Building Permits in Mississauga, Vaughan & Richmond Hill (2026)

Cross the Toronto city line into Peel or York Region and the building permit you need comes from a different city, through a different portal, with its own tree, grading and heritage rules. Mississauga, Vaughan and Richmond Hill all enforce the same Ontario Building Code, yet the route to a permit is not the same in any two of them. Here's how each works in 2026, plus a short note on Markham, written from the contractor's side of the counter.

Quick answer: In Mississauga you apply online through ePlans; in Vaughan through the City's Online Permitting Portal and ePlans Portal, after a grading permit for any new infill house; and in Richmond Hill through the permit portal at permits.richmondhill.ca. Mississauga and Richmond Hill both publish a 10-business-day first review for a complete house application, but Mississauga's own published average times for processing and issuing a permit are 7 weeks for residential alterations and 13 weeks for new houses. Variances, conservation authority permits, tree permits and heritage approvals come before the building permit and can add months.

Key takeaways

• Nothing is timed until the file is complete. Mississauga excludes incomplete applications from its timelines, and Richmond Hill commits to a completeness check within 2 business days before its 10-day house review begins.
• Check zoning before you design. Mississauga sells a Preliminary Zoning Review for $604.51; Vaughan says applications not transitioned under its new by-law must comply with both By-law 1-88 and By-law 001-2021 while the new by-law is under appeal; Richmond Hill gives zoning information in writing only.
• Tree thresholds differ by city. A private tree permit is triggered at 15 cm diameter in Mississauga and Richmond Hill and at 20 cm in Vaughan.
• Conservation authority approval comes first. TRCA states that, for work in its Regulated Area, no municipality can lawfully issue the building permit until TRCA has granted its own permit or a clearance.
• Heritage districts are real constraints. Mississauga has three Heritage Conservation Districts, Vaughan four, Markham four and Richmond Hill one (Gormley), and exterior work in a district usually needs heritage approval; each district plan sets out what is covered.

What Ontario sets and what each city decides

The legal backbone is the same everywhere. Section 8 of Ontario's Building Code Act says no one may construct or demolish a building without a permit from the chief building official, and that the official must issue it unless one of the listed grounds applies, including that the work would contravene the Act, the building code or any other applicable law, the application is incomplete, fees are unpaid, or the applicant is a new home builder or vendor who isn't licensed under the New Home Construction Licensing Act. When an application meets the prescribed requirements, the official must decide within the period set by regulation.

That phrase, "any other applicable law", is why zoning, conservation authority, heritage and tree approvals must be in hand before a permit can issue. The building code itself is provincial. The current code has been in force since January 1, 2025 and is mandatory for applications made from April 1, 2025, and the regulation is now written as the national model code (the 2020 edition) plus an Ontario amendment document. Everything else in this guide (portals, fees, zoning, trees, heritage, grading) is set city by city.

Conservation authorities sit outside both. Under Ontario Regulation 41/24, "development activity" includes constructing a building, enlarging one and site grading, so an addition or a new house on a regulated lot generally needs the authority's permit as well, unless one of the regulation's exceptions applies.

Mississauga, Vaughan and Richmond Hill side by side

Building permits in Mississauga

What needs a permit. The City lists additions, detached garages and dormers; decks more than 0.61 m (2 ft) high; sheds over 15 m² or with plumbing; other structures over 10 m²; basement finishing and basement apartments; new or enlarged doors and windows; and plumbing, HVAC and drainage work. Sheds under 15 m² that are one storey, free-standing and plumbing-free, retaining walls under 1 m, re-shingling, fences and like-for-like window replacements don't need one. Zoning still applies to all of it.

Preliminary Zoning Review. For houses, additions, accessory structures and additional residential units, Mississauga offers an optional review of your site plan, floor plans and elevations against the Zoning By-law for $604.51, paid through ePlans. Review cycles run about 20 business days. If the plans comply, they come back stamped; if they don't, you get a status report listing each non-compliant item, which becomes the list of variances for the Committee of Adjustment. The catch: you must submit those plans unchanged with a minor variance application, and any later change invalidates the review.

Applying through ePlans. You create an account, pay a $50 administrative fee (credited to the permit), upload drawings, and wait for a pre-screen of about 7 to 10 business days during which you can't respond to comments. After pre-screen you pay the balance of the fee, which has a residential minimum of $244, and the application goes to department review: 10 business days for residential work, 15 for second units. Any group that withholds approval sends you back for a resubmission, and the City warns each cycle could add two or more weeks. Second-unit permits average about 10 weeks to process and issue.

Approvals to line up first. Mississauga asks for an Applicable Law Form with every application. Depending on the lot, that can mean conservation authority approval from Credit Valley Conservation (CVC), Conservation Halton or TRCA; heritage approval; Ministry of Transportation approval within MTO controlled areas; site plan approval in the site plan control area; a tree permit; or a Committee of Adjustment decision. Mississauga's Private Tree Protection By-law covers any tree 15 cm or more in diameter, and injuring or removing one takes a permit with a base fee of $399.77. Arborist reports are required for all development and construction projects. On the mature streets of Lorne Park and Mineola, that threshold catches far more than the obvious specimen maple.

