Definitions for site screening and pre-development in Canada and the United States. Local legislation and bylaws determine how each term applies to an address.
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Accessory dwelling unit (ADU)
Accessory dwelling unit — a secondary residential unit on the same lot as a primary home (laneway house, basement suite, etc.).
Bucky connects preliminary site analysis to municipal parcel records, zoning maps, bylaws and other source datasets. A citation identifies the source behind a fact, with a section reference where available. Coverage and freshness vary by municipality and layer.
Development charges are charges on development that help municipalities fund infrastructure needed for growth. In Ontario, the applicable municipal by-law sets the calculation.
Floor area ratio is counted floor area divided by lot area. A ratio of 0.6 allows counted floor area equal to 0.6 times the lot. Canadian by-laws often call the same measure floor space index or floor space ratio. The by-law decides which floor area counts, and the maximum usually changes by zone.
Highest and best use is the reasonably probable use of a property that is physically possible, legally permissible, financially feasible, and maximally productive. A highest and best use analysis compares options that pass all four tests.
A minor variance is Ontario’s name for permission to depart from a zoning by-law on one property. The by-law stays in force for every other property. Québec, British Columbia, Alberta, and other provinces use different names and different tests for that permission.
Pre-development software helps real estate teams evaluate a property before committing to acquisition, design or approvals. It brings parcel facts, local rules, site risks, program options and financial assumptions into a shared decision process.
A setback is a required distance between a building and a reference line, usually a property line. Lot coverage limits the share of a lot occupied by the buildings or structures counted under the local rule.
A zoning variance lets one property depart from a zoning ordinance. The ordinance stays in force for every other property. Some cities call that permission a variation or an adjustment. Relief from a setback is a different decision from permission for a use the zone prohibits.
