Housing Design Catalogue
The City of St. John's is a local partner with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) Housing Design Catalogue.
Standardized Housing Plans
The CMHC Housing Design Catalogue provides standardized housing plans to help make building homes faster and more affordable. Identified as an action in the City’s Housing Accelerator Fund Plan, the City of St. John's has endorsed seven pre-designed housing options from the catalogue — ranging from backyard suites to fourplexes, stacked townhouses and a six-plex.
Developed by architecture and engineering professionals, the designs align with local building codes, development regulations, construction methods and architectural styles.
The free, pre-reviewed plans can help save time and reduce costs. They are designed to be accessible, energy efficient, climate resilient and code-compliant.
How it Works
Browse the Catalogue
Explore the Housing Design Catalogue to view standardized designs complete with plans, renderings, specifications, energy guidance, and accessibility options.
Choose Your Design
Select a design that suits your lot and project. Customize exterior finishes and materials while maintaining compliance with the City’s by-laws.
Adapt to Your Site
Work with qualified professionals to tailor the design to your property, including site conditions, zoning requirements, parking, servicing, and local by-laws. With the help of a qualified professional catalogue plans can be customized, such as cladding, roofing, and interior finishes, and adapted to your specific property to produce finalized drawings for submission through the City’s development and building permit process.
Apply for permits
Submit your permit application using the site-specific design. While generally aligned with local requirements, site-specific reviews will still be needed during the application process.
Learn More
Residents can explore the designs on the CMHC website. This initiative is one of several actions underway to support housing development and increase options in St. John’s.
For more information on the CMHC’s Housing Design Catalogue, refer to the User Guide and FAQ or feel free to reach out to CMHC directly at: catalogue@cmhc-schl.gc.ca.
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