City of Brantford · Service area
General Contractor in Brantford
Second units, kitchens, additions and clinic fit-outs across Brantford, from Brant Avenue Victorians to West Brant homes, about 35 minutes from Hamilton.
Brantford’s Zoning By-law 124-2024 allows three units on a lot, but it bars a basement unit on land zoned with the (F) flood prefix along the Grand River. CarpentryBoys Inc. is the general contractor for Brantford basements, kitchens, additions, backyard units and clinic fit-outs. We check the floodplain and heritage mapping before design starts.
Renovating in Brantford
What’s different in Brantford
| Permit office | City of Brantford Building Department (official site, opens in a new tab) |
|---|---|
| Zoning by-law | By-law 124-2024, in force since September 24, 2024. Up to three units on a lot, one may be detached. |
| Unit rules | Two bedrooms each, own outdoor entrance, one parking space per unit, tandem allowed. |
| Unit size | Above grade: 50% of the main home or 110 m², whichever is less. A basement unit can use the whole basement. |
| Floodplain | No basement units on (F)-zoned land. GRCA permit and no basements on the Flood Protection Overlay. |
| Heritage districts | Brant Avenue (1988) and Victoria Park Square, about 139 properties. Heritage permits are free. |
| Heritage grant | Up to half of eligible restoration costs, to a maximum of $20,000. |
| Hydro | GrandBridge Energy, formed in 2022 from Brantford Power and Energy+. |
Housing stock
Factory-era brick by the river, post-war bungalows, West Brant growth
Brantford’s oldest houses date from its industrial boom, about 1870 to 1915. Brant Avenue has large brick Victorians with tall ceilings and fieldstone or brick foundations. Eagle Place, the East Ward and Holmedale hold smaller workers’ houses on narrow lots, with low cellars and balloon framing. Holmedale and Eagle Place sit close to the river, behind dikes built after the 1974 flood. After the Second World War, the North Ward, Echo Place, Henderson and Terrace Hill filled with brick bungalows and storey-and-a-halfs. Their basements are about 2.0 to 2.1 m high, and their lots fit a side entrance or a backyard unit. West Brant has grown since the 1980s, with taller basements and attached garages.
Neighbourhoods we work in: Holmedale · Eagle Place · Brant Avenue · Echo Place · West Brant
Services in Brantford
Nine services, each with its own local page
Frequently asked questions
Renovating in Brantford: local questions
Not if the property is zoned with the (F) flood prefix. Section 3.2 of Brantford’s By-law 124-2024 bars additional units in the basement of homes on (F)-zoned land. That covers much of the Grand River floodplain in Holmedale, Eagle Place and the older river streets of West Brant. An above-grade unit may still work with a GRCA permit. We check the zoning map and GRCA flood layers first.
Not when we last checked. Brantford had no city-wide residential rental licensing by-law in force. The City ran a public consultation on rental housing, including licensing and registration, that closed on November 14, 2025. Council may still act, so confirm before you rent. Short-term rentals must be registered under the City’s Short-Term Rental Accommodation Registry Program.
Only if the lot is on municipal services. Brantford permits up to three units on a serviced lot. Some older properties in the land transferred from the County of Brant on January 1, 2017 still use a private well and septic. If city sewer and water reach your street, a unit can be added as anywhere else. Tutela Heights lots near the Grand River valley may also need GRCA review for slopes.
Reviews from CarpentryBoys clients near Brantford
03 / In our clients’ words
“Very professional, hard working they know their job very well. They built our legal basement, we are totally satisfied with their work. Highly recommended.”
Rated 5.0 out of 5 across 13 customer reviews on Bark.com
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