ONE REGION · EIGHT MUNICIPALITIES
Start with a municipality or a planning question, then follow the official source. Property-level zoning lookup will require verified municipal data.
Parcel and zoning lookups use public municipal open-data layers where available. Results are for reference only.
Illustrative navigation map · Select an area
Map shapes are for navigation only. Open each municipality’s official zoning map for real property boundaries.
Ontario’s More Homes Built Faster Act (2022) requires municipalities to allow up to three residential units on many lots — for example a basement apartment, a garden suite, or an in-law suite — subject to Building Code and servicing. Municipal zoning by-laws set the detailed standards: maximum unit size, parking, separate entrances, and servicing requirements.…
The Ontario Building Code applies province-wide, and each Durham municipality administers building permits locally. You generally need a permit for new buildings, additions, structural alterations, decks, garages, basement finishes, and plumbing changes. Applications go to the municipal building department with drawings; staff review for zoning compliance and Building Code conformity, then inspect at construction stages.…
Larger proposals — subdivisions, site plans, official plan or zoning amendments — move through formal development applications under Ontario’s Planning Act. Pre-consultation with municipal planning staff is typically mandatory: staff confirm the application type, the studies required (traffic, servicing, environmental, urban design), fees and timelines. Applications are circulated to commenting agencies such as Durham Region…
When a proposal almost — but not quite — meets the zoning standards (a setback slightly short, lot coverage a touch over), the owner can seek a minor variance from the municipality’s Committee of Adjustment under section 45 of Ontario’s Planning Act. The committee applies four tests: the variance must be minor in nature, desirable…
Each Durham municipality’s official plan sets long-term land-use policy: where growth goes, density and intensification targets, employment areas, natural heritage systems, and infrastructure. Durham Region’s Official Plan adds the regional layer — growth forecasts, regional corridors, agricultural systems and natural heritage across the region. Zoning by-laws must conform to official plans, so when a proposal…
Durham municipalities enforce property standards, noise, waste, fences, signs, encroachments and zoning compliance through by-law enforcement officers, usually on a complaints-driven basis. Common issues include illegal second units, property maintenance, noise, parking on lawns, sign violations, and fence disputes — fence height and “finished side” rules differ by municipality, so check the local fence by-law…
Zoning by-laws set minimum front, rear and side yard setbacks and maximum lot coverage (the share of the lot that buildings may cover), and these numbers differ by zone. Related controls include height limits, angular planes where taller buildings sit near low-rise areas, daylighting triangles at intersections, and conservation-authority setbacks near watercourses, wetlands and valleylands.…
Every property in Durham Region sits in a zone set by its municipality’s zoning by-law — for example Oshawa’s By-law 60-94, Whitby’s 2585/1784/5581-05, Clarington’s 84-63 and 2005-109, Ajax 95-2003, Pickering 8149/24, Scugog 14-14, Uxbridge 81-19, or Brock 287-78-PL. The zone decides which uses are permitted (residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, institutional) and sets standards for setbacks,…
Please note: DurhamPlanning.com is an independent concept by AllAboutWebServices.com Inc. It is not affiliated with Durham Region or any municipality. This site does not determine zoning, permitted uses, setbacks or permit eligibility. Verify any proposal with the municipality before applying or building.