Criteria

The conditions below must be met:

• For access to a residential or commercial parking unit:
  • The parking unit must be at least 2.5 m x 5.5 m, be located beside the building or behind it (if located in front of the building, check with your local permit office to see which conditions apply)
• For access to a garage: 
  • The driveway should be the same width as the garage door (minimum 3 m), but does not need to be aligned with the garage door
• For access to a passageway:
  • The passageway must be at least 2.4 m wide and completely on your property. If not, you must present a notarized deed that gives you the right of way on the neighbouring property.

For access to a loading dock, check with your local permit office to find out what documentation is required.

Fees (taxes included)

The review fee for the permit application varies depending on the estimated cost of the work. You must pay $9.80 per $1,000 of work. 
Whatever the amount of work, you will have to pay, at least: 

• $161 for an exclusively residential building
• $473 for a commercial building

The permit is payable by certified cheque, debit card or credit card.

In person

Information coming soon.

You must obtain an authorization certificate to create, modify or remove:

• A loading area
• A parking space
• Access to either of the above

Fees

The amounts indicated here are for the analysis. Taxes included. Fees are not refundable.

• By-law on authorization and occupation certificates (in French)
• Urban planning by-law for Côte-des-Neiges - Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough

Information coming soon.

Information coming soon.

Parking space behind a building

The creation and use of a new outdoor parking area is prohibited in most sectors of the borough. This ban is intended to:

• Encourage the greening of yards and public spaces
• Encourage local residents to make the alleys their own
• Limit conflicts between neighbours who use the alley
• Reduce dependence on cars

To find out if your building is located in a zone where the creation of backyard parking space is permitted, contact your permit counter.

Apply for a special construction, modification or occupancy project

If the construction of new parking spaces is prohibited on your lot, the only way you can get a new space authorized is by making a special project application. This measure can give you an exemption from the standards in effect.

If your space is approved, the authorization will be transferred to the new owner if the building is sold.

Further reading: Submit a special construction, modification or occupancy project for a building (in French)

Vested rights

Existing parking spaces that complied with the by-laws at the time they were created are protected by vested rights. Such rights allow a situation to be maintained even if it no longer complies with the urban planning by-laws.

The borough does not produce a vested rights document. Owners of a non-compliant parking area must retain all supporting documentation from when their parking space was compliant. This may include photos, aerial images from the time, certificate of location, and plans associated with a permit application. The owner may be asked to show these documents during transformation work.

Information coming soon.

People owning a residential or commercial property can make a request to create or modify a parking area. This area must allow a vehicle to access a parking space, a garage or a driveway.

Single-family home

The parking area must represent no more than 40 per cent to 50 per cent of the front yard. The percentage varies depending on whether the building is detached, semi-detached or contiguous.

Other residential buildings

If it is a two-family, three-family, or multi-family residential building, there must be at least 1.5 parking spaces per dwelling, except in certain zones.

For non-residential buildings, contact your permit counter for applicable standards.

Criteria

• Only one access way is authorized per lot giving onto the street, unless it is more than 22 m wide (frontage). In that case, two access ways are permitted.
• If the lot is bounded by more than one street, e.g. at an intersection, the number of permitted access ways is applicable to each side giving onto a street. The distance between two access ways on the same lot must be equal to the total width of the two access ways.
• For a driveway used by automobiles:
  • Used as both an entrance and an exit: width between 5 m and 8 m
  • Used only as an entrance: width between 3.5 m and 8 m
  • Used only as an exit: width between 3.5 m and 8 m 

Some exceptions may apply for properties categorized as public.

Curb cuts and driveways

Driveway widening projects that require the cutting of curbs, sidewalks or the enlargement of culverts are to be done by the borough (except on private streets). In such cases, additional fees are added to the permit fee. They must be paid prior to the start of work.

Apply

• In person, at the permit counter
• Bring the required documents with you

Fees

Review: $116

Additional fees apply if the work must be done within the public road right-of-way.
The public road right-of-way is:

• the space between the lot line and the sidewalk
• If no sidewalk: the space between the lot line and the edge of paving or of the roadway.

To find out whether you may build or modify a parking space on your property, contact the permit counter. If this work is permitted, you will need to apply for a permit.

Design criteria

Parking space (perpendicular to the access road):

• Minimum size: 2.5 m x 5.5 m

Access road:

• Width must be between 2.4 m and 7.5 m

Traffic lane:

• Minimum width: 5.5 m

Fees

The review fee for the permit application varies depending on the estimated cost of the work. You must pay $9.80 per $1,000 of work. 
Whatever the amount of work, you will have to pay, at least: 

• $161 for an exclusively residential building
• $473 for a commercial building

Payment must be made in person at the Accès Montréal office.

