Home records, explained › The home and the lot
How big is the building, according to the City's mapping?
Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton and Guelph publish building outlines mapped from aerial photography, some with heights. The check reads the outline at the address and gives its ground area and, where recorded, its height.
Report check: Building size from City maps. Entry reviewed 20 Oct 2026; each source below shows its own data date.
How a report shows itsample, made-up home
Main building footprint about 118 m², about 8.5 m tall. A detached garage shows as a separate 24 m² footprint.
- Main building footprint
- ≈118 m² (not floor area)
- Height
- ≈8.5 m
- Other structures
- Garage ≈24 m²
Where we read it
- Toronto
- Ottawa
- Hamilton
- Guelph
- Other Ontario
the town's own records– not in our reports there yet
Published byCity of TorontoCity of OttawaCity of HamiltonCity of Guelph
What the record is
The outline is the building's footprint as mapped from above, so it includes roof overhangs and attached garages and can't show how many storeys are inside. Mapping dates vary by city; a recent addition may not be in an older outline.
The report line gives the footprint in square metres and square feet, the mapped height where the city records one, and any separate outline (a garage, a shed) on the lot. MPAC's assessment notice records the floor area the owner was assessed on.
Where it runs
What the report reads for this check depends on what each municipality publishes.
What we read in each town5 towns, each with its source and date
| City | What the report reads |
|---|---|
| Toronto |
|
| Ottawa |
|
| Hamilton |
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| Guelph |
|
| Other Ontario | Not in our reports here yet. The municipality doesn't publish building outlines we can use here. MPAC's records of the home's size are shown on its assessment notice and AboutMyProperty (the owner's login). MPAC: understanding your assessment |
Sources
- City of Toronto Topographic Mapping - Building Outlines: data date Apr 2026
- City of Ottawa Building Footprints: data date May 2024
- City of Hamilton Buildings: data date Feb 2024
- City of Guelph Buildings: data date Sep 2024
Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Guelph. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Ottawa. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Toronto. Contains public sector Data made available under the City of Hamilton's Open Data Licence.
Check one address
This check is in the full report, with the other 54 checks, for any Ontario home.
Public-record information, not legal, financial, insurance or inspection advice. Records change and can be incomplete, and this page describes the records, not any particular home. Spotted an error, or have a question about this record? Email [email protected]; we answer from the record, and corrections are listed on the guide index. What we cover, city by city.