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Zoning · Hamilton · Industrial

M5 zone, Hamilton: General Industrial (M5) Zone

Section 9.5 (9.5.1 Permitted Uses, 9.5.2 Prohibited Uses, 9.5.3 Regulations) of the City of Hamilton Zoning By-law 05-200, as amended by 10-128, 11-276, 12-132, 14-163, 15-072, 17-220, 18-219, 18-266, 21-189, 25-155.

A general industrial zone for manufacturing, warehousing, contractors, vehicle service, waste facilities and similar businesses on lots of at least 4,000 square metres, with buildings set back at least 3 metres from any street and no dwellings or child care centres allowed.

Is a property in the M5 zone? Enter its address and the lookup returns the zone and these standards, including any site-specific exception.

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What the M5 zone permits

  • Alcohol Production Facility
  • Aquaponics
  • Artist Studio
  • Building and Lumber Supply Establishment
  • Building or Contracting Supply Establishment
  • Bulk Fuel and Oil Storage Establishment
  • Cannabis Growing and Harvesting Facility
  • Commercial Motor Vehicle Sales, Rental and Service Establishment
  • Commercial Motor Vehicle Washing Establishment
  • Commercial Parking Facility
  • Communications Establishment
  • Contractor's Establishment
  • Courier Establishment
  • Craftsperson Shop
  • Dry Cleaning Plant
  • Equipment and Machinery Sales, Rental and Service Establishment
  • Financial Establishment
  • Greenhouse
  • Industrial Administrative Office
  • Laboratory
  • Labour Association Hall
  • Landscape Contracting Establishment
  • Manufacturing
  • Motor Vehicle Collision Repair Establishment
  • Motor Vehicle Service Station
  • Motor Vehicle Washing Establishment
  • Office
  • Private Power Generation Facility
  • Production Studio
  • Repair Service
  • Research and Development Establishment
  • Restaurant
  • Salvage Yard
  • Surveying, Engineering, Planning or Design Business
  • Towing Establishment
  • Trade School
  • Tradesperson's Shop
  • Transport Terminal
  • Warehouse
  • Waste Processing Facility
  • Waste Transfer Facility

Standards

RequirementBy-law
Minimum lot area (interior lot)4000 m²
Minimum front yard3 mStated as 'Minimum Yard Abutting a Street: 3.0 metres' (9.5.3 b); applies to any yard abutting a street, not specifically labelled front yard
Minimum exterior side yard3 mStated as 'Minimum Yard Abutting a Street: 3.0 metres' (9.5.3 b); applies to any yard abutting a street, including a flankage yard
Maximum gross floor areaSee noteUse-specific caps only: Office use within an individual building (excluding accessory office) max 3,000 m2 (9.5.3 e); Industrial Administrative Office or Surveying, Engineering, Planning or Design Business limited to less than 10,000 m2 GFA on a lot (9.5.3 f); combined accessory retail, showroom and tasting room max lesser of 25% of principal use GFA or 500 m2, and 280 m2 for retail at a motor vehicle service station (9.5.3 h). No overall building GFA maximum stated.

Other provisions in this section

  • Prohibited uses, even as accessory uses: Child Care Centre and Dwelling Unit (9.5.2, By-law 25-155).
  • Planting strip: a minimum 3.0 m wide planting strip must be provided and maintained abutting Burlington Street and Steel City Court, except at points of ingress and egress, and must not include outdoor display (9.5.3 c).
  • Outdoor storage and outdoor assembly must not exceed 85% of the total lot area (9.5.3 d).
  • Office use within an individual building (excluding accessory office) is limited to a maximum gross floor area of 3,000 m2 (9.5.3 e).
  • An Industrial Administrative Office or a Surveying, Engineering, Planning or Design Business is limited to a gross floor area of less than 10,000 m2 on a lot (9.5.3 f).
  • Any building, structure or land used for a Waste Processing Facility or Waste Transfer Facility must be located a minimum of 300.0 m from a Residentially Zoned or Institutionally Zoned property lot line (9.5.3 g).
  • Maximum combined gross floor area for accessory retail, showroom area and tasting room: the lesser of 25% of the gross floor area of the principal use or 500.0 m2 (9.5.3 h i).
  • Retail or accessory retail associated with a motor vehicle service station is limited to a maximum gross floor area of 280 m2 (9.5.3 h ii).
  • Parking in accordance with Section 5 of the By-law (9.5.3 i).
  • Accessory buildings in accordance with Section 4.8; in addition, no accessory building is permitted within a front yard or a flankage yard (9.5.3 j).
  • Cannabis Growing and Harvesting Facility: no outdoor storage or outdoor assembly permitted notwithstanding 9.5.3 d); retail sales permitted in accordance with 9.5.3 h); any building or structure used for the facility must be set back a minimum of 150 m from any portion of a lot line abutting a Residential, Institutional or Commercial and Mixed Use Zone, notwithstanding Section 4.12 c) (9.5.3 k).

Source: Section 9.5 (9.5.1 Permitted Uses, 9.5.2 Prohibited Uses, 9.5.3 Regulations), 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.

Other industrial zones in Hamilton: E2, M1, M10, M11, M12, M13, M14, M2, M3, M4, M6, M7, M8, M9