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Garage conversion

A garage conversion involves converting an existing garage into a residential unit. 

Your drawings must clearly show what is existing and the changes you want to make. Drawings must be to scale and should use metric measurements.

When converting an existing garage into a residential unit, you’ll need to submit the following drawings and documents. We may request additional information when your application is reviewed.

The site plan must include:

  • Scale (metric only)
  • Direction (north arrow)
  • Municipal address
  • Legal description (lot and plan numbers)
  • Existing buildings and accessory structures labelled “existing”
  • Proposed construction (hatch and label “PROPOSED” in capital letters)
  • Dimensioned property lines
  • Overall building dimensions
  • Rights-of-way and easements
  • Landscaped areas and hard surfaces such as driveways and walkways

Setbacks

Setbacks from all property lines to all:

  • New and existing structures
  • Encroachments (porch, stairs, window wells, decks)

Site statistics

  • Lot area
  • Lot frontage
  • Lot coverage (metres squared and percent)
  • Description or breakdown of what is included in coverage
  • Gross floor area infill residential figure (metres squared) with breakdown of each floor
  • Garage area (metres squared)
  • Area of the yard in which the driveway is located (metres squared)
  • Landscaped soft area of yard where the driveway is located (metres squared and percent)

Driveway and walkways

  • Driveway width
  • Driveway setback to adjacent property lines
  • Driveway surface treatment
  • Dimension of any walkway attachment width to driveway

Other

  • Air conditioner location and setback
  • Window well locations and setbacks
  • Dwelling unit depth

The floor plan must include:

  • Direction (north arrow)
  • Title and scale
  • Use and size of rooms and spaces
  • Interior and exterior dimensions, including door and window sizes
  • Structural framing indicating the size, type, grade, spacing, direction of span and location of all structural members (joists, beams, posts and lintels, as well as engineered floor members when applicable)
  • Location of required smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors
  • Location of existing and proposed plumbing fixtures labelled accordingly
  • Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) supply and return grilles, if maintaining the existing system
  • Cross-section details

The roof plan must include:

  • Roof slopes
  • Roof space ventilation
  • Location of skylights and surrounding framing
  • Size, grade and spacing of roof rafters, roof joists (if cathedral or flat), ceiling joists, collar ties and ridge supports for conventional roof framing
  • Spacing and direction of span of engineered roof trusses, when applicable
  • Location of girder trusses and beams
  • Building designer’s statement of roof truss system coordination with architectural or structural drawings, if applicable

Elevations are required for each side of the project. They must include:

  • Title and scale
  • Grade level
  • Existing and proposed work
  • Finished floor levels
  • Vertical dimensions to the:
    • Highest ridge from the average grade
    • Eaves from average grade
    • Midpoint of the roof from average grade
  • Exterior wall cladding, finishes and flashing
  • Sizes and location of windows and doors
  • Roof overhang and dimensions
  • Roof shape, slope and finish
  • Height of chimneys
  • Rainwater leaders and eavestroughs
  • Percentage of glazed areas relative to exposed building face calculations

Sample drawings and resources

Contact us

For more information about required documents, call 311 (905‑615‑4311 outside City limits).

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