Building permits in Cambridge, with the river in mind.
The City of Cambridge reviews building permits in Galt, Preston and Hespeler. We prepare the permit drawings for additional residential units, additions, renovations and new homes, as a BCIN-qualified designer, and take the application through to an issued permit.
- Covers
- Galt, Preston, Hespeler
- Region
- Region of Waterloo
- Conservation
- Grand River Conservation Authority
- Zoning
- By-law 26-007 (residential, Feb 2026), 150-85 elsewhere
- ARUs
- Up to 2, for 3 units in all
- Min. permit fee
- $143
- From Ancaster
- About 35 minutes
Three towns, one river, and the approvals in order.
- 01What are you planning?
- 02How close is the lot to the river?
- 03Is the house on the Heritage Register?
- 1. Zoning checkSection 4.19 of By-law 26-007: units, parking, entrances and, for a detached unit, setbacks and height. AI PreCheck can screen the plans first.Always
- 2. Grand River Conservation AuthorityOutside the regulated area, no GRCA permit. We still check the GRCA map for your address.Not needed
- 3. HeritageNot on the Heritage Register: no heritage step.Not needed
- 4. Building permitOnline at permits.cambridge.ca. The City invoices the fee once the application is in. Building Services approves the unit's occupancy at the end.Goal
Grand River. Downtown Galt is also a provincially recognised Special Policy Area. The Main Street and Dickson Hill heritage districts are both in Galt. A first read, not a ruling: the GRCA map and the City’s Heritage Register decide for your address.
Over 10 m², or any plumbing: permit.
Anything over 10 m², or with plumbing
The City's threshold under the Building Code Act: any structure larger than 10 m² (108 sq ft), or any structure with plumbing.
Inside the house
Structural alterations, adding or removing walls, finishing an attic, a new fireplace or wood stove, and plumbing or drains.
Openings and outside
New windows or doors, or a larger opening; dormers, sunrooms, garages, carports, and retaining walls over 1 m depending on location.
A new unit
Creating an additional residential unit, inside the house or in a detached building. Building Services also approves its occupancy.
No permit needed, per the City’s own list:
- A detached shed of 15 m² or less, one storey, storage only and no plumbing (zoning still applies)
- Fences, except a swimming pool enclosure
- Re-shingling, eavestroughs and replacing siding
- Replacing a window where the size is not changing
- Replacing an existing forced-air furnace
- Kitchen or bathroom cupboards without plumbing
- Painting, decorating and landscaping
Removing a tree of 20 cm diameter or more on private property needs a separate Private Tree Removal Permit, so trees affected by the work go on the permit plans. The owner is responsible for the permit being in place before work starts, even when a designer or contractor applies. Not sure where your project falls? Start with do I need a permit?
Two ARUs, so three units on one lot.
Cambridge calls a second unit an additional residential unit (ARU): a self-contained unit with its own kitchen, washroom and sleeping area, inside or attached to the house or in a detached building on the same lot. It can come from converting existing space, an addition, converting an existing accessory building, or a new one. Since February 3, 2026, the rules for most residential lots are in Section 4.19 of Comprehensive Zoning By-law 26-007.
| Rule | What the City allows |
|---|---|
| Units per lot | Up to 2 ARUs with a single detached house, semi or street townhouse: two attached (in the house), or one attached and one detached. Not on a lot with a group home |
| Servicing | Where city water and sewer are available, the house and every ARU must connect, at an adequate size. Otherwise, proof that the on-site well and septic can carry them all |
| Floodplain | No ARU in the Floodway (F) Zone or any Floodplain Overlay Zone |
| Parking | 1 extra space per ARU, tandem allowed, on top of 2 for the house. No new driveway or curb cut for ARU parking |
| Entrance distance | The ARU entrance is at most 30 m from the street, unless reached by a lane built as a fire access route |
| Side or rear entrance | A side-yard entrance sits 1.2 m from the side lot line, with a clear path 0.9 m wide and 2.1 m high to the street. Steps or a landing may project up to 1.1 m deep and 0.6 m high |
| Detached size | Lot coverage: 100 m² or 15% lot coverage, whichever is less |
| Detached height | 4.5 m on a lot under 21 m wide; 6 m on a lot 21 m or wider if 3 m from every lot line and 6 m from the house; 6 m on a lane or through lot |
| Detached setbacks | 1.2 m from the side and rear lot lines (0.6 m from the rear on a lane or through lot); the house's exterior side yard on a corner; 4.5 m from the house; side, exterior side or rear yard |
| Deferred areas | Some residential lands were deferred from 26-007 and stay under By-law 150-85, so check which by-law covers your lot on the City's zoning map |
These are what the City allows, not what fits your lot. The City’s interactive zoning map shows which by-law applies. Related: second suites explained, garden suite requirements, basement vs garden suite.
What the City charges.
| Item | 2026 City fee |
|---|---|
| Minimum permit fee | $143 |
| New house, semi, row, townhouse or duplex, and additions | $1.65 per sq ft, plus a $100 zoning review per new house |
| Alterations and interior finishes | $0.50 per sq ft, $143 minimum, plus a $25 zoning review |
| Garage, carport or shed | $0.46 per sq ft, $143 minimum; a deck is $118 |
| Additional residential unit | No separate ARU line in the 2026 schedule. A Building Official sets the fee from the scope of work and invoices it after you apply |
| Work started before a permit | The regular fee again on top (100% more), up to $9,180 |
| Re-inspection | $100 when work isn't ready; waived if cancelled before 8:00 a.m. that day |
| Development charges on an ARU | None from the City or the Region of Waterloo. School boards may charge in some cases: $3,448 (WRDSB) and $1,739 (WCDSB) per unit since December 1, 2025 |
| Development charges on a new house | $42,450 City plus $43,285 Region per single or semi, plus the school board charges |
Last verified 2026-10-11
- Check statusARU Financial Assistance Program
A one-time grant of up to $10,000 per property for a built ARU (servicing upgrades, permit drawings, construction), funded by the federal Housing Accelerator Fund. Applications opened November 1, 2024; no closing date is published.
