Coach House in Ottawa
Coach Houses
A coach house is a small accessory apartment located in a small freestanding building detached from the principal dwelling and located on the same lot as the principal dwelling.
This type of housing is a way to achieve affordable housing and increased density in existing neighbourhoods where existing services and infrastructure are in place.
Am I Eligible?
You will have to do an individual analysis to determine if your lot can accommodate a coach house. In general, a lot can accommodate a coach house
- The lot is serviced by municipal water and wastewater, or if the lot is in the rural area, it is 0.4 hectares or larger and is serviced by a private well and septic system;
- The lot contains a detached, semi-detached, duplex or townhouse dwelling unit. In the case of a rowhouse, the coach house must have
a direct pedestrian access to a public road by providing a1.2 metre wide pathway - The primary dwelling unit does not already contain a secondary dwelling unit (e.g. a basement apartment), garden suite or any rooming units.
Lot Size

Size
TheBy-law sets a maximum footprint for a coach house. The footprint of a coach house is determined by multiplying the principal dwelling’s footprint by 40%.
Footprint means the area of the ground floor of a building, measured from the exterior of the outermost walls, including an attached garage but excluding any projections.
The coach house is not permitted to cover more than 40% of the yard in which it is located.
The lot’s yard area must
Resources
- The City of Ottawa has published a guide book called “How to plan your COACH HOUSE IN OTTAWA” This is an excellent and necessary reference that is available online if you are thinking about building a Coach House in Ottawa.
- City of Ottawa has a presentation available online “Coach Houses” which is a great overview