Halton Region · Service area
General Contractor in Burlington
Brant Hills back-splits, Aldershot bungalows, Millcroft two-storeys and Brant Street offices, permitted through the City's Building and By-law Department.
An urban lot in Burlington can now hold the main house plus up to three additional residential units, and permit fees for eligible new ARUs are waived until December 31, 2026. A detached unit can reach 80 m² and must sit 4 m from the house. The first ARU needs no added parking.
Renovating in Burlington
What’s different in Burlington
| Permit office | City of Burlington Building and By-law Department (official site, opens in a new tab) |
|---|---|
| Extra units | Main house plus up to three ARUs on urban lots with municipal water and sewer (Official Plan amendment, January 2025). |
| Detached ARUs | Up to 80 m², 7 m high with a peaked roof, 1.2 m from side and rear lines, 4 m from the house. |
| ARU permit fees | Waived for eligible new ARUs from 1 Dec 2024 to 31 Dec 2026. |
| Conservation authority | Conservation Halton. Flood mapping updated for Tuck, Shoreacres, Appleby and Sheldon Creeks. |
| Character areas | Roseland and other 25% coverage areas add a floor area ratio cap and an 18 m maximum house depth. |
| Heritage | Municipal Heritage Register. Several Brant Street buildings designated under Part IV in 2024 and 2025. |
| Water and sewer | Halton Region, which also runs the basement flooding subsidies. Rural north Burlington is on wells and septic. |
Housing stock
Post-war splits south of the QEW, 1990s two-storeys north
South of the QEW, most houses date from the 1950s to the 1970s. Aldershot, Brant Hills and Mountainside are brick bungalows, side-splits and back-splits on lots 15–18 m (50–60 ft) wide. A back-split has a half-level family room over a crawlspace and a short basement. Homes from the late 1960s and early 1970s can have aluminum branch wiring, and many still send clay weeping tile into the sanitary sewer. Roseland, Shoreacres and Tyandaga add larger homes on treed lots. North of Upper Middle Road, Millcroft and Orchard filled in through the 1990s and 2000s, then Alton Village, over poured basements of 2.4 m (8 ft) or more. Downtown condo towers bring board rules and elevator bookings. Above the escarpment, Kilbride and Lowville sit on wells and septic.
Neighbourhoods we work in: Roseland · Aldershot · Brant Hills · Shoreacres · Millcroft · Alton Village
Nearby: Hamilton, Oakville, Mississauga
Services in Burlington
Nine services, each with its own local page
Frequently asked questions
Renovating in Burlington: local questions
Half the eligible cost, up to $1,600, for work completed after July 15, 2024. The valve must be installed inside the home, the house must be on municipal wastewater rather than septic, and the subsidy is one-time per property. The work needs a building permit and inspection, and you apply with invoices and permit documents afterwards. Weeping tile disconnection with a sump pump is covered separately, up to $6,500.
None for the first one. Burlington requires one space each for a second and third ARU, at least 2.75 by 5.5 m (9 by 18 ft) and fully on your lot. Street parking doesn't count, and the main house keeps its own required spaces. A single basement unit or garden suite rarely changes the driveway. A plan for three ARUs can mean a wider one, so we sketch parking with the floor plan.
Not under the urban ARU rules. Those apply to urban lots on municipal water and sewer, and Kilbride, Lowville and the rest of rural north Burlington are on wells and septic. Rural lots follow separate rural zoning and Official Plan policies. Most sit inside the Niagara Escarpment Commission's area of development control, which needs its own development permit. Septic capacity and NEC review come before any design.
Reviews from CarpentryBoys clients near Burlington
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
Start Your Burlington Project
Book a free site visit. You'll get a written, itemised quote and a straight answer on permits and timing.
Financing available through Financeit. See options