Permit drawings in Haldimand County, from Caledonia to the lake.
Haldimand County reviews building permits for Caledonia, Hagersville, Cayuga, Dunnville and the rural lots between them. We prepare the permit drawings for additional units, additions, renovations and new homes, and take the application through to an issued permit.
- Covers
- Caledonia, Hagersville, Cayuga, Dunnville
- Conservation
- Grand River Conservation Authority, Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, Long Point Region Conservation Authority
- Additional units
- Up to 2 per lot
- Applications
- Online through the County portal
- County review
- Typically 10 working days for houses
- From Ancaster
- About 20 minutes
Which authority looks at your lot first?
Haldimand is split between three conservation authorities. Where one regulates your lot, its approval comes before the County will start reviewing the building permit.
- 01Where is the property?
- 02What is on or next to the lot? Pick any.
Schematic, not to scale. Zones are approximate.
Grand River Conservation Authority
Caledonia sits on the Grand River, inside the Grand River watershed.
- Before the building permitLikely a permit or clearance from GRCA. The County does not start its review clock until it is in.
- Near the Grand RiverGrand River valley and floodplain lots are regulated by the Grand River authority anywhere in the County. Expect the flood line and floor levels to matter on the site plan.
A first look, not a ruling: the authority's own regulation map at grandriver.ca decides. From February 1, 2027, GRCA becomes part of the Eastern Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority.
Small sheds and like-for-like repairs aside, plan on a permit.
The County publishes its own list. Every project still has to meet zoning setbacks and heights, permit or not.
- Additions, sunrooms and attached garages
- New or enlarged window and door openings
- Removing a load-bearing wall
- Adding a bathroom, plumbing fixtures or a basement bedroom
- An additional dwelling unit in the house, in an accessory building or standalone
- Any deck attached to the house
- New, altered, upgraded or repaired septic systems
- Sheds and accessory buildings over 15 m², or any size with plumbing
- Sheds up to 15 m², one storey, with no plumbing
- A detached deck under 10 m² and under 12 inches high
- Same-size window and door replacements
- Re-shingling an existing roof, siding, eavestroughs
- Replacing kitchen cupboards or plumbing fixtures in the same spot
- Fences (not pool enclosures), landscaping, painting
Not sure where your project falls? Start with Do I need a permit?
Up to 2 additional units, with a few hard limits.
Haldimand calls a second unit an additional dwelling unit. The rules sit in section 4.55 of Zoning By-law HC 1-2020.
| Rule | What the County allows |
|---|---|
| Units per lot | Up to 2 additional units on a lot with a legally permitted detached, semi or townhouse. If there are 2, at least 1 must be inside the main house. |
| Where | Inside the main house, in an attached or detached accessory structure, or in a standalone structure on the lot. |
| Size inside the house | Up to 40% of the main house's gross floor area, or the entire basement if the unit is in the basement. |
| Detached unit | Up to 6.5 m tall. Not in a required front or exterior side yard. At least 1.0 m from interior side and rear lot lines, and at least 4 m from any other building with a dwelling unit. |
| Lot coverage | Up to 45% for all buildings on an urban residential lot, the detached unit included. |
| Accessory building cap | A unit in a detached accessory building must also meet section 4.2. In the R1 to R4 and RL zones, that caps all accessory buildings together at 10% of the lot or 75 m², whichever is less. In other zones it is 100 m² on lots of 0.4 ha or less and 200 m² on larger lots. |
| Farm lots | Within 45 m of the main house or farm building cluster. The unit cannot be severed. |
| Parking | At least 1 extra off-street space per unit, tandem allowed. At least 40% of the front yard kept as landscaped open space. |
| Entrances | Separate from the main entrance, not only through a garage. A side or rear entrance needs a continuous 1 m walkway. |
| Not permitted | In the Natural Hazard Lands Overlay unless the conservation authority approves; on lots reached only by a private road; in the Lakeshore Residential (RL) zone; on lots with a rooming house, group home or garden suite. |
We design the house and its suite; a feasibility check tells you what your lot allows. We do not design septic systems. See second suites explained and basement apartment vs. garden suite.
What the County charges.
