Updated June 2026 CRA owner-built rebate Ontario HST 13%

🏠 HST Rebate Calculator for Major Renovations — Ontario 2026

Did a substantial renovation in Ontario? You can recover thousands of the HST you paid on the work. Enter your renovation cost below to estimate your rebate under the CRA’s New Housing Rebate for owner-built homes.

💰 Estimate Your Renovation HST Rebate

Total renovation cost you paid HST on, before HST ($)

Add up the materials and contractor invoices you paid 13% HST on (before the tax). This is what the rebate is calculated from — not the home’s value.

Fair market value of the finished home (building + land) ($)

The value of the home once the renovation is complete. This only affects the smaller federal portion (which disappears once value tops $450,000). It does not affect the Ontario rebate.

I’m a first-time home buyer (this unlocks a much larger federal rebate — up to $50,000)

I paid HST when I bought this property (most renovators did not — leave unchecked if it was a resale)

📊 Your Renovation Rebate Estimate

—

Estimated Total Rebate

Federal + Ontario combined

HST You Paid (13%)

On your renovation cost

Federal Rebate

36% of the 5%, max $6,300

Ontario Rebate

75% of the 8%

✅ Yes — that’s real money, and it’s the law.

This isn’t too good to be true. The renovation rebate is the CRA’s New Housing Rebate for owner-built homes, and the CRA pays it straight to you from the HST you already spent. The only catch is the paperwork (forms GST191, GST191-WS and RC7191-ON) — which is exactly where most people give up and leave the money behind.

You could get back thousands. Two ways to actually claim it:

The money is yours either way — the only question is who fills out the forms.

Option A · Do it yourself

in fees

You fill out the CRA paperwork yourself (GST191, GST191-WS and the Ontario RC7191-ON)
You add up the HST on every invoice and have to prove the 90% substantial-renovation test
One wrong figure or a missing receipt and the CRA can delay or deny the whole claim
Miss an eligible cost and you quietly leave money on the table
You file, then wait 4–10 weeks — and argue it yourself if they push back
If you are ever audited, untangling it is entirely on you

Free to do — but one small slip can cost you thousands.

What most people do

Option B · Let us file it for you

A small %

of your rebate — and it is there only so we recover every dollar you are owed

A licensed Ontario rebate team with 10+ years and thousands of filings handles it all
They confirm your reno qualifies, then claim the maximum you are legally owed
They deal with the CRA, the follow-ups and any audit questions for you
No upfront fee — they only get paid when your cheque arrives, so they are fully on your side
You sign once, then do nothing but cash the cheque

You pocket the rest — zero hassle, zero risk, nothing out of pocket.

Free review · No upfront cost · We only get paid when you do · Licensed Ontario specialists

Prefer to talk it through? Call 705-533-1633

Building or buying new instead? New Home HST Calculator · First-Time Buyer Calculator

What counts as a “substantial renovation”?

The HST rebate for renovations is the same program as the new-home rebate — the CRA’s GST/HST New Housing Rebate for owner-built homes — but it only applies to a substantial renovation, which has a strict meaning:

The 90% test: 90% or more of the interior of the existing home is removed or replaced. You don’t have to touch the foundation, exterior/supporting walls, roof, floors or staircases for it to count.
A major addition that, together with renovating the existing house, essentially creates a new home; or
Converting a non-residential building (for example, a barn or commercial space) into a home.

Only livable areas count toward the 90% test (finished basements and attics count; garages and crawl spaces do not). A cosmetic remodel — new kitchen, bathrooms and flooring — does not qualify on its own. Read up on the 90 percent rule before you start.

How the renovation rebate is calculated

Unlike buying a new home, the renovation rebate is based on the HST you actually paid on the work — not a sale price. It has two parts:

Federal rebate — usually the smaller part

36% of the 5% federal GST you paid, up to $6,300. It’s reduced once the finished home’s value passes $350,000 and reaches $0 at $450,000. Because most Ontario homes are worth more than $450,000 after a major reno, many renovators get $0 federal — the Ontario rebate is the real prize.

Ontario rebate — the main one for renovations

75% of the 8% Ontario portion you paid, up to $24,000 if you paid HST when you bought the property, or $16,080 if you didn’t (which is the usual case for a resale you later renovated). There’s no value cap on the Ontario rebate.

Part	Rate	Maximum	Notes
Federal (standard)	36% of 5% paid	$6,300	$0 once home value tops $450,000
Federal (first-time buyer)	100% of 5% paid	$50,000	home value up to $1.5M
Ontario (HST paid on land)	75% of 8% paid	$24,000	no value cap
Ontario (no HST on land)	75% of 8% paid	$16,080	typical for renovations

Not sure you even qualify? Find out free.

Send your renovation details and a specialist will confirm whether your reno meets the 90% test — and file it if it does. No upfront fee.

No upfront fee · We only get paid when you do · Or call 705-533-1633

Frequently Asked Questions

My renovation wasn’t a full gut job — do I still qualify?

Probably not for the new-housing rebate. The CRA requires roughly 90% of the interior livable space to be removed or replaced (or a major addition / conversion). A partial renovation — even an expensive one — usually doesn’t meet the bar. A specialist can review your invoices and tell you quickly whether you qualify.

Why is my federal rebate $0?

The federal portion phases out between a $350,000 and $450,000 home value and is $0 above $450,000. Most Ontario homes are worth more than that after a substantial renovation, so the federal rebate often comes to $0 — and the Ontario rebate (up to $16,080, or $24,000 if you paid HST on the property) becomes the main amount. First-time buyers are the exception and can claim much more federally.

What’s the deadline to claim?

For an owner-built or substantially renovated home, you generally have two years from when the renovation is at least 90% complete. Keep every invoice that shows the HST you paid — the claim is built from them (CRA forms GST191, GST191-WS and the Ontario RC7191-ON).

Ready to claim your renovation rebate?

Get a free review from a licensed Ontario rebate specialist. We only get paid when you do — no upfront fee, no obligation.

No upfront fee · We only get paid when you do · Or call 705-533-1633

Disclaimer: This calculator estimates the Canada Revenue Agency GST/HST New Housing Rebate for owner-built / substantially renovated homes in Ontario (forms GST191, GST191-WS, RC7191-ON), based on CRA guide RC4028 as available in June 2026. It assumes 13% HST was paid on the eligible costs you enter; your actual rebate depends on the tax shown on your invoices, the fair market value, and your eligibility. Results are estimates for planning only and are not tax advice. Always confirm with the CRA and a qualified tax professional. BuildersOntario.com accepts no liability for decisions made based on these estimates.

📐 Related Ontario HST rebate calculators

New-home HST rebate calculator — Buying a newly built home? See your rebate (up to $130,000).
First-time buyer GST/HST rebate calculator — Your first home? Check the enhanced first-time buyer rebate.
How to calculate HST on an Ontario home — The full breakdown of HST and rebates on a home purchase.

More on costs and financing

Cost to build a house in Ontario Cost per square foot, and why it misleads Cost to build 1,500 sq ft Cost to build 2,000 sq ft Cost to build a bungalow Cost to build a cottage

Sources and further reading

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Reviewed and updated October 2026. Costs on this site are Ontario ranges, not quotes; code references are to the Ontario Building Code in force at the date above.