Meet Erica, a research analyst at Helio Urban Development – a Nova Scotia-based builder and general contractor specializing in fixed-price residential projects. Helio's one-stop team delivers everything from single-family homes and custom home builds to multi-unit complexes.
Today, Erica explores East Hants, a fast-growing region of Nova Scotia just outside Halifax. She'll highlight development and building opportunities across East Hants communities – Enfield, Elmsdale, Lantz, Mount Uniacke, and Shubenacadie – covering all product types: duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, row houses, townhouses, multi-family developments, and rental apartments.
Whether you're dreaming of a bespoke family home or investor-friendly properties for rental income, East Hants offers exciting potential.
East Hants (Municipality of East Hants) is known as a development-friendly region with surging housing demand. Located in central Nova Scotia about 30–40 minutes from downtown Halifax, East Hants encompasses both suburban-style communities along Highway 102 (the "Corridor" near Halifax Stanfield Airport) and more rural villages.
The population has spiked to roughly 25,800 as of 2023, growing faster than almost anywhere else in the province. In fact, almost 1,000 new residents arrived in a single year, a 3.8% jump, second only to Halifax region itself.
Municipal planners anticipate enough new housing for 18,000 more people over the next 20 years. Building activity is booming – East Hants now issues over 300 building permits per year, more than triple the rate a decade ago. Clearly, new construction in East Hants is on the rise and the demand is there (every new apartment is leased almost immediately, officials note).
From a regulatory standpoint, East Hants generally makes development straightforward. Like most NS municipalities, there are standard rules on set-backs, lot coverage, height, and parking to follow. For example, typical suburban residential zones require a front yard set-back of ~7.5 m, rear ~10 m, and side ~1.8 m. Lot coverage (the percentage of the lot a building footprint can cover) is often capped around 50%, ensuring some yard space remains.
Building height limits in low-density zones usually top out at about 2.5 storeys (approximately 11 m), which accommodates most single-family and townhouse designs. Developers also must meet off-street parking requirements – typically at least one or two spots per unit, so new homes or duplexes need driveways/garages to handle resident vehicles.
Beyond these basics, East Hants' planning staff and council have shown flexibility to encourage growth. The municipality has modernized its permitting (moving toward e-permits) and even amended zoning to allow accessory suites in all residential areas. This means a homeowner in an R1 zone can add a secondary suite for rental income or extended family, as long as the lot meets size minimums and code – a big plus for investor-friendly properties.
Overall, East Hants welcomes builders: as a local general contractor in East Hants, Helio appreciates the pro-development atmosphere, clear rules, and collaborative municipal approach that help keep projects on schedule and on budget.
Shubenacadie (pronounced "Shoo-beh-nack-a-dee") is a historic village in East Hants situated about 60 km north of Halifax, roughly halfway to Truro. It's located along the Shubenacadie River and near the famous Shubenacadie Wildlife Park. Of all the areas discussed, Shubenacadie is the most rural in character.
The village itself has a modest population (part of the Corridor tally of ~15k, though Shubenacadie village proper is only a few hundred people). It's about a 45-minute drive to Halifax and 20 minutes to the airport. Shubenacadie offers a quaint small-town main street, older homes, and surrounding farmland.
Development here has been slower compared to Enfield/Elmsdale, but that may be changing. East Hants has identified Shubenacadie's village core as a place to encourage new housing, in order to revitalize the community and make use of existing infrastructure.
Notably, one of the initiatives under the federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) is a Shubenacadie Village Core parking plan – a seemingly small thing, but it signals preparation for more businesses and residences downtown.
Additionally, East Hants plans to increase as-of-right density in Shubenacadie's serviced areas (up to 16 units in a building, from the current 12) to stimulate development.
Shubenacadie's core has piped services (water and sewer), which is a boon for developers – you can build on smaller lots here than you could in the country. Traditional lot fabric in the village might see 50-foot wide lots, which are suitable for single homes or possibly side-by-side semis.
The zoning in the village core likely includes mixed-use or village residential designations that permit a range of housing types. For example, a builder could renovate a large older home into a triplex or build a new fourplex on a vacant lot with relative ease, as long as parking can be accommodated (hence the parking plan importance).
