Permit drawings in Brantford, the Telephone City.
The City of Brantford reviews building permits inside city limits. We prepare the permit drawings for second units, additions, renovations and new homes, and take the application through to an issued permit.
- Covers
- Brantford
- Conservation
- Grand River Conservation Authority
- Units per lot
- Up to 3 on a serviced lot
- Applications
- Online through Cloudpermit
- Not covered
- Paris, St. George, Burford (County of Brant)
- From Ancaster
- About 25 minutes
Up to 3 units, on one serviced lot.
The main house counts as one. Add the units you have in mind and see what each one brings with it.
- 01Does your zone start with (F), for floodplain?
- 02Is the lot on City water and sewer?
- Units
- 2 of 3
- Parking
- 3 spaces
- Dev. charges
- Exempt
- Basement unit
It can use the whole basement, with its own entrance from outdoors, plus the fire separation and egress the Building Code asks for.
- 3 parking spaces
2 for the house (1 on some lots under 12 m wide) plus 1 per unit. Tandem parking is allowed, and the zone's landscaped front yard minimum still applies.
A first read of Zoning By-law 124-2024, not a zoning review. Every unit needs a building permit, and lots near the Grand River may need a GRCA permit too.
Most work inside the house needs a permit.
The City publishes its own list. If your project is on the left, it needs drawings and an application before work starts.
- Additions and new homes
- Finishing a basement, or any structural change
- Removing a load-bearing wall, column, lintel or beam
- A new or enlarged window or door opening
- A deck, of any size
- An attached garage, carport or shed, of any size
- A detached building of 15 m² or more
- Demolishing a structure over 10 m²
- A pool 0.5 m deep or more
- Every accessory dwelling unit, including detached ones
- Replacing a window or door in the same size opening
- New shingles on an existing roof
- Painting, wallpaper and other finish work
- A fence (it still has to meet the fence by-law)
- A shed under 15 m² (161.5 sq ft) with no plumbing
Paris and St. George are not in Brantford. The County of Brant is a separate municipality with its own building department, fees and unit rules: see County of Brant.
Up to 3 units on most serviced lots.
Brantford calls them accessory or additional dwelling units. Zoning By-law 124-2024 allows them with single detached, semi-detached, street and block townhouse dwellings, in the house or in a detached building, up to 3 units on the lot.
| Rule | What the City allows |
|---|---|
| Units per lot | Up to 3 dwelling units on a serviced lot, with a single detached, semi-detached, street townhouse or block townhouse dwelling (By-law 124-2024, s. 3.2). |
| Where a unit can go | In the house (basement, main or upper floor, or an addition) or in a detached accessory structure such as a garden suite or converted garage. |
| Basement units | May use the whole basement. Not permitted in the basement on lands zoned with the (F) floodplain prefix. |
| Unit size at or above grade | By-law 124-2024 sets no floor area cap; the unit must be subordinate to the main house. The City's older ADU page (May 2023) still lists the lesser of 50% or 110 m², so ask the City which figure it applies. |
| Bedrooms | By-law 124-2024 sets no bedroom limit. The City's older ADU page (May 2023) lists a maximum of 2 per unit. |
| Parking | 1 space per additional unit, on top of the main house's spaces (usually 2, or 1 on some lots under 12 m wide). Tandem parking is allowed on lots with up to 3 units. |
| Front yard | The zone's minimum landscaped front yard still applies: 40% in the NLR zone that covers most older neighbourhoods (Table 7.4.1). Other zones set their own figure. |
| Entrance | A clearly identified entrance with direct access from outdoors, for each unit. |
| Side yard with doors or windows | 1.2 m interior side yard where the wall facing that lot line has doors or windows (s. 3.2 d). |
| Detached unit | Follows the accessory structure rules: rear or interior side yard only, 3.5 m high with a flat roof or 4.5 m with a pitched roof, and all accessory structures together cover no more than 10% of the lot. |
| Containers and portables | Shipping containers and portable buildings are prohibited accessory structures in residential zones, so they cannot be used as a detached unit. |
Proposed, not confirmed: report PZ-01-26 proposed a 1.2 m clear path from an ADU entrance to the street, and no ADU entrance door facing a side or rear lot line where that yard is 1.2 m or less. It was recommended to Planning Committee in March 2026. We could not confirm it was adopted, so confirm with the City before you design around it.
What the City charges.
