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Guide
Do I Need a Building Permit in Ontario? A Plain-Language Checklist
In Ontario, the Building Code Act requires a permit for most construction, demolition and change of use. Whether yours does depends on the work, and the details are set by your municipality. This guide covers the common cases.
Work that usually needs a permit
- New buildings and additions
- Structural changes, such as removing or altering a load-bearing wall
- Creating a new dwelling unit, such as a basement apartment
- Decks that are attached to the house, noticeably above grade, or large
- Finishing a basement with new walls, plumbing or a bathroom (it varies)
- Changing how a building is used, for example from retail to restaurant
- Demolition
- Some plumbing, heating and fire-protection work
Work that usually does not
- Painting, flooring and trim
- Replacing cabinets or fixtures like for like
- Small, low, detached accessory structures under your municipality’s size threshold
Even when no building permit is required, zoning rules still apply.
A building permit is not the only approval
- Zoning compliance, or a minor variance if your design does not meet the by-law
- Site plan approval for some projects
- Conservation authority approval near watercourses, ravines and shorelines
- Heritage approvals for listed or designated properties
- Tree-protection by-laws
- Niagara Escarpment or Oak Ridges Moraine rules in some areas
Why not skip the permit?
Unpermitted work can lead to orders to comply, stop-work orders, insurance problems, difficulty selling, and the need to open finished walls for inspection.
How to check for your property
Call your municipality’s building department, or book a free 15-minute call and we will tell you what is likely to apply. This is general information, not legal advice.
Start with a 15-minute call
Send us the address and what you are planning. We will tell you what is likely to be involved before you spend anything.
LA Design Inc. (operating as LA Architects & Partners) · 111 Valleymede Dr, Richmond Hill, ON