Three communities we sell in Brampton and Caledon quote the same kind of home three completely different ways. None of them is doing anything wrong. But put two of those numbers side by side without noticing the difference and you are out by more than $100,000 — and most buyers never find out until a lawyer explains it.
HST on a new home in Ontario is 13%. On a $900,000 home that is $117,000 — more than most people's down payment. So how a builder chooses to present that number changes the price on the page dramatically, even when the underlying deal is identical.
Here are the three conventions, taken from price lists we hold and work from every week.
The builder has already subtracted the rebate they expect you to qualify for, and shows you the net figure. It produces the lowest-looking number of the three.
What it looks like: a column headed "Price After Rebate", or a footnote saying pricing assumes the enhanced rebate. Two of the communities we cover in Caledon quote this way — one shows back-to-back towns from $596,451, which is not a number anyone arrives at by accident.
What to watch: that price is conditional on you qualifying. If you don't — because it isn't your primary residence, or you signed outside the window, or construction misses its deadlines — you owe the difference. The builder's own footnote usually says exactly that, in small type.
The price on the page excludes HST entirely. You add 13% on closing, and claim the rebate back afterwards or assign it to the builder.
What it looks like: "Price excluding HST", or a note that HST will be added to the purchase price on closing. Two communities we cover quote this way — one shows towns from $749,990 plus HST.
What to watch: this looks cheaper than an HST-included number and is not. On a $750,000 base, the HST is roughly $97,500 before any rebate. The line to find in the agreement is who is responsible for applying for the rebate — on the quick-close inventory we've reviewed, that responsibility sits squarely with the purchaser.
The number on the page is the all-in price with tax already in it. Any rebate you qualify for is then shown separately, often as a credit.
What it looks like: "(H.S.T. Included)" in the price column, with a separate line for the rebate. Two Brampton communities we cover quote this way — one shows 38' detached from $1,254,990 HST included, with an enhanced rebate of $106,000 noted where the purchaser qualifies.
What to watch: this is the most honest-looking of the three and often the most useful, because it's closest to what you'll actually transfer. Just don't compare it directly against a "plus HST" number.
While we're here: you will see "$106,000" on price lists and "$130,000" in the news, and wonder which is right.
Both are. Ontario has had a new housing rebate for years — 75% of the 8% provincial portion, capped at $24,000, reached at a purchase price of about $400,000. It was already baked into new home pricing here. The 2026 enhanced rebate didn't replace it, it topped it up to a maximum of $130,000.
$130,000 total, minus the $24,000 that already existed, is $106,000 of new money. The builder is showing you the increase. The headline is showing you the total. The full breakdown is here, including the question that matters more than either number — whether you or the builder is claiming it.
Why we bothered writing this
We publish the pricing basis next to every price on this site. It isn't a marketing decision — we'd rather you understood exactly what you were looking at than be impressed by a number that turns out to mean something different. If that means our figures sometimes look higher than someone quoting after-rebate, that's the trade we'd make every time.
Figures are taken from builder price lists dated between February and August 2026 that we hold on file. Prices change without notice and lot premiums are extra. This is general information, not tax or legal advice — confirm your own position with your lawyer and accountant before signing anything. E.&O.E.
Tell us which communities you're weighing up and we'll put them on the same basis for you — no obligation, and we'll say if one is clearly better value.