Herb's Corner, by Herb Lagois
A carriage house in your back yard? It’s an exciting new possibility for homeowners, and it’s expected to be allowed in certain Ottawa neighbourhoods soon.
Once a new City of Ottawa bylaw is approved, depending on permits and requirements for size and lot, you will be able to plan for an extra building on your property that could significantly enhance your lifestyle.
Other municipalities also support carriage homes or secondary dwellings. We strongly recommend that you rely on a designer who has the expertise to check all local bylaws and zoning requirements for your area.
New building or retrofitted old one
A carriage house can be a new building or it can be retrofitted from, for example, a garage. It must be designed specifically to accommodate neighbours’ homes in regard to privacy, shadowing, and overlook, and to make sure mature trees are preserved on your main property as well as any neighbouring properties. It has to be connected to your main water and sewer, share the same parking area and yard, and cover less than 40 per cent of the size of your property.
The new bylaw is expected to be approved by the end of this year.
Second home, office, art studio, guest house
It’s an exciting concept with many possible uses. A Carriage House can be a smaller unit for parents who would like to turn the big house over to their adult children; it can be a place for grandparents to live independently but with the safety of family nearby. It can be an office, an art studio, a guest house.
The permits and paperwork will be complicated and best handled by a professional designer and builder who will look after all of it for you. Excellent design is critical for maximum comfort, attention to detail, efficient use of space, holistic planning for living in place, and beautiful aesthetics.
Rules, rules, rules
A carriage house is only allowable if you don’t already have a secondary living space, such as a basement apartment or garden suite. It’s limited in its footprint and height so it’s smaller than your main home, and it can’t be severed to create a separate lot. It can’t be taller than your main house. Its design has to be in keeping with the character of the neighbourhood. It has to be in your back yard if you live in the city, or have a minimum setback if you live in a village or rural area.
There are several Ontario Building Code requirements for servicing your carriage house with water and sewer services that include precise service pipes and plumbing. There are further requirements for urban properties with well and septic system. Electrical services, grading, drainage and easements are all strictly regulated.
The placement of windows is also regulated to respect the privacy of adjacent properties. Other considerations, such as entrances and access, have strict rules depending on where your property is located.
Give it to a professional
There is a long list of rules and requirements before anyone can get a permit for a carriage house, and for this reason alone the concept is best left in your professional architectural designer’s hands.
It’s not something that happens overnight.
But it could be the start of a whole new way of living.
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