Guide

—-GUIDE TO RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS —-

Multiplexes of up to four units is now allowed in every area of the city of Toronto.

On May 10, 2023, City Council adopted the official plan Amendment and zoning by-law to permit multiplexes city wide. This is now in effect, we are happy to announce that our vast experience in Design & construction will provide you the best design plans, fire separations & exits required in getting permits to achieve your goals to maximize your property to generate income.

Residential Building permits how much does it cost in 2023

    • It’s required when you do an addition or New Construction, there is always
      the possibility that the city street is damaged by heavy machinery if your Contractor is not careful on site.
      Can you refuse to pay this deposit? Absolutely.
      If your Contractor is extra careful during construction & you take good pictures of the existing state of the road in case of a dispute you can use the deposit towards the Construction.
      Here is an interesting article by the Toronto Star dated Mar. 18, 2009 as to what happens to a good portion of the Street damage deposits.
      link —->    1- Toronto Star Article on street Damage deposits

Why do I need a Building Permit ?

  • To ensure that construction within municipality meets with standards set out in the Ontario Building Code
    • To ensure that zoning requirements, fire and structural safety standards & other building standards are met.
    • You do  not need a permit for, Exceptions:
    • Replacement of windows, doors, Roofing or Siding, floor or ceiling finishes.
    • Fences, other then Pool Enclosures.
    • Kitchen or bathroom cupboards without plumbing.
    • Excavation around the home for the purpose of waterproofing.
    • Solar Panels that are less than 5 pounds per square foot in weight.

—–> Guide to requirements on solar panels

  • Air Conditioning
  • Repairs to Porches, Decks or Roofs, waterproofing repairs to a Basement
  • Shed less than 15 sq. m. (161 sq. ft.).
  • How long does it take to get a Building Permit ?

A building permit takes, 5 to 20 days depending on its class & size determination.

Providing meets zoning requirements & submitted drawings provide all the necessary information.

  • 5 days – Residential fast track, maximum 100 m2 (1076 sq..ft.) Additions, interior alterations to 1 or 2 Family Dwellings.
  • 10 days – Single Family Residential Dwelling.
  • 15 days – Part 9 Buildings, Multi Family Residential, Commercial & Industrial less than 600 m2 & not over 3 stories.
  • 20 days – Part 3 Buildings, Residential, Commercial & Industrial over 600 m2 & more than 3 stories.

When do I need a Building Permit ?

A building permit is required for the change of use, Construction, Demolition of any building or addition, alterations, signs, the installation of fireplaces & wood-burning stoves, sun decks, etc., as well as for new heating & plumbing installations or alterations. You need a permit for almost everything.

Other Approvals that may be required as part of the Building permit process.

  • Heritage Approval, when the property is designated under the Heritage act.
  • Ravine Clearance with Toronto region & conservation Authority, when property is in a controlled area.
  • Tree Clearance where deposits are taken, in the event trees sustain injury or die from construction related abuse.
  • Fast Track Building permits
  • We provide Fast Track Building permits within 5 days once plans are completed
  • providing the proposed work comply with the requirements above.
  • Give us a call to assess your own situation.
  •  
  • How long is a building Permit valid for?
  • You have twelve months to begin the work through Council Resolution CR1429/92.
  • The permit continues as long as the work is “on-going”
  • Work which has not progressed for six months is considered not “on-going” and eligible to be revoked by the Building Department.

The Ontario Building Code Act requires that a homeowner obtain a building permit prior to commencing construction.

It is unlawful to start construction or demolition before you get a permit.
Remember, 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 and/or legal action.

When should I get my Permit ?

My advice to everyone is to get your permit, months before you intend to build.

Hire a professional like our firm to check zoning if you are doing an Addition for example to make sure, there are no zoning issues that can delay getting your permit.

It is very common that we experience our clients hiring us to get permits at the last minute, but what happens is that the contractor waits for the permit instead of the permit waiting for the Contractor.

Your permit is valid for 1 year after issued, there is no reason to wait for the last minute. For those that just purchased a home you can get started with the drawing process &
permit application before you take possession, we can advise you on the process.

What is a Survey & why do I need one ?

  • The first thing we ask when you inquire about making alterations to your home is a survey.
  • A survey is a plan of your property that shows the outline of your home, a survey shows the setbacks from the property line to the existing home and immediate neighbors.

A Survey helps us determine what zoning issues if any you have when we take your project on and if it’s possible to do what you intend to do. Not everyone has a Survey, if you don’t have one we can help you get one, give us a call.

My Basement has a low ceiling height, how do I increase the ceiling height ?

  • One way to increase your Basement ceiling height is to extend the Basement walls below the existing Basement slab a method called Underpinning.

