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Once your application is deemed complete, it will go through three reviews by Building Department staff

  • Applicable Law review
  • Zoning review
  • Building Code Compliance review

If you are missing a required form, supporting documents or a fee, a permit coordinator will review your application and provide, in writing, any item which may be missing from the application. Only when all forms, documents and fees are received can an application be deemed complete.

 

The time required for processing a building permit application is between 10 to 30 business days, depending on its class and size determination as follows:

10 Days 
 

  • Houses, semi-detached houses, townhouses, and row houses where no dwelling unit is located above a dwelling unit.
  • Additions, renovations
  • Decks
  • Attached garages, carports
  • Detached structures that serve a house and are under 55 square metres in the building area. 
  • Sheds, detached garages and carports
  • Tents
  • Signs

15 Days 

  • Stacked townhouses, and houses with a dwelling unit above another dwelling unit.
  • Detached structures exceeding 55 square meters, and serving a house.
  • Buildings other than those described above, where Part 9 of the Ontario Building Code is applicable
  • 3 or fewer storeys in height
  • Building area less than 600 square metres
  • Major occupancies classified as:
    • Residential (ex. camp for the housing of workers)
  • Business and personal services (ex. offices)
  • Mercantile (ex. retail stores)
  • Medium or low hazard industrial 
  • Farm Buildings not exceeding 600 square metres in building area

20 Days

  • Buildings where Part 3 of the Ontario Building Code is applicable
    • More than 3 storeys
    • Greater than 600 square metres in building area
    • Building area less than 600 square metres
    • Major Occupancies classified as:
      • Assembly
      • Care or Detention
      • Residential
      • Business and Personal Services
      • Mercantile
      • High, medium or low hazard industrial
      • Farm buildings exceeding 600 square metres in building area

30 Days 

  • Post-disaster buildings
  • High buildings to which Ontario Building Code applies 
  • Buildings with interconnected floor areas to which Ontario Building Code applies
The above timelines are for complete permit applications.  A complete application is one that meets zoning requirements, all applicable laws & the submitted drawings provide all the required information. Please be advised that staff will provide assistance to the applicant but must refrain from acting in the capacity of a designer.
At each stage of the review, you may receive review comments in writing from staff. Your designer will need to address these comments. Updated documentation will need to be provided by the applicant or designer. If you have questions regarding a review, please contact the staff member listed on the review for clarification. Staff will re-review the revised documentation. Once review comments are issued, the review period time frames set out by the Ontario Building Code no longer apply to the application.