Greater Toronto Area, March 5, 2025 – Yesterday, the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) released its 2024 Municipal Benchmarking Study that examines how local development processes, approvals, and charges impact housing affordability and housing supply in major housing markets across the country. The report includes Toronto, Oakville, Brampton, Markham, Pickering, Bradford West Gwillimbury in its national sample of 23 cities and towns, and confirmed that almost all of the municipalities examined can render approvals faster and have lower fees and charges than those in the GTA.
“As a local member of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association, we are very thankful that the CHBA undertakes this study to help inform the national dialogue on housing,” said David Wilkes, President and CEO of BILD. “Approval timelines and municipal fees and charges are two elements that have a direct impact on housing affordability in Canada, and seeing how our municipalities are performing relative to national counterparts helps to provide some answers about the regionality of housing affordability and supply.”
CHBA’s 2024 Municipal Benchmarking report identified that:
- In terms of overall performance, the Ontario and British Columbia jurisdictions included in the study had the worst results.
- The national average for municipal development approval timelines was 11.6 months – measured from after the municipality deems the application complete to approval.
- GTA municipalities included within the study averaged 19.4 months.
- From a national perspective, London (4.6 months), Edmonton (3.4 months) and Calgary (4.2 months) had the most efficient approval processes among larger urban centers, demonstrating the opportunity to expedite approvals.
- On municipal fees and charges, GTA municipalities performed poorly vs their national counterparts and the national average, underscoring the need to address the level of these added costs in the region.
- Municipal fees in the GTA municipalities in the CHBA study ranged between $102,700- $195,300 per unit for low-rise development (single-family) and between $58,400- $134,900 for apartments.
According to a similar report by BILD in 2024, each month of delay adds $2,673 to $5,576 in added cost per unit per month and the average approval timeline across 16 GTA municipalities is 21.6 months.
“Development charges, delays, and inefficient processes at the municipal level directly impact the price of homes and how many homes are built. This report offers insight into best practices that municipalities can adopt to help improve their housing affordability and supply. It also points to ways that the provincial and federal governments can continue to drive and support change at the municipal level,” said Kevin Lee, CEO of CHBA.
About BILD:
With more than 1,000 member companies, BILD is the voice of the home building, residential and non-residential land development and professional renovation industries in the Greater Toronto Area. The building and renovation industry provides 256,000 jobs in the region and $39.3 billion in investment value. BILD is affiliated with the Ontario and Canadian Home Builders’ Associations.
About CHBA
The Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) is the voice of the residential construction industry in Canada, representing some 8,500 member firms across the country. Our membership spans new home builders, renovators, developers, trade contractors, building material manufacturers and suppliers, lenders, and other professionals in the housing sector.
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For additional information or to schedule an interview with David Wilkes, BILD President and CEO, please contact Janis McCulloch at jmcculloch@bildgta.ca (416-617-7994)
Journalists wishing to interview Kevin Lee, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association, are encouraged to submit their request by email to media@chba.ca.
