Zoning · Burlington · Residential
R3.4 zone, Burlington: Low Density Residential R3.4
By-law 2020 Part 2, Sections 1-4 (Table 2.3.1; Tables 2.4.1, 2.4.2, 2.4.3) of the City of Burlington Zoning By-law 09-2026 / 2020, as amended by 2020.374.
A low-density residential zone for detached houses (with additional residential units allowed) on lots at least 12 m wide and 400 m² in area, with a 6 m front yard, 7.5 m rear yard and side yards of 10% of the lot width.
Is a property in the R3.4 zone? Enter its address and the lookup returns the zone and these standards, including any site-specific exception.
Check an addressWhat the R3.4 zone permits
- Detached Dwelling
- Additional Residential Units (subject to footnote (a) of Table 2.3.1)
Standards
| Requirement | By-law |
|---|---|
| Minimum lot area (interior lot) | 400 m² |
| Minimum lot width (interior lot) | 12 m |
| Minimum front yard | 6 m |
| Minimum interior side yard | See noteFootnote (a): with attached garage or carport, 10% of actual lot width; without attached garage or carport, 10% of actual lot width with a 3 m minimum on one side (at the 12 m minimum lot width this is 1.2 m) |
| Minimum exterior side yard | 4.5 m |
| Minimum rear yard | 7.5 m7.5 m; footnote (c): on a corner lot the rear yard may be 4.5 m |
| Maximum building height | 10 mPer Part 1 s.2.31 Table 2.31.1 A (R1-R4 zones): peaked roof detached dwelling 1 storey to 7.5 m, 1.5 storey to 8.5 m, 2 storey to 10 m, 2.5 storey N/A; flat roof 1 storey to 4.5 m, 2 storey to 7 m. Additions alternatively max 2 storeys above existing 1st floor ceiling (6 m peak / 3 m flat for two-storey additions; 4.5 m peak / 2.25 m flat for one or 1.5 storey additions). Properties abutting/south of Lakeshore Road and North Shore Boulevard (excluding Indian Point) may go to 2.5 storeys per Table 2.31.1 B. |
| Maximum lot coverage | 40 %Table 2.4.3, R3.4 column values: dwelling with attached garage - one storey 40%, one and a half storey 37.5%, two or more storeys 40% (R3.3/R3.4), all including accessory buildings; dwelling without attached garage - one storey 32% + 8% accessory, one and a half storey 29.5% + 8%, two or more storeys 32% + 8% (R3.3/R3.4). In Designated Areas (shaded on Part 15 maps): with garage 35%/30%/25%; without garage 27%/22%/17% each plus 8% for accessory buildings. One accessory building under 10 m2 and under 2.5 m high is exempt. Properties abutting/south of Lakeshore Road and North Shore Boulevard (excluding Indian Point) are exempt. |
| Maximum floor space index | See notes.4.5: maximum floor area ratio 0.45:1 applies only to properties in Designated Areas for Lot Coverage; 0.4:1 in the Shoreacres Character Area. No FAR stated for other R3.4 lots. |
Other provisions in this section
- Table 2.4.2 other yards: building setback abutting a creek block 7.5 m (4.5 m if the block includes a 3 m buffer); yard abutting a pipeline easement 7 m; yard abutting a railway right-of-way 30 m.
- s.4.6 Dwelling depth: maximum 18 m measured from the building wall closest to the front lot line to the wall closest to the rear lot line (exempt for properties abutting/south of Lakeshore Road and North Shore Boulevard, excluding Indian Point Character Area; for through lots the front building elevation determines the front).
- s.4.8 Garages: width of a front-loading attached garage shall not exceed 50% of the width of its building elevation; an attached garage with a door facing a street may not project beyond the longest portion of a street-facing wall containing residential floor area on the first storey. Dwellings legally existing at enactment of By-law 2020.374 (December 19, 2016) are deemed to conform for their life.
- s.4.7 Architectural features: on street-facing elevations, first-storey column height shall not exceed the first-storey ceiling height.
- s.4.3 Parking per Part 1, Subsection 2.25 (Off-Street Parking and Loading Requirements).
- s.4.4 Building height per Part 1, Subsection 2.31 (Residential Building Height).
- s.1(g) 'L' shape dwellings: a detached dwelling without attached garage/carport whose front elevation forms one side and one end of a 4.5 m x 6.5 m parking space uses the side yard required for a dwelling with an attached garage.
- s.1(h) Parking lots shall be set back 4.5 m from a street line.
- s.1(i) Parking spaces shall be set back at least 6 m from an R1, R2, R3, LN3, LN4, LN5, LN6 zone (townhouse/cluster/apartment context); driveways/parking lots set back 3 m from walls with habitable-room windows unless for exclusive use of the unit occupant.
- s.1(j) Parking structures: enclosed structure extending more than 1.6 m above finished grade is subject to principal building yard requirements; below grade and up to 1.6 m above grade set back 3 m from a street line; no encroachment into a required landscape buffer abutting a residential zone.
- s.1(a) Holding 'H' prefix: uses per Part 11, Subsection 1.1; development premature until 'H' removed per Part 11, Subsection 1.2.
- Accessory buildings (Part 1 s.2.2), patios and decks (Part 1 s.2.3), fencing and privacy screens (Part 1 s.2.4), swimming pools (Part 1 s.2.5), lands adjacent to Lake Ontario and Burlington Bay (Part 1 s.2.30) apply by reference; exceptions per Part 14.
- s.2 Prohibited uses: parking/storing a motor vehicle over 3000 kg registered gross weight, 6 m length or 2.6 m height (except recreational vehicles); vehicles with stake bodies; recreational vehicles or utility trailers exceeding 3.6 m combined height; and any vehicle/boat/trailer parking within a landscaped open space area; plus uses in Part 1 s.2.22.
- Table 2.4.3 footnote (a): one accessory building less than 10 m2 and less than 2.5 m in height is exempt from lot coverage.
Source: By-law 2020 Part 2, Sections 1-4 (Table 2.3.1; Tables 2.4.1, 2.4.2, 2.4.3), By-law 09-2026 / 2020 (City of Burlington), checked 2026-09-12. General provisions elsewhere in the by-law (parking, driveways, accessory buildings) also apply, and a numbered exception on the parcel can change any value here. Treat this as a pre-check, not a sign-off.
Other residential zones in Burlington: DRH, DRL, DRM, HN, LN1, LN2, LN3, LN4, LN5, LN6, LN7, LN8, R1.1, R1.2, R2.1, R2.2, R2.3, R2.4, R3.1, R3.2, R3.3, R4, R5, RAL1, RAL2, RAL3, RAL4, REV1, REV2, REV3, RH1, RH2, RH3, RH4, RH5, RM1, RM2, RM3, RM4, RM5, RNA1, RNA2, RNA3, RO1, RO2, RO3, RO4, SNA, URH, URM