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Town of Yarmouth

Subdivision Services

Looking to subdivide or consolidate a parcel of land in the Town of Yarmouth? You've come to the right place!

What is a subdivision?

Essentially, a subdivision is the division of any area of land into two or more parcels. If you're dividing an area of land into two or more parcels, moving a property line, or subdividing or consolidating two or more parcels, you'll need to follow these subdivision procedures.

What is the Subdivision By-law?

The  pdf Subdivision By-law (4.12 MB)  provides a uniform development standard when creating new lots. For instance, new subdivisions involving new roads require that the subdivider install new municipal services – such as sewer, water, storm sewer, and roadways – to the specifications outlined in the by-law.

How can I subdivide?

To start the application process to subdivide in the town:

  1. Discuss the requirements for your subdivision with our Development Officer. This is necessary because different areas will require different lot sizes and frontages, depending on their location and size.
  2. Contact the Department of Operational Services to determine whether your lot is/or can be serviced by sewer and/or water. If sewer services aren't available, you may not be able to subdivide. The Town of Yarmouth only permits the use of on-site services within the Residential Holding (R-H) zone and the Comprehensive Development (CD) zone – see the  Land Use By-law for details.
  3. Seek legal advice or contact the Land Registration Office (based in Bridgewater as of June 2015) to determine the requirements of the Land Registration Act. Your property may have to be transferred or migrated into the new land registration system. For more information, visit Access Nova Scotia Property Online.
  4. Arrange for a plan of subdivision to be prepared by a registered Nova Scotia Land Surveyor.
  5. Complete an  pdf Application for Subdivision Approval  (247 KB) and submit it to the Planning Department along with 12 copies of the survey plan and the fees. From there, the Development Officer will review your application, and send it to various departments within 14 days. If the approval of a subdivision is not given within 90 days of receipt, it's deemed to be refused unless there's an agreement to extend. If a subdivision plan is refused, you may appeal to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.
  6. If services are required, you will be required to hire an engineer to design the services subject to the approval of the Town Engineer.

Any questions? We'd love to answer them. You can email planningadmin@townofyarmouth.ca for more information.