---
title: "Second Storeys in Durham Region: Heights by Town"
url: "https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/second-storey-additions/durham-region"
description: "Second storey height limits across Durham Region, Ontario, with each town's share of pre-1981 homes and what a height variance or HST rebate involves."
publisher: "Jarvis Contracting"
dateModified: "2026-11-02"
---
# Second-storey additions in Durham Region

**Which Durham Region town gives a second storey the most height?**

Pickering, in most of its detached zones: By-law 8149/24 allows 12.0 m in R1A to R1C and R1F to R1I, and Ajax allows 11.0 m across its R1 and R2 zones. Whitby's older R1 to R3 zones stop at 8.5 m and Oshawa's R1-A to R1-E zones at 9.0 m. Each town's zoning sets the limit, as of October 2026, and a taller roof needs that town's Committee of Adjustment. (Checked 2026-10-05.)

## Key takeaways

- Pickering's By-law 8149/24 allows 12.0 m in most of its detached zones, while By-law 1784 caps Whitby's older residential zones at 8.5 m ([Pickering Zoning By-law 8149/24](https://corporate.pickering.ca/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=258309&dbid=1&repo=PICKERING), [Town of Whitby By-law 1784](https://media-003-ca.cdn.govstack.com/whitby-ca/media/orfb0rfx/1784_zoning-by-law_2025_consolidation-accessible.pdf)).
- About 37% of Durham Region's occupied homes were built before 1981, but the share is about 59% in Oshawa and about 23% in Ajax ([Statistics Canada, 2021 Census](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&DGUIDlist=2021A00033518)).
- Ontario can now raise zoning maximums by regulation, but as of October 2026 only the setback percentage has been prescribed, so no Durham height limit has moved ([Planning Act s. 34](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90p13)).
- A full second storey that at least doubles a bungalow's living space can count as owner-built housing, and Ontario's share of that rebate tops out at $24,000 ([Canada Revenue Agency](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/gst-hst-businesses/gst-hst-rebates/new-housing-rebate.html)).
- The town's fee for a residential height variance is $856 in Oshawa but $2,760 in Scugog ([City of Oshawa Committee of Adjustment](https://www.oshawa.ca/business-development/planning-and-development/development-applications/committee-of-adjustment/), [Township of Scugog 2026 planning fees](https://media-001-ca.cdn.govstack.com/scugogtourism-001-ca/media/4jeckofd/17-24-planning-fees-jan-01-2026_final-accessible.pdf)).

