A Guide to Obtaining Building Permits In Toronto
If you are looking into ways to improve your property, add additional space, create a completely new home, or add an ancillary dwelling (i.e. garden suite) in Toronto then you will need to obtain a building permit. In this article we break down the step-by-step process that you should take on your journey of getting a building permit for your residential construction project, and what the key considerations should be along the way.
Note that this guide is meant to cover the process of getting a building permit for home additions, new home construction projects, ancillary dwellings (like garden suites and laneway suites), and other ancillary structures (like garages and decks). If you are looking to renovate your existing home you may be able to expedite the process through The City of Toronto’s Fast Track program. Please reach out to us to learn more by visiting our contact page.
STEP 1: Review your properties Zoning to determine what is possible
The City of Toronto has no shortage of information online about what zoning bylaws apply to your property. The most important resource you should know about is the Toronto Interactive Zoning Bylaw Map, which you can use to find what zoning your property has and what specific rules the property is constrained by. If this is too much work for you, any reputable General Contractor or permit designer/architect should be able to let you know what is, isn’t, and might-be possible on your property (we go over the might-be scenario below).
If you determine your property is or might-be able to complete the work you want to complete, then you can proceed to step 2.
Step 2: Designer Selection and Preliminary Cost Estimates
Once you have a general idea of what is possible to complete on your property, now is the time to get fee proposals from permit designers and/or architects to give you pricing for completing the necessary drawings that will need to be reviewed by the City of Toronto to get your building permit. We put together a detailed guide on what to consider when choosing a permit designer or architect for your residential construction permit so you can be armed with the right information before making a decision.
At this step you will also want to reach out to a General Contractor with experience working on similar residential construction projects to yours that will be able to evaluate your proposed project and attach a preliminary cost estimate for the project, so you can make sure you can afford the work before committing to your designer or architect of choice. With BVM Contracting this service comes at no charge and is a standard operating procedure for anyone looking to work with us.
Pro Tip: Make sure that you push your permit designer or architect to calculate the fees for how much your permit is going to cost, so that you can budget accordingly.
Step 3: Preliminary Plans and Zoning Review
Once you have determined that you can afford your proposed renovation or home building project and have committed to a permit designer or architect, it is time to go to work on developing the plans for your proposed work.
Depending on your chosen project this process may differ slightly, but the goal is always the same - to submit a completed application for your project for the City of Toronto Building Department to review for compliance with your local zoning by-laws and exceptions. Note that you will need to pay fees for the zoning review (25 %), but they count towards the total cost that is payable for the entire permit, so there is no additional cost to completing one.
We cannot stress how important it is to get your preliminary set of drawings in for review with the City for zoning review as soon as you can, because it will dictate what your next step is (see below) and it takes time for them to get you the feedback you need. You can expect this step to take anywhere from 2-4 months depending on how well you work with your designer, how responsive they are to your requested changes to the plans, if you need an updated survey for the property to support the application, and how fast the City can get you feedback for your proposed plans.
Step 4a: Receipt of zoning Certificate and permit submission drawings
If your zoning application for your proposed project complies with all local zoning by-laws, then you will get a zoning certificate to confirm that your application can be submitted for a building permit.
When you receive your certificate, your permit designer or architect will then start working on adding in the necessary building code information that applies to your proposed project so that the plans can be ready to be reviewed again by the City for their building code review.
Additional to the work completed by the permit designer or architect, your project will likely also need to be reviewed by a structural engineer to do the engineering design work needed for the proposed project, and if you are created a new home, ancillary structure, or home addition you will need to get an HVAC permit, which will involve an HVAC designer or engineer to complete the necessary heat loss calculations and HVAC design for the new home build, home addition, or ancillary dwelling. Note that the HVAC permit is separate from the building permit and you do not necessarily need to submit the HVAC permit at the same time as the building permit (though it usually is for the sake of having all of the information before starting the project. Also note that the permit designer or architect will also need to file a plumbing permit for the proposed work, which is a separate application from the building permit and HVAC permit.
