Niagara Region · Service area
General Contractor in St. Catharines
Basement suites, kitchens, additions, backyard units and commercial fit-outs across St. Catharines, run from our Hamilton office down the QEW.
Zoning By-law 2013-283, amended in 2024, lets a St. Catharines house add up to two accessory dwelling units, for three homes on one lot. Much of the city is post-war brick with full basements and deep yards that suit them. Up to two of those units are exempt from development charges.
Renovating in St. Catharines
What’s different in St. Catharines
| Permit office | City of St. Catharines Planning and Building Services (official site, opens in a new tab) |
|---|---|
| Accessory units | Up to two ADUs with a detached, semi or townhouse, inside or detached. 0.5 parking spaces per unit. |
| Pre-approved designs | Four detached ADU designs from 37 m² to 80 m², reviewed for Code and zoning size. |
| ADU grant | CIP grant closed April 16, 2026 after funding ran out. Council asked staff for alternatives. |
| Heritage districts | Five: Port Dalhousie, Port Dalhousie Commercial Core and Harbour Area, Yates Street, Queen Street, Power Glen. |
| Conservation authority | Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority: creek valleys, wetlands and the Lake Ontario shoreline, under O. Reg. 41/24. |
| Utilities | Alectra Utilities for hydro, Enbridge Gas for natural gas. |
| Development charges | Exempt for up to two additional units with a detached, semi or townhouse dwelling. |
Housing stock
Post-war brick across the north, older streets in the core
The biggest share of the city is post-war: brick and sided bungalows and storey-and-a-half homes built between about 1945 and 1970. You see them in Grantham, Facer, Fairview, Western Hill and much of Merritton. Most have a full basement around 2.1 m (7 ft) clear before ductwork, 1 bathroom, a closed kitchen and a deep rear yard. Downtown, the Yates Street and Queen Street area, Port Dalhousie and the old Merritton mill streets hold 19th and early 20th-century homes. Those bring plaster walls, balloon framing, rubble or brick foundations and patched wiring. Martindale, Glenridge and the streets near Brock University date from the 1970s to the 1990s. Around Brock University and the Glendale corridor, many are owned by investors and rented by the room.
Neighbourhoods we work in: Western Hill · Merritton · Port Dalhousie · Grantham · Glenridge
Nearby: Hamilton, Burlington
Services in St. Catharines
Nine services, each with its own local page
Frequently asked questions
Renovating in St. Catharines: local questions
No. The City posted on April 16, 2026 that the ADU grant under its Community Improvement Plan had run out of funding and closed. It paid up to 70% of eligible costs, to $40,000 for an interior unit and $80,000 for a detached one. Council asked staff to report on alternatives, so a new program may appear. We build your budget without any grant.
If any part of the work falls inside a regulated area, yes. The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority regulates flood plains, valley slopes, wetlands and the Lake Ontario shoreline under Ontario Regulation 41/24. That covers much of the Twelve Mile Creek valley and land around Martindale Pond. The NPCA permit is separate from the City permit, and the City wants it settled first. Interior renovations rarely trigger it.
For exterior work, yes in most cases. Port Dalhousie has 2 heritage conservation districts, and each district plan lists the changes that need a heritage permit: windows, doors, porches, cladding, roofs, additions and demolition. A kitchen or basement that doesn’t touch the outside only needs a building permit. Heritage review adds 4 to 8 weeks to the schedule for exterior changes.
Reviews from CarpentryBoys clients near St. Catharines
03 / In our clients’ words
“Very professional, hard working they know their job very well. They built our legal basement, we are totally satisfied with their work. Highly recommended.”
Rated 5.0 out of 5 across 13 customer reviews on Bark.com
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