Heritage. Mississauga's three Heritage Conservation Districts are Meadowvale Village, Old Port Credit Village and Streetsville, each with its own district plan. The City counts about 300 designated properties and more than 1,000 listed ones. Altering a listed property doesn't need approval, but demolishing one requires 60 days' notice to the City, which can designate the property during that window.

Committee of Adjustment and inspections. Minor variance applications are emailed to the Committee, decided against the four Planning Act tests, and carry a 20-day window to appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal. After Bill 23, only the applicant, the municipality, certain public bodies and the Minister can appeal. Once the permit issues, inspections are booked online, run Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and follow the familiar stages: footing before concrete, plumbing, HVAC rough-in, framing, fire separations, insulation and vapour barrier, and final, with an occupancy inspection before a new home is lived in. If you're planning an addition here, our Mississauga home additions page covers what we look at before design starts.

Building permits in Vaughan

Two zoning by-laws at once. Vaughan's Zoning Services page says Comprehensive Zoning By-law 001-2021 is under appeal at the Ontario Land Tribunal, that By-law 1-88 as amended remains in effect, and that building applications not transitioned under section 1.6 of the new by-law must comply with both while the appeal continues. In practice your designer checks setbacks, height and coverage against two documents, and the design has to satisfy both. Confirm with Zoning Services before design is fixed.

Grading permit before the building permit. For a new infill house on an existing lot, Development Engineering must issue a grading permit before Vaughan will accept the building permit application. The City lists the fee at $1,003, with a $10,000 refundable security deposit, and it includes two drawing reviews. TRCA and Committee of Adjustment approvals, if they apply, are part of that submission. This step is easy to miss if you're used to another city's process, so it belongs in the design schedule rather than after it.

What doesn't need a permit. Vaughan lists sheds of 15 m² or less (one storey, not attached, storage only, no plumbing), uncovered decks up to 18.6 m² and no more than 0.6 m above grade that aren't attached to the house, retaining walls under 1 m, replacing windows, doors, roofing, cabinets and plumbing fixtures, and replacing a furnace. Electrical work is inspected by the Electrical Safety Authority instead. Drawings for new houses and additions must carry the qualified designer's name, registration and BCIN, with a lot grading permit, energy efficiency forms and TRCA approval where applicable.

Trees. Vaughan's Tree Protection By-law 177-2025 requires a permit for private trees 20 cm in diameter or greater. Removal or injury tied to construction, such as an addition, a pool or a new driveway, needs a Construction (or Infill) Permit supported by an arborist report, and the City's standard initial response time is 30 business days. Apply in parallel with design, not after.

Heritage districts. Kleinburg-Nashville, Maple, Thornhill and Woodbridge are Vaughan's four Heritage Conservation Districts. Designation covers the whole property, landscape included, and any work that alters its appearance needs a Heritage Permit, which can require a recommendation from Heritage Vaughan to City Council. You can't demolish first and plan later: the City's Official Plan says a demolition permit in a district won't issue until Council has approved the replacement structure. The City notes that the Ontario Heritage Act allows fines of up to $1 million for illegally demolishing a property in a district.

Committee of Adjustment and inspections. Minor variance and consent applications go through the same Online Permitting Portal. Inspections are booked by phone between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.; requests before 4 p.m. are scheduled for the next business day, later ones in two, and same-day inspections aren't available. For larger projects, see our custom homes in Vaughan page.

Building permits in Richmond Hill

Portal and service standards. Richmond Hill's Building Services Division, part of Planning and Regulatory Services at 225 East Beaver Creek Road, takes applications and payment online through the permit portal. Its service charter commits to a completeness check within 2 business days, then 10 business days for house permits, 15 for small buildings, 20 for large and 30 for complex buildings. Applications left incomplete or inactive for six months are treated as abandoned.

Fees and the site alteration permit. Fees are set under By-law 19-24. The 2026 residential schedule lists $27.37 per m² for a new house or an addition, $10.40 per m² for alterations, $6.56 per m² for a finished basement and a $210.12 minimum. Additions with more than 400 sq ft of footprint need a site alteration permit for approved grading before the building permit application.

Zoning in writing only. The City doesn't give zoning information by phone or in person. General questions go through a Request for Zoning By-law Information form; compliance and permitted-use letters are ordered through the permit portal, with a 10-business-day response commitment.

