Zoning · Hamilton · Institutional
I1 zone, Hamilton: Neighbourhood Institutional (I1) Zone
Section 8.1 (Subsections 8.1.1 to 8.1.3.9) of the City of Hamilton Zoning By-law 05-200, as amended by 07-101, 14-173, 14-238, 14-273, 15-107, 18-219, 21-189, 25-075, 25-155.
A neighbourhood zone for small institutional uses like places of worship, schools, child care centres and care homes, which also allows houses, semis, townhouses and small multi-unit dwellings under separate rules for each building type.
Is a property in the I1 zone? Enter its address and the lookup returns the zone and these standards, including any site-specific exception.
Check an addressWhat the I1 zone permits
- Child Care Centre
- Community Garden
- Duplex Dwelling
- Educational Establishment (excluding Secondary School, College or University)
- Emergency Shelter
- Fourplex Dwelling
- Museum
- Place of Worship
- Residential Care Facility
- Retirement Home
- Semi-Detached Dwelling
- Single Detached Dwelling
- Street Townhouse Dwelling
- Triplex Dwelling
- Urban Farm
- Urban Farmers Market
Standards
| Requirement | By-law |
|---|---|
| Minimum lot area (interior lot) | 360 m²Varies by use: 360.0 m² for single detached, duplex, triplex, child care centre (8.1.3.3) and fourplex (8.1.3.6); 330.0 m² for emergency shelter, residential care facility, place of worship, retirement home (8.1.3.1); 270.0 m² per semi-detached dwelling unit (8.1.3.4); 180.0 m² per street townhouse dwelling unit (8.1.3.5). Not stated for educational establishment/museum. |
| Minimum lot width (interior lot) | 12 m12.0 m for single detached, duplex, triplex, child care centre, fourplex, and for emergency shelter/residential care facility/place of worship/retirement home; 9.0 m per dwelling unit for semi-detached (8.1.3.4 b); street townhouse uses a 6.0 m minimum unit width instead (8.1.3.5 b). Not stated for educational establishment/museum. |
| Minimum front yard | 4 m4.0 m for all dwelling types and child care centre (8.1.3.3, 8.1.3.4, 8.1.3.5, 8.1.3.6); 6.0 m for emergency shelter, residential care facility, place of worship, retirement home (8.1.3.1 d); 6.0 m minimum yard for educational establishment/museum where the lot line abuts a Residential Zone (8.1.3.2 a). On lots in Figure 36 of Schedule F, single detached/duplex/triplex/child care, semi-detached and fourplex buildings may be closer to the front lot line: within 10% of the average setback of the two adjacent dwellings on the same street, or within 10% of the setback of the one adjacent dwelling, but never less than 0.5 m. |
| Minimum interior side yard | 1.2 m1.2 m for all uses with stated regulations; 0 m permitted on the common-wall side of a semi-detached or street townhouse unit; fourplex also requires a minimum aggregate of 3.5 m for both side yards (8.1.3.6 d); educational establishment/museum: 6.0 m where lot line abuts a Residential Zone (8.1.3.2 a). |
| Minimum exterior side yard | 3 m3.0 m minimum flankage yard for all dwelling types, child care centre, emergency shelter, residential care facility, place of worship and retirement home; educational establishment/museum: 6.0 m where lot line abuts a Residential Zone. |
| Minimum rear yard | 7.5 m7.5 m for all dwelling types, child care centre, emergency shelter, residential care facility, place of worship and retirement home; educational establishment/museum: 6.0 m where lot line abuts a Residential Zone (8.1.3.2 a). |
| Maximum building height | 10.5 m10.5 m for all uses with stated regulations; for educational establishment and museum the maximum height may be equivalently increased as the yard is increased beyond the 6.0 m minimum yard (8.1.3.2 b ii). |
| Maximum lot coverage | 40 %40% stated only for fourplex dwelling (8.1.3.6 h); no lot coverage stated for other uses. |
| Minimum landscaped open space | 30 %30% minimum landscaped area for single detached, duplex, triplex, child care centre, semi-detached and fourplex dwellings, with Section 4.35 applying within the landscaped area; street townhouse per Section 4.35 a) and b); not stated for institutional uses. |
| Minimum unit width | 6 m6.0 m minimum unit width for each street townhouse dwelling unit only (8.1.3.5 b). |
| Minimum parking | See noteParking in accordance with Section 5 of the By-law (8.1.3.1 k, 8.1.3.2 c); no number stated in this zone section. |
Other provisions in this section
- Prohibited use (8.1.2): Educational Establishment consisting of a Secondary School, College or University.
- Maximum lot area for a Place of Worship: 1.0 hectare (8.1.3.1 b).
- Residential Care Facility and Retirement Home capacity shall not exceed 15 residents (8.1.3.1 i).
- Emergency Shelter and Residential Care Facility must be on a lot at least 300 m (radial, lot line to lot line) from any other lot occupied by a Residential Care Facility, Emergency Shelter, Corrections Residence or Correctional Facility (8.1.3.1 j i).
- An existing Residential Care Facility within 300 m of another such facility as of the By-law's effective date may be expanded or redeveloped for not more than the number of residents permitted by the zone (8.1.3.1 j ii).
- Parking for institutional uses in accordance with Section 5; accessory buildings in accordance with Section 4.8 (8.1.3.1 k, l; 8.1.3.2 c, d).
- Educational Establishment and Museum: minimum yard 6.0 m where the lot line abuts a Residential Zone lot line; building height above 10.5 m may be increased equivalently as the yard increases beyond that minimum (8.1.3.2).
- Reduced front setback on lots in Figure 36 of Schedule F (single detached/duplex/triplex/child care, semi-detached, fourplex): within 10% of the average setback of two adjacent dwellings on the same street, or within 10% of the setback of one adjacent dwelling; never less than 0.5 m from the front lot line.
- Semi-detached: 270.0 m² lot area and 9.0 m lot width per dwelling unit; 0 m side yard permitted on the common-wall side (8.1.3.4).
- Street Townhouse: 180.0 m² lot area and 6.0 m unit width per dwelling unit; 0 m side yard permitted on the common-wall side; landscaped area per Section 4.35 a) and b) (8.1.3.5).
- Fourplex: minimum side setback 1.2 m with a minimum aggregate of 3.5 m; maximum lot coverage 40%; minimum landscaped area 30% with Section 4.35 applying (8.1.3.6 d, h, i).
- Fourplex: visual barrier required along side and rear lot lines per Section 4.19; rear yard parking must comply with Section 4.35 d) (8.1.3.6 j).
- Fourplex: amenity areas not permitted in the side yard or on the rooftop; outdoor waste storage must be fully enclosed and not located in the front yard (8.1.3.6 k, l).
- Within any required landscaped area, the requirements of Section 4.35 apply (8.1.3.3 h ii, 8.1.3.4 h ii, 8.1.3.6 i ii).
- Urban Farm in accordance with Section 4.26 (8.1.3.7); Community Garden in accordance with Section 4.27 (8.1.3.8); Urban Farmers Market in accordance with Section 4.28 (8.1.3.9).
Source: Section 8.1 (Subsections 8.1.1 to 8.1.3.9), By-law 05-200 (City of Hamilton), 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.