Updated October 26, 2026. The schedules below come from builders’ price lists and project pages on this site, dated where shown. Always check the current price list before you sign.
A pre-construction deposit is the money you pay toward the price of a new home before it is built. It is usually split into several payments over the first one to three years, and your mortgage doesn’t start until the home is finished, so the deposits are the cash you need along the way. Here is what GTA builders are asking for in 2026, how the payments are timed, and how your money is protected.
Every project page on our site has a free payment calculator that turns the builder’s schedule into dates and dollar amounts, with closing costs. Browse projects and open any one to try it.
How much deposit do you need?
For a new condo in the GTA, the total deposit is usually 15% to 20% of the price, paid in instalments before occupancy, often with the last 4% to 5% due at occupancy. On a $600,000 condo, 20% is $120,000.
For townhomes and detached homes, builders usually ask for fixed dollar amounts instead of percentages, front-loaded into the first year. The totals vary widely with the price, so compare them in dollars, not only in percent.
Every builder sets its own schedule, and some now spread payments over two years or more. The examples below are real schedules from projects on our site.
Typical schedules, with real examples
A typical GTA condo schedule (20%)
- $5,000 on signing
- Balance to 5% within 30 days
- 5% at 120 days
- 5% at one year
- 5% on occupancy
On a $600,000 condo that is $5,000 on signing, $25,000 at 30 days, $30,000 at 120 days, $30,000 at one year and $30,000 at occupancy.
Aquanova at Lakeview Village, Mississauga (condo)
From Greenpark’s price list dated September 2, 2026: $5,000 with your offer, the balance to 2% in 2 months, 2% at 6, 12, 15 and 18 months, 3% at 24 and 30 months, and 4% on occupancy. That is 20% in total, but only 16% before occupancy, spread over 30 months. See Aquanova’s prices and floor plans, or compare the other builders on our Lakeview Village page.
Thornhill Walk Carousel Towns, Thornhill (townhomes)
As listed on the project page (May 2026): $25,000 on signing, $25,000 in 30 days, $15,000 in 180 days, the balance to 10% in 270 days, and 10% on occupancy.
Eversley Estates by Treasure Hill (detached)
As listed on the project page (October 2026): $50,000 on signing and at 30, 90 and 180 days, then $25,000 at 300 and 360 days. That is $250,000 in the first year on homes from $1,299,900.
Is your deposit protected?
For new condos, Ontario’s Condominium Act requires deposits to be held in trust, and Tarion protects up to $20,000 if the builder terminates the agreement and doesn’t return your deposit.
For new freehold homes bought under agreements signed since January 1, 2018, Tarion protects up to $60,000 on homes priced at $600,000 or less, and 10% of the price, up to $100,000, above that. Tarion plans to tie full coverage to registering your purchase with it within 45 days of signing and has deferred that change to January 1, 2027, so register as soon as you sign.
Above those amounts, ask your lawyer how the rest of your deposit is protected before you sign.
Can you get your deposit back if you change your mind?
New condos come with a 10-day cooling-off period under the Condominium Act: you can cancel within 10 days of receiving the signed agreement and the disclosure statement and get your deposit back. Freehold homes have no legal cooling-off period, so have a real estate lawyer review the agreement before you sign.
After the cooling-off period, walking away from a pre-construction agreement can cost you your deposits, so choose a schedule you can comfortably keep.
Deposits, your mortgage and the 2026 HST relief
Lenders advance the mortgage only at final closing, so deposits come from your savings. At closing the lender appraises the home; if the appraisal comes in below the price, you cover the difference in cash.
Deposits don’t reduce your HST relief. For agreements signed between April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027, new homes up to $1 million can qualify for relief of the full 13% HST, usually credited by the builder at closing. Read how the 2026 HST relief works or check your number with our HST calculator.
Can you negotiate the deposit?
Often, yes, especially in a slower market. Ask whether the builder will lower the total, spread the payments over a longer period, move more of it to occupancy, or add incentives such as free parking or a cap on development charges. Get any change written into the agreement.
Common questions
How much is the deposit on a pre-construction condo in Toronto?
Usually 15% to 20% of the price in total, paid in instalments over the first one to three years, with the last 4% to 5% often due at occupancy. On a $600,000 condo, 20% is $120,000.
What is a typical deposit for a pre-construction townhouse?
Townhome and detached-home builders usually ask for fixed dollar amounts, front-loaded into the first year. For example, Thornhill Walk Carousel Towns lists $25,000 on signing, $25,000 in 30 days and $15,000 in 180 days, then the balance to 10% in 270 days and 10% on occupancy.
Is my pre-construction deposit protected in Ontario?
Condo deposits must be held in trust, and Tarion protects up to $20,000. For freehold homes bought under agreements signed since January 1, 2018, Tarion protects up to $60,000 on homes priced at $600,000 or less, and 10% of the price, up to $100,000, above that.
Can I get my deposit back if I change my mind?
For a new condo, yes, if you cancel within the 10-day cooling-off period after receiving the signed agreement and the disclosure statement. Freehold homes have no legal cooling-off period.
Does my mortgage pay the deposits?
No. Deposits come from your savings; the mortgage is advanced at final closing, when the home is finished.
Get the deposit schedule for any project
We keep each project’s price list, deposit structure and incentives on file, with the date. Tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll send the current schedules and help you compare them.
Chat with an expert on WhatsApp — an expert will reply within minutes — or browse every project and use the form below to get price lists and floor plans.
Sources: Tarion, Coverage and claims before you move in; Condominium Act, 1998 (Ontario); builders’ price lists and project pages as dated above.
This article is general information from a real estate brokerage, not legal or financial advice. Deposit schedules are set by each builder and can change; confirm the current schedule on the builder’s price list and have a lawyer review the agreement before you sign.
Cover photo: towers under construction at Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, May 2026. Photo: Dillan Payne, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized).
