Accessibility Tools

Town of Yarmouth

Building & Renovating

constructionAny building work in the Town of Yarmouth — from a shed or deck to a large new building — requires a municipal development permit. Find the application form, checklists, and related materials on our Permits, Applications, and Licences page.

If the Development Officer refuses to issue a permit, you may appeal the decision to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.

Any subdivision of land (including adding or removing land from a lot) requires approval. For details, visit Subdivision Services.

Zoning confirmation

Request a signed zoning confirmation letter from the Development Officer if you need official confirmation of a parcel’s zoning. The letter certifies the zoning shown in the Land Use Bylaw for a specific date. Because the Land Use By-law can change, the letter represents a snapshot in time. Always check with the Planning and Development Office before you start any work.

Variance applications

If your proposed building or addition cannot meet setback or other rules in the pdf Land Use Bylaw(9.54 MB) , you may apply for a variance. Complete the variance application form and pay the $50 application fee. The variance application does not expire.

When a variance is approved, the Town sends notice to property owners within 30 metres of the subject property. Notified owners have 14 days from the day they receive the notice to appeal to Town Council.

If a variance is refused, the applicant has 7 days from the day they receive the refusal to appeal to Town Council. For a full outline see the pdf Variance Process document(116 KB) .

Legislative Authority

Here are the laws that underpin our Development Services policies:

Keep in mind that the National Building Code is only a minimum set of standards. Our inspections are not a substitute for the care you would normally take if you were doing the work for yourself or when hiring a contractor to complete your project.