Housing Design Catalogue

The Housing Design Catalogue offers free, standardized home designs from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

Learn about designs the city has pre-reviewed for local use.

On this page:

  1. How the catalogue works
  2. Start with a pre-reviewed design
  3. Why use a catalogue design
  4. Get started
  5. Before you apply
  6. Contact us

How the catalogue works

The Housing Design Catalogue provides standardized housing designs for different housing types across Canada.

Architects and engineers developed the designs to align with regional building codes, planning rules, climate zones, construction methods, materials and architectural styles.

The Catalogue designs are generally code-compliant. You may still need small changes to fit your lot and site conditions before you apply for a building permit.

There are 7 sets of Ontario designs, including:

  • 2 accessory dwelling units – coach houses
  • 2 fourplexes
  • a sixplex
  • 2 stacked townhouses

Start with a pre-reviewed design

You can choose any of the Ontario designs, but we’ve pre-reviewed 4 designs that will work in many residential areas in Waterloo. 

These designs are not pre-approved, but using the pre-reviewed designs can help speed up the approval process. 

Pre-reviewed designs

Zoning still applies
Not all housing types are permitted on every lot. Zoning regulations still apply, including setbacks, maximum lot coverage, parking requirements, and driveway width. 

Design details may vary
The final appearance of your home will vary based on the finishes you choose, such as cladding, roofing, and interior materials. CMHC renderings are examples only.

One-storey coach house with a pitched roof, located behind a detached home in a residential neighbourhood.
Two-storey coach house with a carport at ground level, set behind a detached home on a residential lot.
Three-storey fourplex with a modern exterior, located between detached homes on a tree-lined residential street.
Two-storey fourplex with a simple, modern design on a residential street with neighbouring single-family homes.

Renderings of the four pre-reviewed Housing Design Catalogue designs: Accessory Dwelling Unit 01, Accessory Dwelling Unit 02, Fourplex 01, and Fourplex 02. Image courtesy of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

Why use a catalogue design

Save time and reduce design costs

Using a Housing Design Catalogue plan can save time and reduce design costs because you do not need to create plans from the beginning.

The plans are free. You still need a qualified professional to adapt and finalize the building plans for your property.

Faster permit review

Building permits for small-scale residential projects, including Catalogue designs, are typically reviewed within 10 to 15 business days. This includes zoning review.

Even though planning and building staff have pre-reviewed the Catalogue designs, each project must still be checked for zoning, building code, and engineering compliance based on individual lot conditions.

Get started

Follow these steps to use a Housing Design Catalogue plan in Waterloo.

1. Confirm what works on your lot

Understand your lot and zoning rules to determine which designs may work for your property.

2. Choose and download a design

Choose an Ontario Design and download the technical design package from the CMHC website.

The technical design package includes:

  • user guide (PDF)
  • architectural and engineering drawings (PDF, CAD, BIM)
  • energy reporting documents and templates (PDF, Excel, HOT2000)
  • building performance reports (PDF)
  • terms and conditions (PDF)

3. Building a coach house

If you are considering Accessory Dwelling Unit 01 or 02 (coach house), use the Additional Residential Unit Guide (PDF) to help guide your planning process.

4. Understand permit requirements

Review building permit requirements on the building permits page, or contact the Building Division at building@waterloo.ca or 519-747-8712 to book a consultation.

5. Work with a qualified professional

Hire a qualified professional, such as an architect, engineer, or licensed designer with a Building Code Identification Number (BCIN), to adapt the design and prepare your building permit application.

Additional professionals may be required depending on your lot and site conditions.

Your design team may need to:

  • review property for constraints such as easements, regulated areas (e.g., floodplains), boundary trees, utilities and underground services
  • confirm the foundation type suitable for your site — the Catalogue include a sample slab-on-grade option
  • prepare a lot development plan, based on a current site survey, to show how building, parking, walkways, etc. will be laid out to comply with zoning and site grading requirements
  • prepare site servicing drawings
  • confirm heat load calculations
  • select accessibility features
  • select energy efficiency features
  • address location- and property-specific building code requirements, such as snow loads and window size and placement

6. Renting the unit

You need a residential rental licence from the city.

Before you apply

The city can only issue a building permit if your project meets all of the following:

  • the Building Code Act, 1992
  • the Ontario Building Code
  • zoning requirements
  • other applicable law under the Ontario Building Code

Contact us

Contact us to ask a question about CMHC housing designs or building permits: