Ultimate Guide of Homeowner building permit in Ontario

Building Permit in Ontario

A Building Permit Is Your Formal Permission To Begin The Construction, Demolition, Addition, Or Renovation On Your Property.

Project Info

As part of the Building Permit process, Toronto Building staff must review your plans to ensure they comply with the Ontario Building Code, local Zoning By-laws, and other Applicable Law.

As the building owner, you are ultimately responsible for complying with all building requirements. Failure to obtain building permits can result in costly construction delays, legal action, and/or the removal of work already completed.

The following is a list of common projects that require a building permit. The list is not exhaustive. If you have any questions please contact Toronto Building.

Some Great Features

Construct a new building
Construct an addition to an existing building, such as
- second or third story additions
- attached garages, carports
- sunrooms
- solariums, porches, decks
Make structural or material alterations, such as
- adding or removing walls (i.e., changing room sizes and/or uses)
- new windows or doors where there were none before
- enlarging or relocating existing windows or doors
- enclosing an existing deck, porch or patio of any size
Construct an accessory structure larger than 10 square metres* (108 square feet) in area, such as
- Detached Garage
- Workshop
- Garden shed
- Carport
- Pool house or cabana
  - *Note: If you are constructing an accessory structure and it is attached to an existing building and/or has plumbing, regardless of its size, a building permit is required.
Finishing a basement, if the work proposed includes any of the following,
- structural or material alterations
- installing or modifying the heating and or plumbing systems
- excavating and/or constructing foundations
- basement underpinning
- constructing a basement entrance
- adding a second suite
Energy and environmental building improvements, such as
- rooftop stormwater retention systems
- green roofs
- structures used in the support of a wind turbine generator with a rated output of more than 3kW
- solar projects such as installation of solar collector systems and solar hot water systems
Construct a deck more than 60 centimeters (24 inches) above ground
Construct a retaining wall more than one metre (3 feet 3 inches) in height provided the retaining wall is on or adjacent to public property (including streets), building entrances, and on private property accessible to the public
Constructing a tent that
- covers more than 60 metres squared (646 square feet); and/or
- is attached to a building; and/or
- is within 3 metres (9 feet 10 inches) from another structure.
Demolish or remove all, or a portion of a building
Install or reconstruct a chimney or fireplace
Install a wood burning stove or fireplace
Install or modify heating and or plumbing systems
Install a backwater valve
Install a backflow prevention device
Change a building’s use (i.e. from residential to office or single dwelling unit house to multi-dwelling unit house). Even if no construction is proposed, if a change of use is proposed a building permit is required.

Specifically, A Permit Is Required When You Are:

Building a new structure that is larger than ten metres
squared (108 square feet).
Building any addition to an existing structure.
Renovating, including alterations that affect your
building’s compliance with building regulations (known
as Material Alteration*).
Demolishing all, or part of, a building.
Installing new, or altering existing, mechanical or
plumbing systems.
*Material Alteration refers to alterations that will affect your project’s
compliance with building regulations. For example, if a project involves
alterations to the structural design of the building; mechanical, electrical,
plumbing services; fire separations; and existing fire protection systems; and/or
a change to the use of a building.