Setback requirements might be more relaxed in the core to create a walkable streetscape – some village zones allow buildings closer to the front property line than suburban zones do, to match the existing character.
Outside the core, Shubenacadie quickly becomes agricultural land (Shubenacadie is surrounded by farms), so large lots and agricultural/residential mixed zoning are common. This means someone could pursue a mini-home development or a country estate project just outside the village limits, but those would require larger land splits (often 1.5+ acres per lot if unserviced).
For most looking at Shubenacadie, though, the sweet spot is infill development in town – and here East Hants is signalling flexibility and support. Small multi-family developments like a 6 or 8 unit rental building could be very feasible on Shubenacadie's main street under the updated rules, and such a project would bring much-needed rental housing to the area.
There haven't been marquee developments in Shubenacadie in recent years on the scale of Lantz's plans. However, a few investor-builders have taken interest by fixing up old buildings into apartments and by constructing modern duplexes on available lots.
One trend is leveraging provincial programs to convert unused commercial spaces into residential units (for instance, an empty second floor above a storefront could become apartments). The community's affordability is a major draw – land and older homes are cheaper here than closer to Halifax, so first-time buyers are coming to Shubenacadie and often engaging local general contractors for renovations or new-builds on subdivided lots.
If you're an investor, Shubenacadie can be seen as an up-and-coming spot: the rents might not be as high as Enfield, but purchase prices are also lower, so rental yields can actually be attractive. Plus, any future growth (spurred by the municipality's pro-development stance) would likely push values up.
In summary, Shubenacadie offers a more rural real estate development environment, with opportunities ranging from building a custom home with river views to developing a small rental apartment building in the village – all with the supportive backdrop of East Hants' planning initiatives.
East Hants supports a spectrum of residential product types, each with its own considerations under the National Building Code and municipal bylaws. Here's a high-level look at these housing types – from single homes to multi-unit buildings – and some key building code or permitting basics to keep in mind for each:
A standalone house for one family is the simplest form of development. It typically sits on its own lot and only needs to meet basic code requirements – think proper foundation, structural framing, and so on – without the extra fire separation walls required for multi-unit buildings. In East Hants, single-family homes are usually allowed in all residential zones.
You must follow the setback rules (e.g. keep that 7.5 m front yard clearance) and not exceed lot coverage or height limits. From a builder's perspective, this is a straightforward build – no shared walls or complicated mechanical sharing. Custom home builds (where the house is designed to the owner's specs) fall in this category.
Just ensure you have the lot size needed if you plan to add an accessory suite or garage suite down the line (East Hants allows them on any single-family lot that can fit them). Parking is usually required for at least 2 cars per house (driveway or garage), so plan driveway space accordingly.
A duplex is essentially two homes attached by a common wall (either side-by-side units or up-and-down units). This product is popular with investors and families wanting a mortgage-helper unit.
Building code-wise, the key difference is the fire separation between units – duplexes must have a proper fire-rated party wall (or floor/ceiling assembly) that slows fire spread between the two dwellings. They also need separate exits for each unit (each unit should have its own entrance/exit door).
East Hants' R2 zoning permits duplexes and semi-detached houses in many areas, and the municipality may have slightly stricter parking minimums for them – often two parking spaces per unit (so four total for a duplex) to ensure each household has sufficient parking.
When designing a duplex, a builder must consider sound insulation too (for comfort, beyond the code minimum). Utilities can be shared or split; many investors prefer to have separate power meters for each unit.
Overall, duplexes are a great "missing middle" option – code compliant designs are well-established, and East Hants welcomes them as a gentle density increase.
These are small multi-family developments containing three or four units, respectively, in one building. They can be laid out in various configurations (e.g. fourplexes might be two up, two down, or four side-by-side in a row).
Under building code, once you exceed two units, you're still generally in the realm of Part 9 (the house code) if the building is small enough, but you have some additional requirements. For example, fire separation is required between each pair of units (walls and/or floors), and more complex life safety features come in: you might need interconnected smoke alarms across units, emergency lighting in common areas or exits, and possibly a sprinkler system if the building area or height goes beyond certain limits.
