Standardized Housing Designs
The City of Bathurst proudly supports the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's (CMHC) Housing Design Catalogue — a collection of standardized housing designs intended to expand low-density housing options that can fit well within existing neighbourhoods.
Important: Plans within the Housing Design Catalogue are starting points. Every project requires site-specific validation to ensure zoning, building code, and other by-law requirements are met.
The Housing Design Catalogue is a great tool to kickstart your housing project. With the work completed through the Housing Accelerator Fund, options such as Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), fourplexes, sixplexes, and townhouses can all contribute to the City's efforts to increase housing availability.
Browse CMHC’s Housing Design Catalogue
Remember: Choosing a design from the catalogue does not guarantee permit approval. Final approval depends on site-specific factors and confirmation that the project meets all applicable zoning requirements.
The catalogue is a helpful starting point. These steps outline a typical path from browsing designs to submitting a permit application for a project within the City of Bathurst.
Review the standardized housing designs available through CMHC’s Housing Design Catalogue. Each entry typically provides drawings, key information, and options you can use to understand how the design could be adapted for your project.
What you’ll find:
Pick a design that suits your lot size, intended use, and project objectives. After you’ve chosen a base plan, you can typically personalize the look with exterior finishes and materials—while ensuring the project remains aligned with zoning requirements.
Work with qualified professionals to tailor the design to your property and confirm it meets zoning requirements. At this stage, you can begin preparing the required documents for your building permit application, such as your detailed site plan.
Common site-specific updates include:
Submit your application using the site-specific version of your selected design. The City has reviewed the base catalogue designs for general alignment with Bathurst’s zoning by-law; however, every application is assessed based on the details the subject property.
You are responsible for confirming that the final plans meet all applicable requirements, including building code, accessibility, sustainability considerations where applicable, engineering needs, and site-specific constraints.
For more information, please contact the City of Bathurst Planning Department: 150 St. George Street, Bathurst NB, E2A 1B5
(506) 548-0400
Why use the Housing Design Catalogue?
Housing design options for our city
As a City, we will continue to explore ways to help streamline the permitting process for applications that use catalogue-based designs.
How to use the catalogue: step-by-step
Step 1: Browse the catalogue
Step 2: Select your design
Step 3: Customize for your site
Step 4: Apply for your permit