Trees, heritage and the Committee of Adjustment. Under Tree Preservation By-law 19-25, removing or injuring any tree with a trunk diameter of at least 15 cm at breast height (1.4 m) needs a permit, with a listed fee of $314 plus HST for the first tree. The Committee of Adjustment takes minor variance applications online, lists a 2026 application fee of $4,826, and sits on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m., with 16 meeting dates in 2026. Submission cutoffs run well ahead of hearings: for example, the cutoff for the June 4, 2026 meeting was April 30. A Tree Inventory and Preservation Plan and arborist report are needed if trees are within six metres of the work, and a Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment may be needed for listed or designated properties. Richmond Hill's one Heritage Conservation District is Gormley, and alterations to a designated property's heritage attributes need a Heritage Permit.

The Oak Ridges Moraine. The City notes that the northern half of Richmond Hill sits on the Oak Ridges Moraine, where the 2001 Oak Ridges Moraine Protection Act and Conservation Plan restrict development. If you're buying a lot in Oak Ridges to build, check those layers before you close.

Inspections. Inspection requests are made online, and the City commits to responding within 2 business days. The housing stages run from footings, laterals and foundation through under-slab drains, rough-in plumbing, framing, mechanical rough-in and insulation, to final plumbing, final interior and final exterior. The City must install a water meter before an occupancy certificate is issued, and no Certificate of Occupancy issues with orders outstanding. Our Richmond Hill home additions page covers additions on the City's larger lots.

A short note on Markham

Markham's Building Standards Department takes building permit applications through its ePLAN system, and its building permits page links to a Request an Inspection service. The City has four Heritage Conservation Districts (Buttonville, Markham Village, Thornhill and Unionville), and exterior changes, additions, garages, new construction or demolition in one need a Minor or Major Heritage Permit. Thornhill is worth a flag: the community is split between Markham and Vaughan along Yonge Street, and each city has its own Thornhill district, so which plan applies depends on which side of the city line your lot sits. See our Markham custom homes page if you're building there.

How long the whole process takes

The planning allowances above are rough figures to confirm for your own lot and city, not published service standards. These steps overlap when they're planned well. Grading, tree and conservation applications can move while the permit drawings are finished; a variance can't, because the permit drawings must match what the Committee approves. For budgeting the work itself, see our guide to home addition costs in the GTA.

Where applications stall

From the contractor's side, the delays are predictable. Drawings that lack the qualified designer's name, registration and BCIN, which Vaughan lists as required, can be sent back. A missing applicable law approval (a TRCA clearance, a tree permit, a grading permit) stops the clock before it starts. Changing a design after a zoning review or a variance decision forces you back through the review. And every resubmission cycle costs weeks, so the cheapest time to fix a problem is before the first upload. Permit application support is part of our custom home and home addition services, so the owner isn't left chasing review groups alone.

How these cities compare with Toronto

Toronto runs on a single city-wide process with its own rules: a Zoning Applicable Law Certificate before the permit, a 30 cm private tree threshold, and minor variance and consent appeals heard by the Toronto Local Appeal Body. For the details, read our Toronto building permit guide and our guide to the Toronto Committee of Adjustment. You can browse finished work, including projects in Toronto and Aurora, in our project portfolio.

FAQ

How long does a building permit take in Mississauga?

After a pre-screen of about 7 to 10 business days, residential applications get a first review within 10 business days (15 for second units). The City publishes average times for processing and issuing a permit of 7 weeks for alterations to detached and semi-detached houses and 13 weeks for new ones, and warns that each resubmission cycle can add two or more weeks.

Do I need a grading permit in Vaughan?

Yes, if you're building a new house on an existing lot. Vaughan won't take the building permit application until Development Engineering has issued the infill grading permit, which costs $1,003 plus a $10,000 refundable security deposit.

Can I get zoning information by phone in Richmond Hill?

No. Richmond Hill gives zoning information in writing only, through its Request for Zoning By-law Information form, or through compliance and permitted-use letters ordered on the permit portal.

Does a TRCA or CVC permit come before the building permit?

Yes. TRCA's position is that the municipal building permit can't legally be issued for regulated-area work until TRCA has signed off with a permit or clearance, and Mississauga lists approval from CVC, Conservation Halton or TRCA as an applicable law requirement for regulated land.

Which tree size needs a permit in each city?

Mississauga and Richmond Hill require a permit to injure or remove a private tree 15 cm or more in diameter, Vaughan at 20 cm. Tree permits are a separate application from the building permit, so trees near the work need their own file, usually with an arborist report.

Can my contractor apply for the permit on my behalf?

Generally yes, with the owner's written authorization on the city's form. Vaughan, for example, provides a Building Permit Applicant Authorization Form, and its infill grading permit asks for an Agent Authorization Form whenever the applicant isn't the registered owner. Check each city's forms list before the first upload.

Planning an addition, a new home or a major renovation outside Toronto? Bring us in before design is locked so the approvals your lot needs are on the schedule from the start; our custom home and addition services include permit application support, and we build under a fixed-price contract with one accountable team. Read how we run projects in our general contracting service, price an addition through our online estimate, or contact us to talk through your lot.