Starting in March, the city’s fees for new developments are slated to rise 1.8%. This means that you can expect modest increases in new home prices in line with the other items that are included in the Stats Canada construction price index.

These changes will come into effect on March 2nd, 2013 and affect residential construction across the board. This means that detached homes, condominiums and other multi-unit residential dwellings will all be subject to the increase. The Guelph Mercury calculates these new regulations to raise the charge on a single- or semi-detached home from $24,004 to $24,439.

A full breakdown of the 2012-2013 developement charges can be found here: http://guelph.ca/cityhall.cfm?itemid=80579&smocid=1598. Among the various cost allocations are infrastructure expenses, transit charges and municipal services such as fire and policing.

Ultimately, these changes should have next to no effect on the Guelph real estate market due to their small magnitude and the fact that they are roughly in line with inflation and other measures of economic growth.

For further information on Guelph Development Charges, visit Guelph.ca, or By-Law Number (2009)- 18729.