## Permits for this work in Durham Region

| Item | What applies | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ajax: addition permit fee | $14.22 times the floor area; the Ajax schedule doesn't say whether the area is measured in m2 or sq ft | [ajax.ca](https://ajax.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Building-By-law-48-2023-Sch_A-Jan-01-2026.pdf) | 2026-10-05 |
| Brock: addition permit fee | $19.90 per m2 | [media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com](https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/townshipofbrock-011-ca/media/3m2jgjpx/schedule-a-2026-fees-web.pdf) | 2026-10-05 |
| Clarington: addition permit fee | $17.73 per m2 | [weblink.clarington.net](https://weblink.clarington.net/WebLink/ElectronicFile.aspx?docid=438584&dbid=0&repo=Clarington) | 2026-10-05 |
| Oshawa: addition permit fee | $15.56 per m2 | [media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com](https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/oshawa-016-ca/media/em3h4lr3/bylaw-33-2009-as-amended-by-by-law-118-2025.pdf) | 2026-10-05 |
| Pickering: addition permit fee | No separate addition line in the July 2026 fees; the Chief Building Official sets the building category and floor area (Building By-law 8057/23 s.15(3)). Residential buildings are $20.12 per m2 of gross floor area | [corporate.pickering.ca](https://corporate.pickering.ca/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=253333&dbid=0&repo=PICKERING) | 2026-10-06 |
| Scugog: addition permit fee | $20.43 per m2 | [media-001-ca.cdn.govstack.com](https://media-001-ca.cdn.govstack.com/scugogtourism-001-ca/media/3a2d3mpa/required-building-fees-2026.pdf) | 2026-10-05 |
| Whitby: addition permit fee | $22.37 per m2 | [media-003-ca.cdn.govstack.com](https://media-003-ca.cdn.govstack.com/whitby-ca/media/5aqjt5ww/2026-building-permit-fees-schedule-n.pdf) | 2026-10-05 |
| Ajax: conservation authority (1) | Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) | [ajax.ca](https://ajax.ca/build-invest/for-developers-builders/committee-of-adjustment/) | 2026-10-05 |
| Ajax: conservation authority (2) | Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA) | [www.cloca.com](https://www.cloca.com/regulation-area-mapping) | 2026-10-05 |
| Brock: conservation authority (1) | Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) | [www.lsrca.on.ca](https://www.lsrca.on.ca/index.php/about-us/governance/) | 2026-10-05 |
| Brock: conservation authority (2) | Kawartha Conservation | [www.kawarthaconservation.com](https://www.kawarthaconservation.com/about-us/) | 2026-10-05 |
| Clarington: conservation authority (1) | Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA) | [www.cloca.com](https://www.cloca.com/about-us) | 2026-10-05 |
| Clarington: conservation authority (2) | Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority (GRCA) | [www.grca.on.ca](https://www.grca.on.ca/) | 2026-10-05 |
| Clarington: conservation authority (3) | Kawartha Conservation | [www.kawarthaconservation.com](https://www.kawarthaconservation.com/about-us/) | 2026-10-05 |
| Oshawa: conservation authority | Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA) | [www.oshawa.ca](https://www.oshawa.ca/living-here/building-and-renovating/building-permits/) | 2026-10-05 |
| Pickering: conservation authority (1) | Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) | [www.pickering.ca](https://www.pickering.ca/business-building-development/building-and-renovating/building-permits/) | 2026-10-05 |
| Pickering: conservation authority (2) | Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA) | [www.pickering.ca](https://www.pickering.ca/business-building-development/building-and-renovating/building-permits/) | 2026-10-05 |
| Scugog: conservation authority (1) | Kawartha Conservation (most of Scugog) | [www.scugog.ca](https://www.scugog.ca/building-development/additional-dwelling-units/) | 2026-10-05 |
| Scugog: conservation authority (2) | Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) | [www.lsrca.on.ca](https://www.lsrca.on.ca/index.php/about-us/governance/) | 2026-10-05 |
| Scugog: conservation authority (3) | Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA) | [www.cloca.com](https://www.cloca.com/about-us) | 2026-10-05 |
| Whitby: conservation authority | Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA) | [www.whitby.ca](https://www.whitby.ca/services-and-payments/building-and-renovating/building-permits/) | 2026-10-05 |
| Durham Region development charges, regional (as of 2026-07-01) | $76,227 | [media-003-ca.cdn.govstack.com](https://media-003-ca.cdn.govstack.com/durham-ca/media/vybhyyp2/durham-region-wide-development-charge-information-jul-1-2026.pdf) | 2026-10-05 |
| Durham Region development charges, education (as of 2026-07-01) | $7,535 | [media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com](https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/pickeringca-009-ca/media/wl4en3hp/developmentcharges_citywide_2026-2027final.pdf) | 2026-10-05 |

Fees and rules as published by each municipality in Durham Region and the agencies linked, checked 6 October 2026. Confirm with the building department before you apply.

## The nearest finished jobs

- [West Lynde: a Whitby bungalow made two storeys in 4.5 months](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/west-lynde): Whitby, 0 km away, 2023. New second storey of about 800 sq ft with two bedrooms, a walk-in closet and a bathroom; new kitchen, two new bathrooms, floors, stairs and trim below.
- [Greenwood: a new top storey and rear extension in Toronto](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/greenwood): Toronto, 27 km away, 2026. Top floor replaced with a new storey, rear extension, basement enlarged, full interior design and build.

## What it costs

| Work | Range (CAD) | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second-storey addition, 600 to 1,200 sq ft | 300000 to 800000 | GTA, 2026. The new floor; a kitchen or bathrooms below add to it. Before 13% HST. | Our 2026 price |

Our 2026 ranges, not quotes: every job is priced after a site visit.

