Building Permits: A Guide for Home Owners
Submitting Your Application
You can either apply in person for your building permit at our office, located
on the 7th floor of City Hall, 300 Dufferin Avenue, or use our
Building Permit System to apply
online for residential additions and alterations permits for single detached homes.
You can print an
Application for a Permit to
Construct or Demolish or obtain a paper copy from the Building Division
counter; 7th floor, City Hall, 300 Dufferin Avenue. Call us if you would like to
have one mailed to you.
If you apply in person, your application form should be brought to the Building
Division counter accompanied by the following:
- Two sets of building plans (floor plans, elevations and cross-sections,
roof trusses and heating, as appropriate)
- Two copies of your property survey or site plan.
- A building permit fee may be paid by cash, Interac Direct Payment, or cheque,
payable to "City Treasurer" (cheques need not be certified). The fee is determined
by staff at the Building Division Counter and is based on the fee schedule in
the latest Building By-law. The minimum permit fee is currently $90.00.
Note: Incomplete applications or plans will not be accepted.
You may also be required to submit an "Undertaking Damage To City Property" form
to cover potential damage to city property. This form must be signed by the owner
of the property.
Upon submission of your application at the Building Division Counter, a Plans
Examiner will review your application to ensure that your application includes all
of the required documents. You will be given a receipt which will have a permit
application number for your reference. You will require this number for faster service
if you have future inquiries about the application.
Note: This receipt is not your Building Permit.
The Approval Process
Depending on the complexity of your project, your application may be reviewed
in two stages:
- Zoning Plan Examination staff will check for compliance with the regulations
and provisions of the Zoning by-law such as proposed use, minimum setback requirements,
lot coverage and building height, etc.
- Plan Examination staff will review the proposed construction to ensure compliance
with the Ontario Building Code.
Provincial legislation prescribes that residential permit applications be issued
within 10 business days following the day a complete permit application is accepted
by the Building Division.
If during the review an examiner identifies deficiencies on the drawings or requires
additional information, the designer and/or applicant will be notified, and the
10 day time-frame will no longer be applicable. Please ensure that the necessary
information is submitted promptly, as subject to the type of deficiency, no further
processing may occur until the information is received.
When the review of your application is complete and all requirements have been
met, your building permit will be mailed to the address indicated on the application
form. Let us know if you prefer to pick it up.
Note: Once you receive your building permit, ensure that both the
permit and approved drawings are available on the construction site. Your permit
card will provide information regarding
Mandatory Inspections
required.