CMHC Housing Design Catalogue: How It Really Works (and How to Use It Even If Your City Isn’t Listed)

Canada’s housing shortage isn’t a secret, and neither is the federal government’s push to speed things up. One of the most important (and misunderstood) tools in this effort is the Housing Design Catalogue from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

If you’ve landed here, you’re probably asking one of these questions:

• What exactly is the CMHC Housing Design Catalogue?
• Why are only some cities listed?
• Can I still use these designs if my municipality isn’t included?
• How do I actually go from a design PDF to a real house?

This article answers all of that. Plainly, practically, and with next steps you can actually take.

What Is the CMHC Housing Design Catalogue?

The CMHC Housing Design Catalogue is a federal library of pre-approved, standardized housing designs intended to:

• Speed up housing approvals
• Reduce design and permitting costs
• Enable modular, prefab, and repeatable construction
• Help municipalities say “yes” faster to good housing

These designs include things like:

• Low-rise multiplexes (duplex, triplex, fourplex)
• Townhomes
• Small apartment buildings
• Missing-middle housing formats
  

They are not “one-size-fits-all blueprints” . They’re reference designs built to align with common zoning and building code patterns across Canada.

Why Does CMHC List Only Certain Cities?

On CMHC’s site, you’ll see a list of participating local governments. This often causes confusion. Here’s the reality:

What the City List Actually Means

The listed municipalities have:

• Formally reviewed catalogue designs
• Mapped them to local zoning bylaws
• Agreed to fast-track or streamline approvals when those designs are used

That’s it.

What It Does Not Mean

• Designs are not restricted to those cities
• Other municipalities are not excluded
• You do not need special permission from CMHC

Think of the city list as “cities with an express lane,” not “cities with access.”

Can You Use CMHC Catalogue Designs If Your City Isn’t Listed?

Yes. Absolutely. This is the most important takeaway.

If your city isn’t on the CMHC list:

• You can still use the designs
• You can still adapt them
• You can still submit them for permits
• You can still build them with prefab or traditional methods
  

What you don’t automatically get is the fast-track treatment, unless you or your city take the right steps.

How the Catalogue Is Actually Meant to Be Used

CMHC designed this catalogue for reuse, adaptation, and scaling, not just for a handful of pilot cities.

The intended flow looks like this:

Start with a proven design

• Lower upfront architecture costs
• Fewer unknowns for builders and lenders

Adapt it to local zoning

• Setbacks, height, parking, lot coverage
• Minor changes, not full redesigns

Use it as a permitting accelerator

• Planners already understand the building type
• Code compliance is largely solved

Repeat

• Same design, multiple lots
• Ideal for prefab and modular builders

Where Most People Get Stuck

CMHC gives you designs, and even financing, but not the execution layer.

Homeowners and builders still struggle with:

• “Will this actually fit my lot?”
• “What zoning rules apply here?”
• “Which version of this design should I use?”
• “Who can build this near me?”
• “What financing or grants apply?”

This is where projects stall.

How Bucky Turns the Catalogue Into Action

Bucky exists specifically to bridge this gap.

Instead of just downloading PDFs, Bucky helps you:

• Match CMHC catalogue designs to your exact property
• Check zoning, overlays, and municipal rules automatically
• Adapt designs before you spend on architects
• Identify prefab and modular builders who can actually deliver
• Understand feasibility even if your city isn’t officially listed
  

The key idea:

CMHC provides the what.

Bucky provides the how.

If You’re a Homeowner

You can:

• Use catalogue designs as a faster starting point
• Avoid custom-from-scratch architecture costs
• Build multiplex or gentle density where zoning allows
• Move faster — even in cities not yet partnered with CMHC

If You’re a Builder or Developer

You can:

• Standardize your offerings
• Reduce design risk across municipalities
• Scale prefab or modular production
• Enter new markets without reinventing plans each time

The Bottom Line

• The CMHC Housing Design Catalogue is open to everyone
• The city list is about speed, not permission
• Most Canadians still need help turning designs into real projects
• Cities not on the list can still build — today
  

If you want to move from “interesting federal initiative” to “house under construction”, you need more than a download.

That’s exactly what Bucky is built for.

Explore how to use CMHC designs on your land, even if your city isn’t listed.