What moves the number:
- Whether the foundation and walls can carry the new floor, or need reinforcing
- A full storey or a partial one
- Whether the main floor is redone at the same time
- The roof design and how it meets what's left
- Engineering, drawings and the permit
- Finish level, and 13% HST on top

## Where in Durham Region is a second storey easiest to fit?

Height and housing age pull in opposite directions across Durham: Oshawa, with the most older homes, stops at 9.0 m, while Ajax, with some of the newest, allows 11.0 m. The full picture, as of October 2026:

| Town | Max height, common detached zone | Homes built before 1981 (2021) | Single detached share of homes (2021) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oshawa | 9.0 m (R1-A to R1-E) | about 59% | about 56% |
| Pickering | 9.0 m (R1D, R1E); 12.0 m (other R1 zones) | about 31% | about 60% |
| Clarington | 10.5 m (R1); Bowmanville overlay adds height-of-dwelling rules | about 27% | about 78% |
| Whitby | 8.5 m (R1 to R3, By-law 1784; 9.5 m for older houses; newer zones differ) | about 25% | about 70% |
| Ajax | 11.0 m (R1, R2) | about 23% | about 65% |
| Uxbridge | 10 m (R1) | about 42% | about 81% |
| Scugog | 10 m (urban residential) | about 53% | about 89% |
| Brock | 9 m (residential) | about 64% | about 87% |
| Durham Region | Set by each town | about 37% | about 66% |

Note: heights from each town's zoning by-law for its usual detached zone, and census shares are our arithmetic from Statistics Canada counts of occupied homes; StatCan's counts can't tell you which homes are one-storey or where they stand.

Oshawa holds most of the region's older stock: 15,700 of its homes date from 1960 or earlier, nearly half of Durham's 34,065. Brock and Scugog have higher shares, but they're small townships with far fewer homes. Whether 9.0 m is enough depends on your ceiling heights, the roof pitch and where the by-law measures from. If the design runs over, Oshawa's variance fee is the lowest we found in Durham at $856, though its page doesn't state the year.

Ajax's 11.0 m gives room for a full storey and a pitched roof on most lots, but only about 9,100 Ajax homes date from before 1981. In Whitby, the 8.5 m figure applies to the older R1 to R3 zones; By-law 1784 lets buildings that existed before By-law 3465-94 go to 9.5 m.

Height is only half of it. A second storey loads the existing walls and footings, so an engineer checks them before the design is final. [West Lynde](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/west-lynde), our nearest finished second storey, is a bungalow in Whitby that we took to two storeys; [Greenwood](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/projects/greenwood), in Toronto, is a top floor rebuilt on an older house.

## How the job runs in Durham Region

1. **Meet James.** James meets you at the house, hears what you want and gives you a rough estimate on the spot. The first estimate is free.
2. **Proposal and contract.** If the estimate works for you, James prepares a detailed proposal. The whole project is priced, and the contract signed with a 10% deposit, before any design work begins.
3. **Design onboarding.** Our designer sends you an onboarding email with some homework: your style, how your family uses the house, and what you need and want. You share Pinterest boards, then go through them together on a Zoom call: what you like in the pictures, and what you don't.
4. **Measure and floor plans.** The designer measures the house and draws the floor plan: which walls come out, where the stairs land, how new space joins the old. We go through it with you until it's confirmed.
5. **Drawings and 3D rendering.** With the plan confirmed, she draws the elevations and the millwork, then puts it all into a 3D rendering, so you see the rooms before anyone orders a cabinet.
6. **Finishes presentation.** We don't take you round the stores: there are too many options. Using what she learned in onboarding, the designer narrows the tile, flooring, quartz, plumbing fixtures and the rest to a few choices that suit your style, collects the samples and presents them to you in our office. If a selection changes the price, the change goes through a change order you sign.
7. **Permits and engineering.** We prepare the permit drawings, bring in the structural engineer wherever a beam or a load changes, and apply to the municipality. If the plan changes after the permit is issued, we file the amendment. Each municipality in Durham Region takes its own applications; the table above names where.
8. **Construction.** Our crew and trades build it, with one point of contact from demolition to the last coat of paint. Our site supervisors write a job log every day, which you can follow in our online app. When we open a wall and find a problem, you hear about it, and what it costs, before we fix it.
9. **Inspections.** The municipal building inspector checks the work at each stage the permit sets, before it gets covered up. Inspections are booked with the local building department.
10. **Handover.** We walk the finished house with you and put right anything that isn't. On one job a stair stain didn't match the new floor, so we refinished the stairs.

