Often we hear from customers that see renovations or home additions on television, or in a magazine, and want to duplicate that process with their home here in Ottawa. However, since every city is different in regards to zoning by-laws, below are some key points to keep in mind before falling in love with a home renovation or addition idea.

Check Your Ottawa Home Zoning Online

The home zoning by-laws set by the City of Ottawa dictate what kinds of additions can be made to existing structures and where they can be placed. Luckily, determining your zoning is not a complicated process. In fact, geoOttawa is a website where you can check your zoning online for free.

Here are some quick instructions on how to access this resource:

1. Open the geoOttawa website
2. Navigate to the area of interest by using the search window or using the zoom function.
3. Once you have selected the parcel of interest, click on ‘Get Zoning Information’ from the information window that opens
4. Once a Zoning window is opened, clicking on the parcel again will now display an info window with the zoning information, including your Subzone, and a link to the by-law text. Clicking on Link to Bylaw Text will bring you to your primary zone location in the zoning by-law.

How Zoning By-Laws Impact Your Neighbourhood

If you are new to geoOttawa, take some time to explore the various options and information it provides. Also, look at the Link to Bylaw Text option to get a feel for what the characteristics are for your neighbourhood zoning and the various regulations that exist for your area.

In our next blog post on zoning by-laws, we will explore how you can interpret your zoning restrictions and how that will affect your home renovation or additions options here in Ottawa.

Planning on expanding your home? Consult with our renovation experts by email [email protected] or call (613) 725-7366 to make sure you’re well informed before you start your project!