The Ontario Building Code (OBC) overlay drawings, HVAC design/permitting, and structural design are always completed AFTER the zoning review has been approved and the certificate has been obtained. If you start doing the work before you may run the risk of having to redo the structural and HVAC designs, which will end up costing you more money.
The process of getting together what we like to call the “permit submission drawings” can take anywhere from 1-3 months, and another month to get the permit itself once it has been submitted to the City.
This is also the point in time where you will have to pay out the remaining permit fees for your project. The City of Toronto discloses all of their building permit fees on their website, and note that the costs that are not flat fees are all per meter squared, so do not be fooled by the low numbers!
Step 4B: Minor variances and Committee of Adjustment in Toronto
If your zoning application has been flagged for minor variances to the local zoning bylaws of your neighbourhood, you will have two options:
Make the necessary changes to get your project to comply
Submit an application to Committee of Adjustment to get approval for the minor variances
Note that your permit designer or architect should be able to help determine if there are any large risks in going through with Committee of Adjustment, or if you will have a high likelihood of obtaining an approval. There is always a risk of getting rejected, but if there are any doubts about your application you can always consult a private planning consultant to help with your application, which we can help refer you to.
You will need to expect the following if you end up going to Committee of Adjustment:
Additional costs for submitting the application and being represented by your permit designer, architect, or planning consultant (which is recommended for 99% of applications)
Additional time spent waiting for a Committee of Adjustment hearing (which can take anywhere from 2-6 months)
Community involvement - your neighbours will be able to file letters of support or letters of opposition toward your project and potentially have their say during the hearing about why it may not be a good idea. You will want to make sure you have the support of your neighbours with the more complex applications, that is for sure!
Once you get your Committee of Adjustment Hearing scheduled, go through the proceedings, and obtain an approval you can go back to step 4A to complete your permit application! If you have been rejected then proceed to step 5.
Also note that the Committee of Adjustment may give you partial approval with conditions set out to make changes/concessions to your plans to conform with certain minor variances. This will give you a chance to proceed to the permit submission phase but will mean that some changes will need to be made to your plans to fit within certain variances. If C of A gives you this option you should try to take it, because going to step 5 will be another costly venture and will take even more time.
Step 5: Appealing a Committee of Adjustment Decision with The Toronto Local Appeal Body (TLAB)
If your application at Committee of Adjustment is rejected that is not the end of the road entirely, you will have the option to appeal the decision by filing an application to The Toronto Local Appeal Body (otherwise known as TLAB). This will give you an additional chance to present your case in more of a court-like setting and retain even better representation (such as a lawyer or planning consultant) so you can increase your chances of winning an approval.
It needs to be noted that you will end up spending even more money and time in getting the application set-up for TLAB, and it is always recommended to discuss your application with a lawyer and/or a planning consultant prior to filing to make sure your chances of success are high. Below we have attached a video from The City of Toronto that explains TLAB in a bit more detail and have attached the link to the TLAB page located on The City of Toronto’s website.
Step 6: Time to Build!
Once you have made it past step 4A it is time to wait for the permits to come through and get ready to schedule your project! Concurrently with all of the work getting permits obtained you should be working with a General Contractor to put together a representative budget and scope of work for your project. Ideally this process starts right after you obtain your zoning certificate, but can be completed anytime after that point as well. In order to get the most accurate budgets for our clients (and to procure everything before a contract is signed) we try to have the HVAC and Structural drawings on hand as well but they are not needed to start the process of building a scope and budget for your renovation or home building process.
If you at any point in the building permit process and are in need of transparent advice and realistic costs then please reach out to us so we can help out! We help out potential clients at every point in the pre-construction process to make sure you are confident every step of the way!
About BVM COntracting
BVM Contracting is a full-service General Contractor or Home Builder located in Toronto. We provide home renovation and building services for major home renovations (kitchen renovations, bathroom renovations, basement renovations, full interior renovations, home additions, lot severances, and new home construction). Our goal is to help guide our clients through the process of renovating their home, from concept to completion.
Further than providing General Contracting and Project Management for major home renovations, we also offer value-added services such as renovation financing, renovation rebate consultations and services, building permit and design services, smart home installation services, and real estate investor services.
To learn more about our offering by visiting our services page.