Legal Duplex conversion in Hamilton Ontario

[Ryan Kirk]

Has anyone gone through the process of converting a single-family home into a duplex legally? Working with the city, getting permits etc. I'd love to connect & get some advice. Thanks!

[Luc Boiron]

@Ryan Kirk I converted a property to a legal duplex in Orillia. 

Each municipality will have different regulations. You will have 3 main things to worry about: Zoning by-laws, Fire code, building code.

Zoning by-laws: This can be one of the trickiest parts. You can check the zoning by-law with the city, and see what is allowed within which zoning. Not every zoning allows duplexes, and the lot size and other requirements may be different. What would work in one area of a city may not work in another area with a different zoning. 36' for parking, for example, may not be enough, because some zones may say that lots up to 40' wide can only have 20' of driveway. You'll need to pull up the zoning maps and by-laws and check out the areas where there are properties you are interested in. If you have a property you are very interested in, feel free to call the city planning department and speak to a planner. They'll usually give their opinion on it and tell you what to look out for.

Fire Code: Things like egress windows (opening of approximately 4 sqft at least, enough room to climb out of), 5/8" fire rated drywall on ceilings, etc. For noise, I had put sound proof insulation between the joists, then hung the drywall on resilient channel which reduces thumping noises. You'll also need to fire proof both sides of the furnace room. In my case, I fire rated the wall with 5/8", and the inside was too complicated to drywall in with all the pipes, so we put in two sprinkler heads.

Building code: Standard building code requirements. A bedroom will need a minimum amount of window glass area (when you are converting an existing basement, it's half the requirement of a new build which is nice).

In the Orillia property, we had a few hurdles. I actually got refused by the committee of adjustment (the lot was a little bit not wide enough, and I needed a minor variance. The elderly neighbours came and complained about more people, so I was refused.) I ended up winning at the OMB. Also, there were some minor things that came up during the conversion, such as needing the sprinklers in the furnace room. The inspector was good to work with, and pointed out what he wanted to see. It all worked out, and that's the key. Don't wait for the absolute perfect property. Find a good one, then get it done, and you will find a way while doing it.

Good luck.