## Credentials

- Written warranty: 1 year workmanship and materials, 2 years plumbing, heating, electrical and building envelope, 7 years structural
- BBB Accredited Business: Accredited by the Better Business Bureau since November 2025 (https://www.bbb.org/ca/on/ajax/profile/general-contractor/jarvis-contracting-inc-0107-1416595)
- Durham Region Home Builders' Association: Member, Renovators (https://www.drhba.com/Sys/PublicProfile/99587295/5125036)
- RenoMark: RenoMark renovator, through the DRHBA (https://renomark.ca/find-a-renovator/)

## Questions

### Where in Durham Region are most homes built before 1981?

Oshawa, by count. The 2021 Census puts 39,030 of Oshawa's occupied homes, about 59%, before 1981: some 43% of Durham Region's 90,645 homes from those years (our arithmetic). The rural townships of Brock and Scugog have higher shares but far fewer homes, and Ajax sits at about 23%. Pickering's stock peaks between 1961 and 2000. The census doesn't say which neighbourhoods hold the older homes or how many are bungalows.

### Does Ontario's as-of-right rule raise height limits in Durham Region?

Not yet. Bill 60 lets the Province prescribe a percentage by which zoning maximums may be exceeded without a variance, but as of October 2026 the only standard prescribed is the 90% minimum setback. A Durham second storey taller than the town's zoning still needs a minor variance from that town's Committee of Adjustment.

### Can a Durham Region second storey qualify for the HST new housing rebate?

It can, if the work at least doubles the home's living space. The Canada Revenue Agency names adding a full storey to a bungalow as the kind of major addition it treats as owner-built. Ontario's portion of the rebate can return as much as $24,000 of provincial HST; the federal part applies only if the home is worth under $450,000 when it's substantially complete.

### What does a height variance cost across Durham Region?

The town fee for a residential minor variance is lowest in Oshawa ($856) and highest in Scugog ($2,760), with Whitby at $1,526, Ajax at $1,638.90 (its 2025 rate), Clarington at $2,280 and Pickering at $2,500 since 1 July 2026. A lot inside a conservation authority's regulated area pays that authority's review fee as well.

### How long did Jarvis's last bungalow-to-two-storey job take?

About 4.5 months on site, from mid-May to late September 2023, for roughly 800 sq ft of new space. We redesigned the roof to a single slope during the job to stop ice damming. Permit and design time came before that and isn't counted in the 4.5 months.

