Development charges & levies — St. Catharines, Ontario

What development charges or levies apply to new construction? How much per new home?

In the City of St. Catharines, Ontario, development charges & levies rules are set by City Development Charges (rates page) and 1 other bylaw, verified 2026-10-25. Charge per single-detached home: Urban: $14,007 per unit; Rural: $13,598 per unit (Jan. 1, 2026 to Dec. 31, 2026). Charge per apartment unit: Apartments (two plus bedrooms): Urban $10,170 / Rural $9,874; Apartments (Bachelor/One bedroom): Urban $6,954 / Rural $6,751 (Jan. 1, 2026 to Dec. 31, 2026). Non-residential charge: Urban: $2.45 per sq ft / $26.20 per sq metre; Rural: $2.10 per sq ft / $22.38 per sq metre (Jan. 1, 2026 to Dec. 31, 2026).

City Development Charges (rates page) adopted bylaw
single detached charge Urban: $14,007 per unit; Rural: $13,598 per unit (Jan. 1, 2026 to Dec. 31, 2026) City Development Charge Rates 2026 (effective Jan. 1, 2026, to Dec. 31, 2026) — table row "Single and semi-detached"
apartment charge Apartments (two plus bedrooms): Urban $10,170 / Rural $9,874; Apartments (Bachelor/One bedroom): Urban $6,954 / Rural $6,751 (Jan. 1, 2026 to Dec. 31, 2026) City Development Charge Rates 2026 (effective Jan. 1, 2026, to Dec. 31, 2026) — table rows "Apartments (two plus bedrooms)" and "Apartments (Bachelor/One bedroom)"
non residential charge Urban: $2.45 per sq ft / $26.20 per sq metre; Rural: $2.10 per sq ft / $22.38 per sq metre (Jan. 1, 2026 to Dec. 31, 2026) City Development Charge Rates 2026 (effective Jan. 1, 2026, to Dec. 31, 2026) — table rows "Non-residential (per square foot)" and "Non-residential (per square metre)"
services covered Roads, transit, water and sewer infrastructure, fire services infrastructure, park amenities, library services and community centers "roads, transit, water and sewer infrastructure, fire services infrastructure, park amenities, library services and community centers"
exemptions Grant program for industrial developments, affordable housing, and Urban Growth Centre developments; up to 100% of City DC fees via application (By-Law No. 2021-140) "By-Law No. 2021-140 the City has implemented a Development Charges Grant Program for Industrial developments, Affordable housing developments and developments within the Urban Growth Centre"
payment timing At building permit issuance "Development Charges (DC) are a fee charged when a building permit is issued"
indexing expiry Rates effective Jan. 1, 2026 to Dec. 31, 2026; By-law No. 2021-140 came into effect Jan. 1, 2022 "Development Charges Pamphlet- City of St. Catharines Rates January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026"; "The development charge by-law came into effect Jan. 1, 2022"
scout note

rates page: 2026 (Jan 1-Dec 31): urban $14,007 per single/semi-detached, rural $13,598; other multiples $10,274 urban; apartments 2+ bedrooms $10,170; bachelor/1 bedroom $6,954; non-residential $2.45/ft2 urban. 2025 was $13,441 urban.

Development Charges By-law No. 2021-140 adopted bylaw
single detached charge $10,132 per unit (urban); $9,856 per unit (rural) (effective Jan 1, 2022) Schedule "B"; s. 9.1
apartment charge Apartments - 2 Bedrooms+: $7,355/unit urban ($7,155 rural); Apartments - Bachelor and 1 Bedroom: $5,028/unit urban ($4,891 rural); Special Care/Special Dwelling Units: $3,802/unit urban ($3,698 rural) (Jan 1, 2022) Schedule "B"; s. 9.1
non residential charge $2.04 per sq.ft. ($21.90 per sq.m.) urban; $1.80 per sq.ft. ($19.32 per sq.m.) rural (Jan 1, 2022) Schedule "B"; s. 9.1
services covered Services Related to a Highway; Public Works; Transit; Fire Protection; Parks and Recreation; Library; Stormwater Drainage and Control; Wastewater; Water; Growth Studies. s. 2.1; Schedule "A"
exemptions Additional residential units (subject to size limits); industrial enlargement up to 50%; agricultural farms/farm buildings; detached accessory dwelling units; canopies; university land; redevelopment/conversion credits. ss. 3.5, 3.6, 3.8, 3.9
payment timing At first building permit issuance; rental/institutional: 6 installments from occupancy; non-profit housing: 21 installments from occupancy; agreements may defer. ss. 3.15-3.17, 3.20, 4.3
indexing expiry Annual indexing on Jan 1 beginning 2022 per O. Reg. 82/98 (Toronto Non-Residential Building Construction Price Index); expires Jan 1, 2027. ss. 6.1, 10.1
scout note

Establishes development charges payable to the City of St. Catharines for growth-related capital costs; closest match found to a consolidated municipal fee/charge schedule.

Community Benefits Charge By-law (St. Catharines)

Community Benefits Charge By-law approved July 18, 2022, in force Sept 1, 2022; applies to buildings of five or more storeys and 10 or more residential units; rate stated as four per cent (text truncated) of land value. By-law text not opened.

Machine-readable: development-charges.json · Official website: http://www.stcatharines.ca · Last verified 2026-10-25 · Development charges & levies across Ontario · Development charges & levies in other municipalities