Planning numbers from the County's 2026 user fees (Schedule N), not quotes. The County confirms the fee at intake.
| Permit | County fee (2026) |
|---|---|
| Minimum fee | $298.70 |
| New single, semi, duplex, row or townhouse | $18.90 per m² |
| Alterations, repairs and additions | $10.00 per m² |
| Accessory structures | $4.40 per m² |
| Change of use, no construction | $298.70 |
| New sewage system | $762.20 |
| Sewage system repair | $457.30 |
| Development charges | By-law 2042-19 exempts up to 2 additional units in prescribed existing houses. A new single or semi pays $31,552 in the urban area or $18,890 in the rural area (May 14, 2026 to May 13, 2027), due when the permit is issued. |
Last verified 2026-10-11
- ClosedOntario Renovates (Haldimand-Norfolk Health and Social Services)
The 2026 regional intake closed July 24, 2026. Watch for a future intake.
- Check statusHaldimand County community improvement plans
Aimed at business and downtown properties. We found no County grant for additional units.
Our part is priced separately: see pricing.
How an application goes in.
Other approvals first
Conservation authority, heritage, OMAFRA, MTO or MECP approvals go in before you apply. No review clock starts until they are in.
Drawings and forms
Foundation, framing, section and elevation plans, a site plan from a survey, Schedule 1, and on rural lots the septic and well locations.
Online portal
Submitted through the County portal; a draft saves for 30 days. A designer applying for you needs your signed Owner's Authorization.
Zoning review and fees
The County checks zoning, sets the fee, then reviews: typically 10 working days for houses and additions.
Permit issued
Issued by email, then inspections as the work goes up.
Any new, altered, upgraded or repaired septic system needs its own permit: Schedule 2 and an Application for On-Site Sewage Permit go in with the building permit. We prepare the drawings and forms, submit the application and answer the examiner's comments. Structural design, where needed, is coordinated with an outside licensed professional.
Three conservation authorities, depending on your lot.
The Grand River (GRCA), Long Point Region (LPRCA) and Niagara Peninsula (NPCA) conservation authorities each regulate part of the County. Caledonia and Cayuga sit in the Grand River watershed; Jarvis drains to Long Point Region; about a quarter of the County, in the east, is Niagara Peninsula watershed.
On February 1, 2027, Ontario consolidates its conservation authorities: GRCA and LPRCA join the Eastern Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority, and NPCA joins the Western Lake Ontario Regional Conservation Authority. Applications in flight around that date may change hands, so confirm who to file with.
Send us your address and we check before we design.
What we design in Haldimand County.
Basement apartments and garden suites
Permit drawings for a legal additional unit.
Additions
Rear, side and second-storey additions.
Alterations
Permit drawings for renovations to an existing home.
Load-bearing wall removal
Drawings with the structural design coordinated.
New homes
Detached and semi-detached homes within BCIN House scope.
Do I need a permit?
A self-check before you call anyone.
Haldimand County questions.
How many additional units can I have in Haldimand County?
Up to 2 additional dwelling units on a lot with a legally permitted detached, semi or townhouse. If there are 2, at least 1 has to be inside the main house. Lots in the Lakeshore Residential (RL) zone, lots reached only by a private road and lots in the Natural Hazard Lands Overlay (unless the conservation authority approves) cannot have one.
Does my property qualify?Do I need a septic permit for an additional unit?
If the unit means a new, altered, upgraded or repaired septic system, yes. Schedule 2 and an Application for On-Site Sewage Permit go in with the building permit. A new system's permit fee is $762.20 in 2026. We do not design septic systems, but we tell you early if your project needs one.
What does the County charge for an addition permit?
$10.00 per m² for alterations, repairs and additions in 2026, with a $298.70 minimum. That is the County's fee only; development charges and conservation authority fees are separate.
How our part is pricedHow long does the County take to review a permit?
The County states 10 working days after a complete application for houses, additions and detached structures under 55 m², and 15 for stacked townhouses and structures of 55 m² or more. The clock only starts once other approvals, such as a conservation authority permit, are in.
Which conservation authority covers my lot?
The Grand River, Long Point Region or Niagara Peninsula conservation authority, depending on where you are. Caledonia and Cayuga are Grand River, Jarvis is Long Point Region, the shoreline east of the Grand is Niagara Peninsula, and Hagersville and Dunnville sit near boundaries. The authority's own regulation map decides.
Is a garden suite the same as a detached additional unit here?
No. In Haldimand a garden suite is a temporary unit allowed by a development agreement with the County, first for up to 10 years from the building permit, with 3-year extensions to a 20-year maximum. A detached additional dwelling unit is permanent and follows the additional unit rules. You cannot have both on one lot.
Basement apartment vs. garden suiteNearby building departments.
What the County allows on your lot.
Units, septic, conservation authority and the permit path for your address, before you spend on drawings.