Service and emergencies · calls accepted from 7 AM to 11 PM
R.B.Q. 5840-4443-01 · CMMTQ Member · 514 917-5525
Service and emergencies · calls accepted from 7 AM to 11 PM
R.B.Q. 5840-4443-01 · CMMTQ Member · 514 917-5525
Terrebonne has 119,944 residents and 45,247 occupied dwellings, 62% of which are single-family homes. Four out of ten dwellings were built between 1961 and 1990: this is exactly the age range where a heating system reaches the end of its second life, and replacement becomes a serious consideration.
The city, formed by the 2001 merger with Lachenaie and La Plaine, covers 153 km². Installing a unit on Île-des-Moulins and installing it in a 2000s development are not subject to the same rules. Here’s what you need to know.
This is the point almost no one mentions, and the one that costs the most when you learn about it after the fact.
Since July 2, 2025, Old Terrebonne has been a heritage site declared by the Minister of Culture and Communications. The perimeter covers approximately 25 hectares and includes Île-des-Moulins. Direct consequence: in this territory, modifying the exterior appearance of a building requires authorization from the ministry, in addition to the municipal process.
An outdoor unit attached to a visible facade falls into this category. Municipal bylaw 1011 on site plans and architectural integration also requires, for these sectors, that mechanical equipment be placed to minimize its visibility.
We verify the address’s status with the Sustainable Urban Planning Department before finalizing a location. A few extra days can prevent the risk of having to redo everything.
Terrebonne does not require a permit to install a heat pump: the permits and certificates bylaw does not subject it to this. Its location, however, is governed by zoning bylaw 1001.
| Yard | Single-family home |
|---|---|
| Front Yard | Prohibited for single-family homes |
| Secondary Front Yard | Prohibited for single-family homes |
| Side Yard | Authorized |
| Back Yard | Authorized |
The front yard is only open to residential buildings with thirteen or more units, provided the unit is not visible from the street and is concealed by an architectural element or a vegetative screen.
Important to know: outside the heritage sector, the bylaw does not prescribe any minimum distance from property lines, maximum height, or mandatory screen for a residential heat pump. This does not mean that the location is irrelevant, for the following reason.
Most cities set a decibel limit. Terrebonne does not operate that way.
Bylaw 896 on nuisances prohibits noise that causes the ambient noise to exceed the residual ambient noise by more than 5 dB(A). This is a relative criterion: the same unit can be perfectly compliant along a busy thoroughfare and in violation at the end of a quiet street, where the background level is low.
Concretely, the question is not “how many decibels does the unit produce” but “how much does it exceed the silence of your street.” This is why we measure the sound level of the chosen model and examine the immediate environment before determining the location, rather than discovering the problem after the first complaint. Fines range from $300 to $1,000 for individuals, and double in case of repeat offenses.
The 18,860 dwellings built between 1961 and 1990 represent the bulk of the work in this city. At this age, the question is almost never “should we repair” but “what do we replace, and with what.”
Three situations commonly arise. A house without a duct network, heated room by room: this is the domain of the ductless mini-split heat pump, single-zone or multi-zone. A house with ducts in good condition: a central system regains the advantage. A house with worn-out ducts: the cost of restoring the network must be calculated before choosing, because installed capacity will never reach the rooms if the network is inadequate.
We also perform maintenance and repair on existing units, all brands, including those we did not install. Terrebonne is part of the area we serve.
The permits and certificates bylaw does not subject it to this. However, in the declared heritage site of Old Terrebonne, authorization from the Ministry of Culture is required to modify the exterior appearance of a building.
Not for a single-family home. Zoning reserves the front yard for buildings with thirteen or more units, and even then, only if it is not visible from the street.
The zoning bylaw does not prescribe any for a residential heat pump. The noise rule becomes the real criterion.
That depends on the background noise level of your street. Terrebonne compares ambient noise to residual noise: beyond a 5 dB(A) difference, the unit is in violation, regardless of its absolute decibel level.
We’ll come to you, take measurements, and explain what works best and why. Then, you decide.
