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Markham Coach Houses and Garden Homes Guide for Homeowners

What Are Coach Houses and Garden Homes?

Markham considers coach houses and garden homes accessory suites to a house on a property:

  • A coach house is a dwelling unit where most of the unit is located above a detached garage located in the rear yard of a property that is accessed by a lane.
  • A garden home is a dwelling unit located in an accessory building that is in the rear yard of a property that is not accessed by a lane.
  • A property is not permitted to have both a coach house and garden home.

What You Need to Know

Review Markham’s Guide for Homeowners for detailed requirements to create a coach house or garden home:

  • Obtain a building permit. You must obtain a building permit before building a coach house or garden home on your property.
  • Confirm your property meets all requirements. Review the Guide for Homeowners to ensure your property complies with all applicable requirements, including zoning, site standards, parking, fire separation, HVAC, and other requirements.
  • Check your property’s zoning. Use the City of Markham’s Property Details Search tool to determine the zoning applicable to your property.

How to Apply

Building Permit Requirements

You must apply online through the ePLAN Portal to obtain a building permit

  • What you need to submit depends on where the building is located, what municipal services exist on the lot, and whether the building is new or being renovated.
  • There are four main parts to every building permit application:
    1. Application forms
    2. Documents
    3. Construction drawings
    4. Permit fees

Find a comprehensive list of the required drawings, documents, and forms here.

Building Inspections

Registration

  • After construction is complete, owners must register all coach houses and garden homes with Markham Fire and Emergency Services. Fire and Emergency Services staff must check the coach house or garden home for a fee.
  • You must provide several forms of documentation to Fire and Emergency Services. Review the Guide for Homeowners for a full list of documentation.
  • To begin the process, contact Markham Fire & Emergency Services at:
    • Phone number: 905-415-7521
    • Email: Fire-PreventionChiefs@markham.ca

For more information on how to build a coach house or garden home, review the Guide for Homeowners.