If you want to create a parking space or modify access to parking, a garage or a driveway on your property, you must obtain authorization from the borough.

Before beginning any work, find out what rules you must respect and what permits you need.

Property owners can make a request to create, modify or enlarge a parking area.

Criteria

Contact your permit counter for details about applicable criteria.

Fees

• Creation, modification or enlargement of an existing parking area:
  • Residential: $60
  • Other type of building: $110
• Creation, addition or modification of a curb cut or a driveway
  • $60

See also: Get a permit to build a curb cut

• Zoning by-law

A building owner must apply for a permit to build, modify or remove:

• A parking space 
• A loading space 
• Access road(s) to a building 

Steps to apply for a permit

• Make an appointment with your permit counter 
• Submit required documents 
• Pay review fees 

Our review confirms that the planned development complies with by-laws.

Depending on the project, driveways (also known as curb cuts or curb ramps) may have to be removed, modified or built.

Fees

The review fee for the permit application varies depending on the estimated cost of the work. You must pay $9.80 per $1,000 of work. 

Whatever the amount of work, you will have to pay, at least: 

• $161 for an exclusively residential building
• $473 for a commercial building

The permit is payable by certified cheque, debit card or credit card.

You need a permit if you want to remove or create a driveway on your property. If the change involves sidewalk repairs, additional fees will be charged.

Fees (taxes included)

To build or modify an outdoor parking area, review fees are as follows

• PDF file Ecological transition contribution monitoring form (in French) [PDF 4 MB]

By phone

You must get a certificate of authorization to create, redevelop or surface a new outdoor parking space. Several criteria must also be met.

• Parking space size: 2.6 meters wide by 5.5 meters long 
• Surface material: Self-locking paving stones, asphalt, concrete or waterproof paving stones

Paving must be bordered by a 1-metre-wide green space in the front yard, along the ground. Paving must cover a maximum of 40% of the area. The remaining 60% of the yard must be vegetated.

Contact the Saint-Laurent permit counter.

• For the first 60 square metres of modified area: Review fee $160 
• For each additional 20 square meters and the remainder: $13 
• You will have to pay an additional fee if the driveway needs to be changed. Find out more.

• PDF file Application form for a parking space (scroll down to get to the English version)

Residential building

An expansion must be made from an existing parking space.

• Single-family building:
  • Parking spaces in front of the building are not permitted, except for a garage
  • The authorized width of a driveway is a maximum of 6 m, with some exceptions 
• Multiplex building (two to five units):
  • The parking space must be located in front of a garage, in front of the building. 

Commercial, industrial and residential building with more than five units 

Minimum size standards must be met for parking spaces and access alleys. Check with the permit office for details.

Permitted coatings

Acceptable materials:

• Asphalt
• Concrete
• Interlocking pavers
• Permeable pavers
• Other similar materials

Fees (taxes included)

• Single-family and multiplex homes: $255
• Other types of buildings: $1,535

You need a certificate of authorization to create a new parking space, to enlarge it or to completely repair its surface. The owner of the building or the owner’s representative may apply for the certificate.

Planting one or several trees may be required in certain cases.

Surfacing 

Parking spaces and their access route can be surfaced with the following materials: 

• White concrete whose solar reflectance index (SRI) is at least 29
• Permeable pavers with spacing of at least 8 mm between pavers (SRI of at least 29) 
• Honeycomb pavers with a maximum thickness of 50 mm that are filled with plants or gravel (SRI of at least 29, except for the gravel) 
• Plant-based binding mixture (SRI of at least 29) 
• For a parking space adjacent to an alley: stone dust or crushed stone
• A ribbon driveway using one of or more of the authorized materials listed above 

Asphalt can be used as the covering material in the following situations: 

• For the repair of no more than one parking space in a front yard 
• For the repair of no more than three parking spaces when access to them is via an alley 

Parking lots with more than 10 spaces can be surfaced with asphalt, in combination with green islands that are landscaped with plants, shrubs and trees.

Please note that approval through a site planning and architectural integration program is required for this type of area.

Also read: Apply for architectural integration and implementation plan approval 

 Fees (taxes included)

• Processing fee
  • Creation of a new parking space: $176
  • Creation of a loading space: $176
  • Complete repaving of a surface or parking space: $176
  • Expansion of a parking space: $176

Permit issuance fee vary based on the projected cost of the work. You will be required to pay $10.30 for every $1,000 of work. Regardless of the amount of work, you will be required to pay a minimum $176.

• Zoning by-law (in French)
• By-law on certificates of authorization and occupancy (in French)
• By-law concerning fees (in French)

Information coming soon.

To find out whether you may build or modify a parking space on your property, contact the permit counter. If this work is permitted, you will need to apply for a conversion permit. You can apply for the permit online or in person at the counter.

By phone