Wo-Built Inc: Clients' Advocate for making their Dream Home happen: Renovation Design Tips: Know Your Zoning and By-laws

Thursday, 4 September 2008

Renovation Design Tips: Know Your Zoning and By-laws

Wo-Built Inc. Renovation Design Tips Zoning By-laws

Wo-Built's Design Tips Series
2008 @ wobuilt.com

We at Wo-Built Inc., specialize in building home additions and extensions as well as doing various home renovations. Therefore, we would like to introduce a New Series with tips and helpful advice on what to consider if you are planning an addition or extension to your home.

Tip 1: Know Your Zoning and By-laws

It's always a good idea to start with a vision of what you want for your addition or renovation, but it will turn out to be a big disappointment, or worse, a very expensive venture if your dream project does not meet local building requirements. So, before you talk to a designer or builder, it's important to contact your local municipal building department to find out your home's zoning. You need to know what is allowed in terms of building height, distance from your neighbors and the curb, the allowable ground footage (foot print of your building) and the overall square footage. It's to your advantage to get this information in advance so that you can plan your project within the appropriate limits.

Please note: a garage on your property counts as part of the foot print, but not as part of the overall square footage. If you have a shed on the property, this may, depending on the size, count in the foot print calculations.

Look out for our next tip!

Lonya is the staff writer for Wo-Built Inc.

links:
City of Toronto: Zoning bylaw project
Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing: Zoning By-laws

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