RENOVATIONS
Basement Finishing in Burlington
Basement finishes, kitchens and wall removals in existing Burlington houses.
◆ Burlington homes and renovations
Burlington Building Permit Services for Additional Units, Additions and New Homes
In Burlington, a building permit for a house project is preceded by City reviews many owners do not expect: zoning, grading and drainage, and forestry, each with its own 2026 fee. Two residential zoning by-laws are now in use, the Niagara Escarpment Commission takes over on Escarpment lands, and Conservation Halton regulates the creek valleys that run down to the lake.
Up to Three Additional Units on an Urban Lot
Burlington allows up to three additional residential units on urban residential land where a detached house, semi, street townhouse or rear-lane townhouse is permitted, so a lot can hold four homes in total. Up to two of the three can be detached, but both have to be in the same accessory building.
Three rules shape most Burlington second-unit files:
- Parking. The first additional unit needs no parking space, and the second and third need one each. Tandem spaces count, and every space has to be at least 2.75 m wide and 16.5 m² and sit fully on the property.
- Servicing. Additional units are allowed only where the lot has municipal water and sewer. A property on a well, cistern or septic system does not qualify.
- Entrances. Each wall of the house that faces a street can have only one exterior entrance, so a separate door for a basement unit usually goes on a side or rear wall.
Basement units, garden suites, additions and new houses are all covered on the residential building permits page.
◆ Before the drawings
Which Zoning By-law, and the Reviews Before the Permit
Council passed Residential Zoning By-law 09-2026 on March 2, 2026. It replaces Zoning By-law 2020 only for certain residentially zoned lands, so some Burlington properties are read under the new by-law and others still under 2020. Confirming which one covers the address comes before any layout.
The new by-law changes more than numbers. In the LN1 to LN6 zones, a lot with one or more additional units can cover up to 45% of its area. In LN8, a new detached house is permitted only if it includes at least one attached additional unit, and in HN at least two.
Before the building permit, low-density residential projects go through the City’s zoning, grading and drainage, and forestry reviews. Most zoning applications need a legal survey by an Ontario Land Surveyor, although a deck, shed or small addition may be able to use an existing one if zoning staff agree.
The Escarpment, Conservation Halton and Private Trees
Some Burlington approvals come from outside the City’s building department and are easiest to plan before the drawings are final.
Niagara Escarpment Commission. On land inside the NEC’s regulated area, the City’s zoning by-law does not apply. A written NEC development permit or exemption has to be part of a complete submission to the City.
Conservation Halton. Burlington’s creeks, among them Grindstone, Indian, Tuck and Appleby creeks, and the Lake Ontario shoreline fall under Conservation Halton. Work inside its regulated area needs a Conservation Halton permit as well as the City’s approvals.
Private trees. Burlington’s private tree by-law requires a permit to remove a tree 20 cm or more in diameter, measured 1.37 m above the ground. Removed trees have to be replaced, and the permit is posted on the property where neighbours can see it.
◆ A Burlington file, start to finish
How a Burlington House Permit Comes Together
Zoning drawings are dimensioned in metric and drawn to a stated scale with a scale bar. The City recommends 1:100, 1:200, 1:250 or 1:300, with a site plan, floor plans and elevations.
01
Assess
By-law and overlay check
Find out whether 09-2026 or 2020 applies, and whether the lot is in the Escarpment area or near a regulated creek.
Intake
02
Check
Survey and zoning drawings
Order a current survey, then prepare the site plan, floor plans and elevations the zoning review needs.
Feasibility
03
Prepare
Grading and forestry
Have the grading and drainage plan and the tree information ready alongside the zoning set.
Drawings
04
File
Building permit and inspections
Apply for the building permit once the City reviews are complete, then book inspections at each stage.
Municipal
◆ Burlington projects
Common Burlington House Projects
The kinds of work behind most Burlington permit questions.
SECOND UNITS
Burlington Additional Units
Basement and garden suite units planned around parking, entrances and municipal servicing.
ADDITIONS
Additions to Burlington Homes
Rear and second-storey additions, with the grading review scaled to the size of the addition.
DECKS
Decks and Porches
Decks and porches drawn to the City’s zoning checklist, with setbacks and easements shown.
GARAGES
Garages and Garden Suites
Detached garages and accessory buildings, including one that holds up to two additional units.
NEW HOMES
New Houses in LN8 and HN Zones
New detached houses where the zone requires one or two attached units to be built in.
Burlington Pre-Permit Review Fees for 2026
These City review fees for low-density residential work apply before the building permit fee itself. The figures are from Burlington’s 2026 fee schedule.
Review | 2026 fee |
Zoning review: new single or semi-detached unit | $2,110 per unit |
Zoning review: additional residential unit | $1,145 per unit |
Zoning review: residential addition | $1,420 |
Zoning review: basement finish, deck, porch or accessory building | $400 |
Zoning resubmission, third and each later | $680 |
Grading and drainage: new house, or addition or accessory building of 75 m² or more | $1,645 |
Grading and drainage: smaller addition, accessory building or deck | $360 |
Forestry review | $61.02, HST included |
A design that goes back for a third zoning review pays the resubmission fee each time, so a complete first submission saves money as well as time. The building permit fee is charged separately on top of these reviews.
Planning Work on a Burlington Property?
Send the address and a short note on the project to learn which Burlington reviews and approvals it needs, and in what order.
◆ Why iPermit?
Choosing Help for a Burlington Project
Burlington files most often slow down at the pre-permit stage: drawings read against the wrong by-law, a missing survey, or a grading plan that does not match the zoning set. When talking to a consultant, ask who confirms which by-law applies, who prepares the grading and forestry material, and who handles any NEC or Conservation Halton application. The City reviews the application, issues the permit and inspects the work; a consultant prepares and coordinates the file within the agreed scope.
◆ Burlington owners often ask
Burlington Permit Questions
Short answers to questions that come up on Burlington projects.
Can I turn my attached garage into an additional unit?
Under the City’s guidance for additional units, a lawfully existing attached garage can be converted, and the 3 m side yard requirement does not apply to that conversion. The Building Code requirements for a dwelling unit still do.
Do additional units count toward maximum density?
Under Zoning By-law 2020, no. Additional units are left out of maximum density, maximum dwelling unit count and minimum visitor parking calculations, and maximum floor area ratio does not apply.
Does a backyard pool need a zoning review in Burlington?
Yes. A residential pool has a $205 zoning application and a $61.02 forestry application, and the pool enclosure permit is $344 for an in-ground or on-ground pool or $174 for an above-ground one.
Can I build over an easement on my lot?
Not without approval from the party the easement benefits. Easements have to be shown on the zoning drawings, so they are found before the design is set.