Permit Application Types

• New main use buildings
  A Building Permit is required for the construction of a principal use (main use) building or structure. This includes mobile homes as the principal use.
• Secondary units

  A Building Permit s required for the construction of all secondary units (including mobile homes as secondary units).

  A secondary dwelling unit is a self-contained unit consisting of a room or rooms in a single detached, semi-detached, row house dwelling, street townhouse, or accessory buildings. The secondary dwelling unit may be contained in any part of the house, not just the basement. It may also be contained within an addition to the existing dwelling or within an accessory structure.

• Additions

  An Building Permit is required for any addition attached to a principal building or structure, or an addition to an accessory building/structure.

  Examples of an addition include (but are not limited to) carports, garages, porches, room(s), dormers, roofs over a deck, second storey to an existing building or structure.

• Renovations, or Alterations

  An Building Permit permit is required for:

  Exterior alterations or renovations including (but not limited to) roof repair or replacement (including structural members, sheathing, and roofing except shingles), addition of new openings for windows and doors to the building envelope, increasing/decreasing the size of existing windows and doors, installing new or repairing existing window wells, demolition of a chimney, etc.

  Interior alterations or renovations including (but not limited to) altering or removing partition walls and load-bearing walls, installation of insulation, air/vapour barrier and drywall, installation of a fireplace/woodstove, installation/repair of a chimney, fire protection requirements, addition of rooms such as bedrooms, bathrooms, laundry rooms, etc.

• Accessory structures

  A Building Permit is required for any accessory structure greater than 10m2 in area and is not used for human habitation. Examples of accessory structures include (but are not limited to) decks, detached garages, sheds, gazebos, greenhouses, pergolas, detached carports, etc.)

  With respect to decks, an Accessory Structure permit is required for all decks greater than 24" above grade (attached or detached) regardless of the size.

  With respect to sheds, in accordance with the Ontario Building Code, Division C, Article 1.3.1.1.:(6) a shed is exempt from the requirement to obtain a permit under Section 8 of the Act and is exempt from compliance with the Code, provided that the shed,

  1. is not more than 15m2 in gross area,
  2. is not more than one storey in building height,
  3. is not attached to a building or any other structure,
  4. is used only for storage purposes ancillary to a principal building on the lot, and
  5. does not have plumbing.
• Changing the use (i.e. use changing from residential to commercial)

  A Building Permit is required when there is a change of Major Occupancy in all or part of a building which may result in an increase in hazard to the occupants of the building.

• Weeping tile, foundation repair, sump pit installation

  A Building Permit is required for the installation of new weeping tiles, repair of existing weeping tiles, repair of a foundation, or sump pit installation.

• Siding

  A Building Permit is required for installing new exterior cladding (on all or part of a building or structure) such as vinyl siding, wood siding, brick veneer, brick, etc.

• Designated structures (retaining walls, solar panels, exterior storage tanks etc.)

  A Building Permit is required for Designated Structures including:

  • Retaining wall > 1 m in height
  • Pedestrian Bridge appurtenant to a building
  • Crane Runway Technical Standards & Safety Act 2000 to TSSA 2000
  • Signs regulated by Section 3.15, Division B that are not structurally supported by a building
  • Solar Collector that is mounted on a building and a face area equal to or > 5 m2
  • Structure that supports a wind turbine generator having a rated output of more than 3kW
  • Outdoor Public Pool
  • Outdoor Public Spa
  • Permanent Solid Nutrient Storage Facility with supporting walls exceeding 1 m in exposed height
  • Dish Antenna mounted on a building having a face area equal to or > 5 m2
  • Demountable stage
  • Demountable support structure
• Fire suppression

  A Building Permit is required for the installation of any new or alteration of any existing fire suppression systems including (but not limited to) sprinklers and standpipes.

Residential Only:

A Swimming Pool Enclosure permit is required for outdoor swimming pools with a capacity of more than 24 inches (61 cm) of water (including outdoor seasonal pools).

For additional information, refer to the Pool Enclosure By-Law (2016-91) and Swimming Pool Enclosure Guide:

View the full Pool Enclosure By-law (2016-91)
Swimming Pool Enclosure Guide

A Site Alteration permit is required for lands requiring:

• excavating, depositing, or stockpiling fill or topsoil and/or;
• removing topsoil and/or;
• altering the grade of land 

A New Tent permit is required for tents falling outside of the below provision.