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Town of Yarmouth

Building & Renovating

construction

From sheds and decks to large structures, any development within the Town of Yarmouth requires a municipal development permit. You can find the application form for development permits on our Permits, Applications, and Licences page, along with checklists that show how to get things moving!

If the Development Officer declines to issue a permit, you have the right to appeal to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.

Any subdivision of land requires approval, including any additions or deletions of any area of land from a lot. Learn more at Subdivision Services. 

Zoning Confirmation

The Development Officer will provide a signed zoning confirmation letter certifying the zoning for any identified parcel of land. It's important to note that these letters only relate the property to the  pdf Land Use By-Law (14.48 MB) at a specified period in time. As the Land Use By-law is subject to change, these letters only represent a snapshot of a particular moment in time. Be sure to check with the Planning and Development Office prior to any development project.

Variance Applications

If you've applied for a Development Permit for an addition or new building, but aren't able to meet the setback requirements as specified in the pdf Land Use By-Law (14.48 MB) , you may qualify for a variance. You'll need to fill out a pdf variance application (1.35 MB) .

The variance application costs $50 and does not expire. If the variance is approved, letters are sent to adjacent property owners within 30 meters of the subject property to notify them of the variance. Property owners who receive notice have 14 days, from the day of receiving the notice, to appeal to Town Council. If refused, the variance applicant has 7 days from the day of receiving the refusal to appeal to Town Council. pdf Variance Process (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.