# Will a garden suite fit my lot in Hamilton?

> Check a garden suite or detached ADU against Hamilton Zoning By-law 05-200: floor area, distance to the lot lines and the house, height and lot coverage.

- Canonical HTML: https://www.jdtconstruction.ca/guides/garden-suite-checker/
- Section: Home > Guides > Garden suite fit checker
- Business: JDT Construction Inc., Hamilton, ON, Canada (serves Hamilton)
- Phone: (905) 818-0106 | Email: johnny@jdtconstruction.ca
- Page updated: 2026-11-05

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Tools

Check five numbers against Hamilton's Zoning By-law 05-200: the suite's floor area (75 m² or the house's floor area, whichever is smaller), 1.2 metres from the side and rear lot lines, 4.0 metres from the house, 6.0 metres tall at most, and 45% lot coverage for all buildings together. JDT Construction built this checker from the by-law; the City's zoning desk confirms the rules for an address.

## Check a design

Lot area (m²)

Footprint of the house and every other building on the lot now (m²)

Floor area of the house (m²)

Footprint of the garden suite (m²)

Floor area of the garden suite (m²)

Height of the garden suite (m)

Closest distance to a side or rear lot line (m)

Distance from the house (m)

- Enter the numbers to check them.

The checker covers the city-wide Zoning By-law 05-200. Parts of Hamilton still use a former town's by-law with its own ADU rules (the [areas page](https://www.jdtconstruction.ca/areas/) lists them), and a heritage property, a creek or the escarpment can add approvals.

## Which rules does it check?

**Zoning By-law 05-200 rules for a detached ADU on an urban lot, as amended by By-law 25-033**

| Rule | Limit |
| --- | --- |
| Floor area | The smaller of 75 m² or the floor area of the house |
| Side and rear lot lines | At least 1.2 m |
| From the house | At least 4.0 m |
| Height | 6.0 m at most, no balcony or rooftop patio above the first floor |
| Lot coverage | All buildings together cover 45% of the lot at most |
| Not checked here | Rear or interior side yard only; the 1.0 m access path; 12.0 m² of landscaped rear yard |

From section 4.33.2 of By-law 05-200 as written by By-law 22-132 and amended by By-law 25-033 [(City of Hamilton By-law 25-033, read November 5, 2026)](https://www.hamilton.ca/sites/default/files/2025-04/25-033.pdf); the [ADUs page](https://www.jdtconstruction.ca/builds/adus/) has the full table.

## What comes after it fits?

Water and sewer through the house, a path for firefighters and a builder for a new home: [water, sewer and access for a garden suite](https://www.jdtconstruction.ca/guides/garden-suite-services/). The two kinds of ADU side by side: [basement unit or garden suite](https://www.jdtconstruction.ca/guides/basement-unit-or-garden-suite/). A grading plan may be needed: [lot grading plans](https://www.jdtconstruction.ca/guides/grading-plan/). If a number does not fit, a [minor variance](https://www.jdtconstruction.ca/guides/minor-variance/) is the route.

Published by JDT Construction Inc., Hamilton. Updated November 5, 2026. Free to share and quote, with a link back to this page.

## Planning a build?

JDT draws it on a picture of your property and prices it in one written proposal.

[Call (905) 818-0106](tel:+19058180106) [Request a quote](https://www.jdtconstruction.ca/request/?problem=adu)

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JDT Construction Inc. Call (905) 818-0106. Full site: https://www.jdtconstruction.ca/