East Hants often treats triplexes/fourplexes like a multi-unit dwelling use – meaning you may need at least an R3 zoning or a site plan approval. Each unit will need at least one (if not two) parking spots, so a fourplex could require 4–8 parking spaces on site per bylaws.
A perk in East Hants: village core areas are being primed to allow up to 4-unit buildings more easily as-of-right, so opportunities for triplex/fourplex construction are growing. These small multis are excellent rental property investments – they offer economies of scale (one foundation, one roof for multiple income units) but are still simple enough to build with standard materials.
Just be sure to work with a general contractor who knows the code nuances – e.g., using a fire-rated drywall and stud assembly between units, proper soundproofing, and ensuring each unit has the necessary egress windows and exits.
Row houses (or townhomes) consist of multiple attached units in a linear row, each with its own exterior entrance. In East Hants, you might see 3-6 townhouses in one row as a common configuration. Each unit is typically on a separate lot (in freehold townhouse scenarios) or part of a condo corporation.
The building code treats each townhouse unit as a separate "house" if they are divided by proper fire separation walls that extend through the attic and to the foundation – essentially creating independent fire compartments. These fire walls (often a double-stud wall with fire-rated drywall or masonry) are critical: they must achieve a fire-resistance rating (usually 1 hour or more) to prevent fire from quickly jumping unit to unit.
Row houses also require careful design for sound insulation and utilities routing (sometimes each unit has its own plumbing and heating systems, or there may be some shared elements). From a zoning perspective, townhouses are usually allowed in higher-density residential zones; East Hants may allow them in R2 or R3 zones under certain conditions (like a max number of units in a row, and a minimum lot width per unit).
One building code consideration is that end-units of a row might need spatial separation on the outer side (i.e., windows are allowed on the end walls only if set-back from the property line sufficiently, to prevent fire spread to neighboring properties). Parking for townhouses can be tricky if the lots are narrow – commonly each townhouse has a driveway for 1-2 cars in front.
East Hants bylaws might require, say, 1.5 parking spaces per townhouse unit, so developers often include a mix of individual driveways and a few visitor spots in the site plan. Townhouses in places like Mount Uniacke or Enfield are a strong choice to achieve affordability (land cost per unit is low when land is shared).
When you get into larger rental apartments or condo apartment buildings (say 5 units, 12 units, 50 units, etc. in one building), the project falls into a bigger scale category. These are often three-storey walk-ups or even mid-rise buildings in urban settings.
In East Hants, "as-of-right" multi-unit buildings are currently capped at 12 units in village core zones, but that may increase to 16 units; anything larger would likely need a development agreement or be part of a master-planned project like in Lantz.
Building code requirements for these structures are more involved – once a building is over 600 m² in area or above 3 storeys, it typically triggers Part 3 of the National Building Code, meaning you need the design stamped by an architect/engineer and must include systems like sprinklers, fire alarm systems, and barrier-free (accessible) design elements.
Even for smaller apartments (e.g., an 8-unit three-storey), East Hants will require things like a fire safety plan, and compliance with accessibility (a certain percentage of units may need to meet accessibility standards, or an elevator might be required if over three floors).
Site planning must handle greater parking needs – often 1.5 spaces per unit is a guideline, plus some visitor parking. Stormwater management and landscaping also become bigger factors when you cover more lot area with a building and parking lot.
Despite the complexity, East Hants is encouraging more of these multi-family developments, given the housing demand. As a developer, aligning with those goals (for example, designing an apartment that includes some affordable units or seniors' units) could even streamline approvals.
Helio approaches these projects by assembling the right team (surveyors, architects, engineers) to navigate permitting and code compliance. Key code considerations we manage include: proper fire-rated floor assemblies between every apartment level, high-capacity heating and ventilation systems, and ensuring all exits meet fire code (e.g., enclosed stairwells with fire doors if required).
The result is a safe, modern apartment building that can provide much-needed housing in East Hants. If you plan to build and hold an apartment as a long-term rental property investment, note that you can seek specialized financing (like CMHC's rental construction programs) which have their own criteria, including strict adherence to these building standards.