If you have questions related to your project and need direction send us an email & we will do our best to respond on a timely manner.

  • Underpinning is done by excavating the perimeter of the Basement in 3 or 4 feet maximum Sections method & extending your foundation wall below the existing level to the desired height.
  • Underpinning should only be done by professionals that have experience in this field.
    Requires drawings outlining & detailing the work to be done, give us a call for us to provide
    you the necessary Engineering drawings for construction.

What happens if I built without a permit & Received an order to comply.

  • An Order to comply is serious.
    you must stop all Construction & contact us to provide you all the necessary permit  in order to allow you to legally finish Construction.
  • Any part of construction that is not done to code will have to be brought up to code, this may include demolish, upgrade or replace.
    In our experience most construction projects done without a permit are done incorrectly which makes it more costly than if it was done with a permit first time around. Building Codes are designed to protect us, so let’s follow them, rather than ignore them.

What happens if my project doesn’t comply with zoning ?

  • You can still get approval, providing it is a minor variance which is handled at the Committee of Adjustment, we will prepare the necessary plans & application submission.
  • Committee of Adjustment consists of citizen members appointed by Council, they regularly hold public hearings where all affected neighbors within 60m of your home are invited & voice their objections if any to your project. At the end of each meeting your project is approved or denied, by the Committee voting members.

What happens once I get my permit & during Construction we want to make changes ?

  • You are allowed to make changes, but before any changes are made a revised building permit submission needs to be applied for, approved & issued.
    Usually the changes are interior & minor in nature. Should it be the size of Addition for instance can be more complex & time consuming if it does not meet the zoning by-law.
    We can advise you on the best way to accomplish your revisions.

Basement Apartments what you need to know

  • Basement apartments are very popular in the city gets you the extra
    income that you need to help pay your mortgage.
    – Bedrooms , Living room & dining must have a window
    – You need 2 exits from the Basement, what is ideal is a Basement
    Walk-out stair directly to the exterior & the other exit could be a
    window that meets the exit requirements, size etc.
    – Fire separation between Basement & Main floor including sound barrier.
    – Basement height must have a min. clear height to be acceptable.
    If you don’t have this height, your alternative is to lower the basement slab /underpin.      I have received calls to legalize basement apartments after the work is complete, due to the lack of knowledge of the building code people think that providing 5/8” type ‘x’ drywall to the ceiling is all you need & do not know that a sound barrier is also a requirement as well.
    Unfortunately the new installed ceiling has to be removed in order to be revised to provide the sound barrier required by code after the fact, making it very costly, so the lesson, is cutting corners at the end becomes more expensive.
    The money that you pay for the permit and drawings would be well worth it & less expensive & your unit is legal.

Mississauga secondary unit or Suite ( Basement Apartment ).

  • Mississauga City Council approved a plan to permit second units on July 3, 2013.
    Second units are part of the City’s affordable housing strategy. A second unit is a self-contained living unit within a detached, semi-detached house or townhouse. They are also called basement apartments, in-law suites or secondary suites.
    We are very familiar with the city requirements to legalize your basement unit, call us to start your Plans approval process.

Do you have an open permit ? If you ever sell your house, you will need to close your permit before you sell.

Fences make good neighbors if you are both in agreement
but makes bad lawsuits if one disagrees.

  • There are no permits required to build a fence, but there are
    Laws that dictate the height depending where the fence is being built on your property.
    At the front of the house or on a corner lot the height restriction is lower for visibility safety reasons. Refer to the link below for the Fence regulation by-law.

Link-Fences Regulation By-law

Laneway suites are now possible, Official Plan Amendment provides a Site Area Specific Policy No. 546 to permit laneway suites in these locations.
we can help you get you permits for such projects
on area 546. you can follows us on telegram as we will post more information on this subject link —-> Join us on telegram

What is a Laneway suite?

• Laneway Suites are located at the rear of the lot and remain under ownership of the principal residence, this means you will not be able to sever it or sale it separately.

•  Official Plan and zoning bylaw policies for laneway suites to all, implement laneway ‘residential laneways’ in the City of Toronto, will ensure that all neighborhoods policy citywide benefit from equal access to these policies and that the policy is effective in creating rental housing supply city-wide.

Link-to Laneway suites

BCIN – What is a BCIN license?

  • BCIN is the Ontario Ministry of Housing License provided to Ontario Design firms
    & Designers that have passed a rigorous Ontario Building Code exams & qualifications, these firms are
    fully Qualified & carry liability insurance to provide Design services to the Public.
    We carry BCIN license for the appropriate jobs.

Quote of the day.

 

  • If you think it’s expensive to Build with a permit, wait until you build without one.