Planning numbers from the City’s fee page, not quotes. The City confirms the fee when it reviews the application. Design fees are separate: see pricing.
| Item | City fee |
|---|---|
| Alterations and renovations | $14.50 per $1,000 of construction value (basement finishing, interior work, a suite inside the house). |
| New residential floor area | $1.14 per sq ft (additions, new houses, a new detached unit). |
| Minimum permit fee | $105 |
| Shed | $105 |
| Detached garage or carport | $285 |
| Work started without a permit | A penalty of $250 to $5,000 on top of the permit fee for a house (Part 9), scaled to how far the work has gone. |
| Development charges | Additional units in existing houses, and additional units in new houses as the Development Charges Act sets out, are exempt. No development charges in the downtown exemption area. |
Last verified 2026-10
- Check statusOntario Renovates (City of Brantford and County of Brant)
A forgivable loan of up to $20,000, written off over 10 years, for low to moderate income owners. The City lists October 31, 2026 as the deadline for 2026 to 2027 funding. Confirm with the City whether creating a suite qualifies this intake.
How an application goes in.
Check the lot
Zone, (F) prefix, GRCA regulated area and heritage status, before any drawings.
Drawings and forms
Site plan, floor plans, sections, elevations, and the calculations and designer information form (Schedule 1) the City asks for.
Apply on Cloudpermit
All permit types go in online, where you pay fees, track status and book inspections.
Review and comments
The Building Code gives the City 10 days on a complete application for a house with no unit above another, and 15 days once a unit sits above another.
Permit issued
Construction can start, with inspections booked through Cloudpermit.
Review days start the day after a complete application arrives, and Saturdays and holidays do not count. An incomplete application does not start the clock. Grading plans and septic design, where needed, come from others: we tell you early if your project needs them. Structural design is coordinated with an outside licensed professional. We do not publish a turnaround for our own work.
The river, the floodplain and heritage.
| Overlay | What it means |
|---|---|
| (F) prefix zones | Floodplain lands: no basement units. |
| Flood protection overlay | A GRCA permit is required before development, with some exemptions for unenclosed porches and decks. |
| Brant Avenue Heritage Conservation District | Its own zone and standards. Designated heritage properties also need a heritage permit from the City. |
What we design in Brantford.
Basement apartments and garden suites
Permit drawings for a legal second or third unit.
Additions
Rear, side and second-storey additions.
Alterations and layout changes
Permit drawings for renovations to an existing home.
Load-bearing wall removal
Drawings with the structural design coordinated with an outside licensed professional.
New builds
Detached and semi-detached homes within BCIN House scope.
Do I need a permit?
A self-check before you call anyone.
Brantford questions.
Can I build a basement apartment in Brantford?
Yes, with a single detached, semi-detached or townhouse dwelling on a serviced lot, up to 3 units in total. The one hard no: basement units are not allowed on lands zoned with the (F) floodplain prefix. Every unit needs a building permit.
Basement apartment requirementsCan I have a basement unit and a garden suite?
Yes. The limit is 3 dwelling units on the lot, so the main house, a basement unit and a detached unit together is the maximum. You could also put all 3 inside the house.
How big can an ADU be in Brantford?
A basement unit can use the whole basement. For a unit at or above grade, Zoning By-law 124-2024 sets no floor area cap, only that the unit is subordinate to the main house. The City's older ADU page (May 2023) still lists the lesser of 50% of the main house's floor area or 110 m², so ask the City which figure it applies. A detached unit is also limited to 4.5 m high with a pitched roof.
How much parking does a second unit need?
1 space per additional unit, on top of what the main house needs. Tandem parking, one car behind the other, is allowed on lots with up to 3 units. Ontario does not let a municipality ask for more than 1 space per additional unit.
Can I use a shipping container or a prefab kit as a garden suite?
Shipping containers and portable buildings are prohibited accessory structures in Brantford's residential zones. A prefab unit on a proper foundation is a different question: check it against the height, yard and coverage rules before you buy.
What are the building permit fees in Brantford?
$14.50 per $1,000 of construction value for alterations and renovations, $1.14 per sq ft for new residential floor area, with a $105 minimum. Additional units are exempt from development charges. These are City fees, separate from design fees.
Is Paris or St. George covered by the City of Brantford?
No. Paris, St. George and Burford are in the County of Brant, a separate municipality with its own building department, fees and unit rules.
County of BrantNearby departments.
What the City allows on your lot.
Units, size, parking and the permit path for your address, before you spend on drawings.