In all cases, whether it's a single-family home or a 50-unit complex, Helio's fixed-price model means we handle the complexity while guaranteeing the cost upfront. Each product type has its own challenges, but with sound knowledge of the National Building Code and local bylaws, our team ensures your East Hants project is fully compliant. From obtaining development permits to final occupancy, we've got you covered so you can build with confidence.
Building in East Hants not only benefits from a strong market but also from various incentives and programs that can improve project viability. While East Hants doesn't have a specific municipal grant for most private developments, it actively participates in broader initiatives to spur housing construction:
East Hants was selected for the federal Housing Accelerator Fund, committing to add 1,186 housing units over the next three years. As part of this, the municipality is implementing pro-housing measures. For example, building permit fees for accessory dwelling units have been waived for three years.
If you're adding a secondary suite to a home in East Hants, you'll save on permit costs. The municipality is also streamlining approvals (with a new e-permitting system and extra building inspection capacity) to speed up construction. For developers, a faster, more predictable permit process can translate to cost savings.
While not a direct cash incentive, the planned increase of as-of-right density in serviced areas (from 12 to 16 units) is a form of incentive – it allows developers to build more units on the same parcel, improving project economics.
East Hants is reviewing planning documents to encourage greater housing density in places like Enfield, Elmsdale, Lantz, and Shubenacadie. If you include some affordable units or meet certain criteria, you might also find the municipality supportive through discretionary approvals.
Nova Scotia offers a few programs beneficial to builders and buyers in East Hants:
Through the National Housing Strategy, CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) provides several funding programs that East Hants builders can tap into, especially for rental or affordable housing projects.
For instance, CMHC's Affordable Housing programs offer low-interest or even forgivable loans to projects that create affordable units. There's also the Rental Construction Financing Initiative (RCFI) and Affordable Housing Innovation Fund, which provide favorable financing for new rental apartments.
If you plan a multi-unit rental development in East Hants (like a 24-unit apartment building with some below-market rents), you could apply for these federal funds to cover a chunk of construction costs. Similarly, CMHC mortgage loan insurance programs (like MLI Select) can allow lower interest rates and higher loan-to-value for multi-unit projects that meet energy efficiency or affordability criteria – improving your project's financial feasibility.
While East Hants is largely a market-driven development area, affordable housing is on the radar. The HAF initiatives and planning strategy reviews aim to make it easier to include affordable units. Additionally, developers can partner with nonprofits or avail federal forgivable loans for affordable housing construction.
If you're open to dedicating a percentage of units as affordable (for example, below 80% of median market rent), you could potentially get grants or forgiveable financing from CMHC's co-investment fund or Nova Scotia's Affordable Housing programs. These can significantly offset construction costs.
Helio's fixed-price model plays nicely with these incentives. For example, if you secure a CMHC low-interest loan or a $3,000 rebate for your project, those savings are yours – since our build cost is locked in upfront, any bonus effectively improves your bottom line.
We handle the paperwork and coordination required for permits or funding compliance as part of our general contracting service. Our goal is to leverage all available tools to reduce your out-of-pocket costs. Whether it's guiding you through a HST rebate application or designing your build to meet criteria for a forgivable loan, Helio is there every step of the way.
East Hants is truly a region of opportunity for residential development. From Enfield's commuter-friendly subdivisions to Lantz's large-scale projects, and from Mount Uniacke's spacious townhome potential to Shubenacadie's village revitalization, each community offers unique advantages for builders and homebuyers alike.
With Helio Urban Development as your partner, you get a one-stop solution: we handle real estate development planning, navigate East Hants' permitting processes, and execute quality construction – all on a fixed-price contract that guarantees no budget surprises.
Whether you want to craft a custom lakefront home in Mount Uniacke, build an investor-friendly fourplex in Elmsdale, or launch a row of modern townhouses in Lantz, Helio's team has the local insight and expertise to deliver. We've built our reputation on transparency, efficiency, and client satisfaction, acting as both consultant and general contractor to streamline projects from concept to completion.
Want to bring your East Hants building idea to life? Reach out to Helio Urban Development for a streamlined, fixed-price approach! We're excited to help you capitalize on the tremendous opportunities in Enfield, Elmsdale, Lantz, Mount Uniacke, Shubenacadie and beyond.
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