Toronto Addresses Must Meet Size Requirements
In late January of this year a new bylaw was passed in Toronto, dealing with the size and location of house numbers. The aim was to insure that Toronto house numbers can be easily seen from the street.
Some of the reasons for this requirement is to ensure that emergency vehicles can respond faster, delivering goods and services is easier, and traffic flows smoother, because drivers can quickly spot an address. The size of numbers displayed on your home or business plays an important role in ensuring visibility of your address.
Minimum number sizes are based on the distance of the home from the curb. That distance is called the setback. It is the responsibility of home owners to ensure that the address posted on their property meets the size requirements, and that it is clearly visible from the street.
There is a penalty for house numbers that not meet the size and visibility requirements. To ensure that your adress can be clearly seen from the road, follow these tips:
- Post your address using correctly sized numbers (based on the setback distance).
- Place the home number near the main entrance to the property.
- Ensure tha number is clearly visible from the street by removing visual obstructions, such as bushes, branches, lawn furniture and signs.
- Ensure that the number does not blend with the surface it is affixed to, and place them in a well-lit location or use reflective numbers.
The required house number sizes in Toronto are as follows: For a setback of up to 15 m - 10 cm; up to 22.5 m - 15 cm; up to 30 m - 20 cm; up to 45 m - 30 cm; and up to 60 m - 80 cm. For more information on this bylaw visit www.toronto.ca/mapping, or call 416.392.7763
