Home records, explained › For contractors and designers
For contractors and designers: the by-laws and records behind a project
The building department and the planning department decide what a project may do; OfferDue states what the records say about the lot before the first drawing: the zone, the overlays, what is on file, and which by-laws apply.
Page reviewed 20 Oct 2026. Each entry lists its sources with their data dates.
1The lot before the drawing
Zoning and what it permits, the Official Plan, heritage status and the City's mapping of lot and building.
- What zone is the home in, and what does the zone permit?Zoning
- What does the Official Plan designate the land as?Official Plan designation
- Is the home designated, listed or in a heritage district?Heritage
- How big is the lot, according to the City's mapping?Lot size from City maps
- How big is the building, according to the City's mapping?Building size from City maps
2What the project runs into
Conservation authority areas, flood overlays, trees, drains and the lines mapped near the lot.
- What is a conservation authority regulated area?Conservation authority regulated area
- What is a flood plain overlay?Flood plain overlay
- Which trees need a City permit to remove?Trees on and near the lot · in the free check
- Is there a municipal drain near the property?Rural municipal drains
- How close are the nearest railway, grade crossing, pipeline or transmission line?Pipelines, power lines and rail · in the free check
- What soil do the provincial surveys record at the lot?Soil at the lot
3Permits and units
What is on file for the address, what the extra-unit rules permit, and the services at the lot.
- What building permits are on record for the home?Permits and renovations
- Are there planning applications on file for the home itself?Applications for this address
- How many homes does the zoning allow on the lot?Extra units allowed · in the free check
- Who supplies electricity and natural gas to the address?Electricity and gas
Work with OfferDue: a listing for your business
Owners reading this page are planning a project. A contractor or designer listed here is found by them, by city, and the lot's record (zone, overlays, heritage, trees, permits on file) is already compiled when the first call comes.
OfferDue takes no referral fee and pays none: a listing is free, a client who finds you here owes nothing extra, and nothing passes between us when they instruct you. What we ask in return: tell clients a sourced record of the home exists, and read the records entries so your clients' questions get the same answers from both of us. Builders: the HCRA licence number goes in the box.
Ask to be listed
The sign-up box isn't switched on yet. Email [email protected] with the details above and we'll reply.
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. What we cover, city by city.