Oxford County · Service area
General Contractor in Woodstock
Basement units, backyard ARUs, kitchens, additions and clinic fit-outs across Woodstock, checked against Zoning By-law 8626-10 and permitted through Cloudpermit.
Woodstock’s Zoning By-law 8626-10 leaves a basement unit out of the 100 m² cap on additional residential units, so the lower floor is the simplest place to add a suite. Oxford County planners answer zoning questions for the City, so CarpentryBoys Inc., as general contractor, confirms each lot’s zone with them before drawings.
Renovating in Woodstock
What’s different in Woodstock
| Permit office | City of Woodstock Building Department (official site, opens in a new tab) |
|---|---|
| Zoning by-law | By-law 8626-10. Oxford County Community Planning reviews zone changes, variances and consents for the City. |
| Extra units | Up to two ARUs with a house, semi or townhouse in the R1, R2, R3, C3 and HD zones. |
| ARU size cap | 60% of the main house’s floor area, to 100 m². A basement unit doesn’t count toward it. |
| Detached units | Lots of 540 m² or more. Up to 6.0 m high, 1.2 m setbacks, footprint up to 75 m². |
| Parking | One extra space per ARU, tandem allowed. Up to 65% of the front yard may be parking. |
| Conservation authority | Upper Thames River Conservation Authority along the Thames, Cedar Creek and their tributaries. |
| Water | Oxford County municipal wells, about 427 mg/L hardness (roughly 30 grains per gallon). |
Housing stock
Victorian brick downtown, post-war bungalows north and south
Woodstock was laid out in the 1830s, and its oldest blocks run along Dundas Street from Old St. Paul’s Church to the downtown core. North of downtown, Vansittart Avenue carries large Victorian, Edwardian and Tudor Revival houses, several designated under the Ontario Heritage Act. Expect solid brick, stone or brick foundations, plaster and mixed-era wiring. Most of the city’s homes date from the 1940s to the 1970s: storey-and-a-half wartime houses, brick bungalows and back-splits in the north and south ends. Their basements have workable height, and the lots leave room for a second parking space or a detached unit. Since the 2000s, growth has filled the north-west, including Sally Creek, and new subdivisions toward the Highway 401 interchanges. Those houses have full-height poured basements, many with a bathroom rough-in.
Neighbourhoods we work in: Vansittart Avenue · Old Woodstock · North end · South end near Southside Park · Sally Creek
Services in Woodstock
Nine services, each with its own local page
Frequently asked questions
Renovating in Woodstock: local questions
Both, in different roles. The City of Woodstock owns Zoning By-law 8626-10, and its Council and Committee of Adjustment make the decisions. Oxford County Community Planning staff review applications and answer zoning questions on the City’s behalf. Building permits go to the City’s Building Department through Cloudpermit. Special zones can add or remove ARU permissions, so we confirm your lot’s zone with County planners before drawings.
When the lot sits inside the UTRCA’s regulated area: floodplains, valley slopes and wetlands along the Thames River, Cedar Creek and their tributaries, plus a buffer. New buildings, additions, grading and fill there need a UTRCA permit before the City issues a building permit. Woodstock’s zoning also bars ARUs inside the regulation limit without the authority’s approval. Interior renovations don’t need one.
Very hard. Oxford County reports about 427 mg/L, roughly 30 grains per gallon, in the Woodstock system, which draws from municipal wells. Scale shortens the life of water heaters, dishwashers, shower valves and glass, so most homes run a softener. In a Woodstock kitchen, bathroom or basement we plan the softener location, a floor drain and an unsoftened line for drinking water.
Reviews from CarpentryBoys clients near Woodstock
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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