- Check statusDesignated Heritage Property Grant
Up to half the cost of conserving heritage attributes, to $7,500 a year, for designated properties. Apply by the last business day of January; work done by November 1.
- EndedBuilding permit rebate fee
The refundable rebate fee collected with permits from 2013 to 2025 has ended; the City is returning unclaimed rebates.
From the City’s 2026 Fees and Charges By-law 25-079. Planning numbers, not quotes: the City invoices the fee after the application is in. Our own fees are separate: see pricing and second suite costs and financing.
How an application goes in.
Check the zoning
The interactive zoning map, then AI PreCheck, the City's AI tool that screens residential plans against select zoning rules in 26-007 and 150-85. It is not an approval.
Outside approvals first
A GRCA permit if the lot is regulated, heritage approval if it is designated, and a water allocation if the work needs new water supply in the Mannheim service area.
Apply online
At permits.cambridge.ca. The provincial form fills in from your answers; you sign and upload it. The fee is invoiced, and the application is complete once it is paid.
Inspections and occupancy
A pre-construction meeting with the inspector, then each stage booked with 24 hours' notice. Building Services approves an ARU's occupancy.
For a house, the City asks for the provincial application form, a residential permit information form, a Schedule 1 for each designer, the energy efficiency design summary and the other calculations the City asks for, plus a site plan, lot grading and site service plan, foundation, floor, roof and framing plans, elevations, sections and details, drawn to at least 3/16″ = 1′-0″ with fire separations shown. The City does not publish a review time on its permit pages. We prepare the drawings and forms, submit them and answer the examiner’s comments. Structural design, where needed, is coordinated with an outside licensed professional. Full breakdown: renovation process.
The Grand, the Speed, and heritage Galt.
- GRCA fees in 2026. $290 routine, $535 minor, $920 intermediate (with a site visit and plans) and $11,095 where studies are needed. Work started before approval pays double.
- Floodplain overlays. In the Floodplain 1 and 2 overlays, minor additions to existing buildings are possible with a GRCA permit: no new dwelling unit, no new floor space below the existing first floor, and floodproofing to the Regulatory Flood.
- Downtown Galt. The GRCA lists Cambridge (Galt) among its Special Policy Areas, where the Province, City and GRCA accept limited floodplain development under the area’s own criteria. Confirm those criteria with the City and the GRCA for a Galt core address.
- Heritage districts. Main Street (1984) in the heart of Galt, Dickson Hill (2005) in Galt, and Blair Village (2002). The Heritage Register also lists designated and non-designated properties across the city. Ask heritageinfo@cambridge.ca what applies to your address.
- Water allocation. The Region has a water supply constraint in the Mannheim Water Service Area. Where it applies, a building permit can’t be issued until water is allocated or the project is confirmed exempt. Contact planning@cambridge.ca to check.
We check your address before we design, and flag any of these at the start, not after the drawings are done.
What we design in Cambridge.
Basement apartments and garden suites
Permit drawings for a legal ARU, from the zoning check to permit.
Additions
Rear, side and second-storey additions.
Alteration drawings
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.
Cambridge questions.
How many units can I add to my house in Cambridge?
Up to two additional residential units, for three units in all, on a lot with a single detached house, semi or street townhouse. Both can be inside the house, or one inside and one in a detached building. The rules are in Section 4.19 of Zoning By-law 26-007. A feasibility check tells you what your lot allows.
Second suites explainedDo I pay development charges on an ARU in Cambridge?
The City and the Region of Waterloo do not collect development charges for ARUs. The two school boards (WRDSB and WCDSB) do collect education development charges under certain circumstances, so confirm with them at edc@wrdsb.ca and edc@wcdsb.ca before you budget.
Can I build an ARU in the Grand River floodplain?
No. Zoning By-law 26-007 does not permit an ARU in the Floodway (F) Zone or in any Floodplain Overlay Zone. In the overlays, minor additions to existing buildings can still be possible with a GRCA permit, as long as no new dwelling unit is created and the work is floodproofed to the City's and GRCA's satisfaction.
How big can a detached ARU be in Cambridge?
Its lot coverage is the lesser of 100 m² or 15%. Height is 4.5 m on a lot under 21 m wide, or 6 m on a lot 21 m or wider if the unit is 3 m from every lot line and 6 m from the house, or on a lane or through lot. It sits 1.2 m from the side and rear lot lines and 4.5 m from the house, with a clear 0.9 m path to the street.
Garden suite requirementsHow much parking does an ARU need in Cambridge?
One extra space per ARU, which can be tandem, on top of the two spaces for the house. You cannot add a new driveway or curb cut to provide ARU parking, so the spaces have to fit on the driveway you already have.
Is the City's $10,000 ARU grant still available?
The City began taking applications on November 1, 2024 for a one-time grant of up to $10,000 per property, for an ARU that has been built, funded by the federal Housing Accelerator Fund. Its page lists no closing date, so confirm with planning@cambridge.ca that it is still open before you count on it.
My house is in a heritage district. What changes?
Cambridge has three Heritage Conservation Districts: Main Street and Dickson Hill in Galt, and Blair Village. Designated properties, and properties in a district, can need heritage approval before the building permit, and sometimes a Heritage Impact Assessment. Ask heritageinfo@cambridge.ca what applies to your address.
Nearby building departments.
Which approvals come first, for your lot.
Zoning, the GRCA, heritage and the permit path for your address in Galt, Preston or Hespeler, before you spend on drawings.