direction.
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01
Location on the lot
Where the building can go, how it is reached and how it relates to the house.
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02
Use
What the building is for today, and what it might be used for later, including living space.
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03
Size
The vehicles, equipment and space you need, with room to grow.
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04
Services
Power, heating, water, septic or sewer and lighting, planned for how the building will be used. A living unit needs more than a garage.
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05
Approvals
The approvals a building needs depend on its size, its use, the property and the municipality. Whether an ARU is permitted, and in what form, is set by the municipality. Both are worth confirming before the design depends on them.
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06
Design
A building that suits the home and the property, rather than one that looks added on.
04 / IN FOCUSGARAGES & ACCESSORY BUILDINGS
Planning the building around how you will use it
The most useful garages and workshops are planned around how they will be used, not just how big they are. A garage for two vehicles is a different building from one that also holds a workshop, storage for the boat or space for a hobby.
Thinking about use early shapes the size, the doors, the power and heating, and whether space above makes sense. It is much easier to plan for these from the start than to add them afterwards.
- What you need to keep inside, today and later
- Whether you will work in the building, and in which seasons
- Power, lighting and heating for that use
- Door sizes and access for vehicles and equipment
- Storage, and whether space above is worth adding
- Whether the building may include living space, now or later (an ARU / ADU)
If you are not sure yet what you need, we can talk it through with you before plans are drawn. See Design-Build & Planning.
05 / PROCESSGARAGES & ACCESSORY BUILDINGS
How a garage or accessory building project works
Smaller buildings still benefit from planning: details resolved before construction cost far less than changes made on site. We work to get those decisions made early.
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Discover
Tell us about the property, what you want to build and roughly when. Tell us about your project. It takes a minute.
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Plan
We look at the lot, how you will use the building, any plans you already have and the budget range you are working within, and turn your ideas into a clear scope.
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Design
Plans are developed or refined alongside your designer and other specialists, so design and construction questions are answered together, then priced and scheduled.
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Build
Our project team, carpenters and trusted trades build the garage or accessory building. You are kept informed at every stage.
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Complete
Final details, a walkthrough together, and the handover of your finished building.
Already have plans? We can review them with you and price the build.
06 / SERVICE AREASGARAGES & ACCESSORY BUILDINGS
Where we build garages, ARUs and accessory buildings
Not sure whether your property is in our area? Tell us about your project and we will let you know.
Durham Region
Our head office is in Oshawa, and we build garages, ARUs and accessory buildings across Durham Region, on town lots and rural properties.
Kawartha Lakes
To the north, we build garages, ARUs and accessory buildings across Kawartha Lakes, in town and at the cottage.
07 / WHY HENLEYGARAGES & ACCESSORY BUILDINGS
Why owners build with Henley
Property-first thinking
We start with the lot and plan the building to suit it and the home.
Clear project planning
Scope, budget and schedule are defined before construction begins, so the build runs on decisions already made.
Built for how you use it
Every building is planned around what it is for, today and later.
Construction coordination
Our project team, carpenters and trusted trades work together through the whole build, with clear updates from start to finish.
Regional experience
A family-run, local builder with our head office in Oshawa, building in town and on the water across Durham Region and Kawartha Lakes.
QUESTIONSGARAGES & ACCESSORY BUILDINGS
Frequently asked questions
Can't find your answer? Tell us about your project and ask us directly.
What is involved in building a garage or accessory building?
A project moves through a few stages: understanding the property and how you will use the building, developing or refining the plans, confirming the approvals, pricing and scheduling the work, construction, and a final walkthrough and handover.
Does a detached garage need approvals?
It depends on the size and use of the building, the property and the municipality. We recommend confirming the approvals early, before the design depends on them, and we can help you work out what your property needs.
Can a garage have a room or storage above it?
On many properties, yes. Whether space above is possible, and how it can be used, depends on the property and its approvals, so it is one of the first things we look at during planning.
What is an ARU or ADU?
An additional residential unit (ARU), also called an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), is a second, self-contained living space on a property: for example a suite above a detached garage or a separate garden suite. Whether one is permitted, and in what form, depends on the municipality and the property.
Can you build an ARU above a garage or as a separate building?
Yes, where the municipality and the property allow it. A living unit needs more planning than a garage, including approvals, services such as water and septic or sewer, and heating, so we work through these with you early.
Can the garage match the style of my house?
Yes. We design garages and accessory buildings to suit the home, from the roof line to the exterior finishes, so the building looks like part of the property.
Do you build garages and workshops at the cottage?
Yes. We build garages and accessory buildings across Durham Region and Kawartha Lakes, including at the cottage. For structures at the water, see Boathouses.
What should I have ready before starting a garage project?
It helps to know the property address, what you want to keep or do in the building, your rough timing and the investment range you have in mind. A survey or sketches are useful if you have them, but you do not need them to start the conversation.
YOUR NEXT CHAPTER STARTS HERE
Tell us about your project.
A few details is all we need. Sarah from our office will text you shortly from (905) 576-9714.
