Building and Renovating

Permits for homeowners

Whether you are looking to renovate your existing home, create a second dwelling, fix up your basement or install a pool, there are many projects and instances where homeowners must apply for a building permit with the Town before starting work.

Responsibility and role

Whether you do the work yourself or hire a contractor, it is the homeowner's responsibility to ensure that a building permit is issued when required and that required inspections are scheduled, with any issues fixed. Starting construction without a permit is illegal and a provincial offence under the Ontario Building Code Act, so we advise all homeowners to acquire the permit before starting any work.

Permits for developers

Housing, industrial, commercial and institutional developers seeking to build in the Town must provide a range of documents and information as part of their permit applications, depending on the project.

Submitting design information

The Ontario Building Code requires all qualified and registered designers to include the following information when submitting documents to the Town:

• Name and Building Code Identification Number (BCIN) of the registered firm
• Name and BCIN of the qualified person
• Signature of the qualified person
• Statement that the qualified person has reviewed and taken responsibility for the project's design activities

Drawing specifications

• If applicable, drawings must be stamped by an architect, or professional engineer or both. Stamps and signatures must be original on one set of drawings.
• All drawings must be fully dimensioned, with all sizes and types of construction materials to be used and their respective locations included. Also include all finishes to walls, ceiling and floors, and all existing and proposed fire separations.
• Alterations, renovations and additions must differentiate between the existing building and new work being done.

Attached plans, forms and information

The following plans, working drawings, information and forms may be required to accompany your application and fees, depending on the scope of work:

• Architectural drawings
• Building Code related reports
• Building elevations
• Electrical drawings
• Exit capacity plans
• Fire alarm drawings
• Fire protection reports
• Floor plans
• Foundation plans
• Framing plans
• Heating, ventilation and air conditioning drawings
• Key plan
• Lot grading plan
• Plumbing drawings
• Reflected ceiling plans
• Roof plans
• Sections and details
• Site plan
• Spatial separation calculations
• Sprinkler drawings
• Structural drawings
• Travel distance plans