## Sources

1. [City of Pickering, Zoning By-law 8149/24](https://corporate.pickering.ca/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=258309&dbid=1&repo=PICKERING)
2. [Town of Ajax, Zoning By-law 95-2003 Section 6](https://ajax.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/6-Section-6-Zone-Provisions_2026-March-Consolidation-Final.pdf)
3. [Town of Whitby, Zoning By-law 1784 (2025 consolidation)](https://media-003-ca.cdn.govstack.com/whitby-ca/media/orfb0rfx/1784_zoning-by-law_2025_consolidation-accessible.pdf)
4. [City of Oshawa, Zoning By-law 60-94](https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/oshawa-016-ca/media/xrthfhqx/zoning-by-law-60-94.pdf)
5. [Municipality of Clarington, Zoning By-law 84-63](https://media-003-ca.cdn.govstack.com/clarington-018-ca/media/hq0jc0up/zoning-by-law-84-63-aoda.pdf)
6. [Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile, Durham Region](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&DGUIDlist=2021A00033518)
7. [Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile, Uxbridge](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&DGUIDlist=2021A00053518029)
8. [Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile, Scugog](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&DGUIDlist=2021A00053518020)
9. [Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile, Brock](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&DGUIDlist=2021A00053518039)
10. [Planning Act (Ontario)](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90p13)
11. [Canada Revenue Agency, GST/HST new housing rebate](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/gst-hst-businesses/gst-hst-rebates/new-housing-rebate.html)
12. [Town of Ajax: Building By law 48 2023 Sch A Jan 01 2026](https://ajax.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Building-By-law-48-2023-Sch_A-Jan-01-2026.pdf)
13. [Township of Brock: Schedule a 2026 fees web](https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/townshipofbrock-011-ca/media/3m2jgjpx/schedule-a-2026-fees-web.pdf)
14. [Municipality of Clarington: ElectronicFile](https://weblink.clarington.net/WebLink/ElectronicFile.aspx?docid=438584&dbid=0&repo=Clarington)
15. [City of Oshawa: Bylaw 33 2009 as amended by by law 118 2025](https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/oshawa-016-ca/media/em3h4lr3/bylaw-33-2009-as-amended-by-by-law-118-2025.pdf)
16. [City of Pickering: DocView](https://corporate.pickering.ca/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=253333&dbid=0&repo=PICKERING)
17. [Township of Scugog: Required building fees 2026](https://media-001-ca.cdn.govstack.com/scugogtourism-001-ca/media/3a2d3mpa/required-building-fees-2026.pdf)
18. [Town of Whitby: 2026 building permit fees schedule n](https://media-003-ca.cdn.govstack.com/whitby-ca/media/5aqjt5ww/2026-building-permit-fees-schedule-n.pdf)
19. [Town of Ajax: Committee of adjustment](https://ajax.ca/build-invest/for-developers-builders/committee-of-adjustment/)
20. [CLOCA: Regulation area mapping](https://www.cloca.com/regulation-area-mapping)
21. [LSRCA: Governance](https://www.lsrca.on.ca/index.php/about-us/governance/)
22. [Kawartha Conservation: About us](https://www.kawarthaconservation.com/about-us/)
23. [CLOCA: About us](https://www.cloca.com/about-us)
24. [grca.on.ca](https://www.grca.on.ca/)
25. [City of Oshawa: Building permits](https://www.oshawa.ca/living-here/building-and-renovating/building-permits/)
26. [City of Pickering: Building permits](https://www.pickering.ca/business-building-development/building-and-renovating/building-permits/)
27. [Township of Scugog: Additional dwelling units](https://www.scugog.ca/building-development/additional-dwelling-units/)
28. [Town of Whitby: Building permits](https://www.whitby.ca/services-and-payments/building-and-renovating/building-permits/)
29. [Durham Region: Durham region wide development charge information jul 1 2026](https://media-003-ca.cdn.govstack.com/durham-ca/media/vybhyyp2/durham-region-wide-development-charge-information-jul-1-2026.pdf)
30. [City of Pickering: Developmentcharges citywide 2026](https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/pickeringca-009-ca/media/wl4en3hp/developmentcharges_citywide_2026-2027final.pdf)

## How this page was made

Written by Jarvis Contracting. Municipal facts checked 2026-10-06. Fact-checked by Space & Story on 2026-10-05.

## Keep reading

- [Second-storey additions: all areas](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/second-storey-additions)
- [Building in Ajax](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/areas/ajax)
- [Building in Brock](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/areas/brock)
- [Building in Clarington](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/areas/clarington)
- [Building in Oshawa](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/areas/oshawa)
- [Building in Pickering](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/areas/pickering)
- [Building in Scugog](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/areas/scugog)
- [Building in Whitby](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/areas/whitby)
- [Second-storey additions in Whitby](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/second-storey-additions/whitby) (12 km away)
- [Second-storey additions in Oshawa](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/second-storey-additions/oshawa) (15 km away)
- [Second-storey additions in Ajax](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/second-storey-additions/ajax) (17 km away)
- [Home additions in Durham Region](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/home-additions/durham-region)
- [Design-build in Durham Region](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/design-build/durham-region)
- [How much does a home addition cost in Ontario in 2026?](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/guides/home-addition-cost-ontario)
- [How much does a second-storey addition cost in Ontario in 2026?](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/guides/second-storey-addition-cost-ontario)
- [Is it cheaper to build up or out? 2026 Ontario costs](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/guides/build-up-or-out)
- [Ontario HST relief for owner-built homes and big renovations, 2026](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/guides/ontario-hst-relief-substantial-renovation)
- [Should we add on or move? Costs compared for 2026](https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/guides/renovate-or-move)