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, legal action and/or the removal of work already completed.
The following is a list of common projects that require a building permit. The list is not exhaustive. If you have any questions please contact Toronto Building.
- Construct a new building
- Construct an addition to an existing building, such as second or third story additions, attached garages, carports, sunrooms, solariums, porches, decks.
- Make structural or material alterations, such as adding or removing walls (i.e., changing room sizes and/or uses), new windows or doors where there were none before
- Enlarging or relocating existing windows or doors
- Enclosing an existing deck, porch or patio of any size.
- Construct an accessory structure larger than 10 square metres* (108 square feet) in area, such as detached garage, workshop, garden shed, carport, pool house or cabana. *Note: If you are constructing an accessory structure and it is attached to an existing building and/or has plumbing, regardless of its size, a building permit is required.
- Finishing a basement, if the work proposed includes any of the following: structural or material alterations, installing or modifying heating and or plumbing systems, excavating and/or constructing foundations, basement underpinning, constructing a basement entrance, adding a second suite.
- Energy and environmental building improvements, such as roof top storm water retention systems, green roofs, structures used in the support of a wind turbine generator with a rated output of more than 3kW, solar projects such as installation of solar collector systems and solar hot water systems
- Construct a deck more than 60 centimetres (24 inches) above ground
- Construct a retaining wall more than one metre (3 feet 3 inches) in height provided the retaining wall is on or adjacent to public property (including streets), building entrances, and on private property accessible to the public
- Constructing a tent that covers more than 60 metres squared (646 square feet); and/or is attached to a building; and/or is within 3 metres (9 feet 10 inches) from another structure.
- Demolish or remove all, or a portion of a building
- Install or reconstruct a chimney or fireplace
- Install a wood burning stove or fireplace
- Install or modify heating and or plumbing systems
- Install a backwater valve
- Install a backflow prevention device
- Change a building’s use (i.e. from residential to office or single dwelling unit house to multi-dwelling unit house). Even if no construction is proposed, if a change of use is proposed a building permit is required.