Backyard homes and tiny houses

• must have a minimum lot width 13.1 meters
• must have a minimum lot area of 395 square meters
• maximum of one additional dwelling unit (detached) per lot
• must have full municipal services
• must be located in the rear yard a minimum of 0.6 meters from property lines

• maximum building height of:
  • 4.5 metres for a hip, gable, shed, or gambrel roof, measured to the mid point between the eaves and the peak of the roof, excluding the eaves of any projections
  • 4.5 metres for a mansard roof, measured to the deck line
  • 3 metres for a flat roof, measured to the peak of the roof

• for a shed roof where the peak of the roof is more than 4.5 metres from highest finished grade level, the highest exterior wall cannot face a rear or side lot line closer than 4.5 metres

• if the main house is a single detached dwelling or duplex, the side yard setback of the main house must be 1.2 metres on both sides
• if the main house is a street townhouse or semi-detached dwelling, the side yard setback of the main house must be 2.5 metres on one side

• there must be a 1.1 meter wide unobstructed path to the entrance of the detached unit from the street or sidewalk

• the total footprint of detached structures and additional dwellings cannot exceed 15% of the lot area
• the maximum floor area is 50% of the main house (excluding basement) or 80 square metres, whichever is less

An 11.5 metre long driveway (measured from the front property line towards the house) that is at least 2.6 metres wide. An 11.5 metre long driveway meets the requirement for two parking spaces. The two spaces can be arranged in tandem (one behind the other).

A single garage combined with a driveway in front of the garage. The garage must be located at least 6 metres from the front property line and be able to accommodate one parking space. The driveway in front of the garage must be at least 2.6 metres wide and will accommodate the second space. The two spaces can be arranged in tandem (one behind the other).

A double garage combined with a driveway in front of the garage. The double garage must be located at least 6 metres from the front property line and be able to accommodate two parking spaces. The driveway in front of the garage must be at least 5.2 metres wide and will accommodate the third space. Two of the three spaces can be arranged in tandem (one behind the other).

An 11.5-metre-long double driveway that is at least 5.2 metres wide. Three parking spaces must be able to fit on this driveway and only one can be located closer than 6 metres from the property line. Two of the three spaces can be arranged in tandem (one behind the other).

A 17-metre-long single driveway (measured from the front property line towards the house) that is at least 2.6 metres wide. A 17 metre long driveway meets the requirement for three parking spaces. The three spaces can be arranged in tandem (one behind the other).

• if your application does not meet all zoning or parking regulations, we cannot issue permits without legalizing the items that don't meet the regulations
  • you may need to complete a Committee of Adjustment application for Minor Variance ($1,287 in 2021)
  • please contact planning staff before applying
• we will not issue the building permit before the site plan is approved
• when the site plan is approved, we will mail a courtesy notice to all properties within 30 metres of your property letting them know about the approval and next steps (building permits and construction)

• there must be full municipal services available on the property
• properties in Kitchener are allowed only one set of municipal services to the street (sanitary & water) and the new unit must connect to these on private property
• contact utilities companies (hydro, gas, water) separately and early in the process to set up services for the new unit

• each property with an additional dwelling unit (detached) must have a permanent address sign installed. This will help emergency services such as the fire department to find and access the unit.
• it is the responsibility of the owner/applicant to manufacture the ADU Address Sign. During the site plan approval process, the sign location must be shown on the plan.
• design requirements for the sign:
• 6”/15cm high with a length appropriate to fit the assigned unit identifier;
• characters shall be 4”/10cm high; and,
• the sign shall have white characters on a green reflective background on both sides of the sign.
• note: a unit identifier will be assigned during the site plan approval process or building permit process. Do not manufacture the sign until the unit identifier has been assigned.
• location requirements for the sign:
• mounted 1 metre above ground level and perpendicular to the roadway;
• placed within 1m of the path or driveway that leads to the additional dwelling unit (detached); and,
• located within 1m of the front property line.

If you have any questions, send us an email.

• if the property is listed or designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, you may need a Heritage Impact Assessment and/or Heritage Permit Application before getting a building permit
  • contact our heritage planning staff to check if your property is listed or designated
• if the property is within the Grand River Conservation Authority’s (GRCA) regulated area, we may not issue the site plan and any building permits until all GRCA requirements are met, as applicable

• it is the owner’s responsibility to provide any parking spaces for tenants of the backyard home on private property and must advise future tenants of any parking constraints
  • City of Kitchener on-street parking spaces are not to be relied upon as a parking space for future tenants
• while the zoning allows exterior walls to be located as close to 0.6 metres (2 feet) from property lines, the Ontario Building Code requires any wall located closer than 1.2 metres (4 feet) from a property line to have a 45-minute fire resistance rating and no windows are allowed on that wall
• if the property borders a railway right-of-way, there are other setback rules contained in Section 5.23 of the Zoning By-law
  • the railway authorities will be circulated on your site plan application for their comment
• if there are any buildings on the property that are over 108 square feet in area proposed to be removed, you'll need a demolition permit
• before removing any trees on shared property line(s), you'll need written permission from all property owners before we approve the site plan and before you can remove any trees
  • where any trees may be impacted by the proposed location of the new unit, you may need further studies such as an arborist

After your site plan is approved, you can get your building permits. Before your building permit can be issued, you must pay development charges.

For backyard homes, region & city development charges are waived. You have to pay school board development charges (a combined $3,801 per unit as of June 1, 2022). Visit the Waterloo Regional District School Board and Waterloo Catholic District School Board webpages for the most up-to-date information on development charges.