A Toronto building permit is less a single form than a short chain of approvals: a zoning sign-off, sometimes a variance or a tree permit, then the permit itself and a run of inspections that ends with a final. Get the order right and a straightforward house project moves in weeks. Get it wrong and the review clock never starts, and that's where plenty of Toronto renovations stall before a single trade arrives.
Quick answer: In Toronto you need a building permit for additions, structural changes, new or enlarged windows and doors, plumbing or heating changes, underpinning, new basement entrances, second suites, decks more than 60 cm above ground, and demolition. Toronto Building commits to reviewing a complete house application in 10 business days, and completeness requires an issued Zoning Applicable Law Certificate, priced at $644.38 in 2026 for a new house or an addition. For straightforward projects, plan on roughly 8 to 14 weeks from finished drawings to permit; a minor variance adds several months.
Key takeaways
- Zoning comes first. Toronto treats any application lacking an issued Zoning Applicable Law Certificate as incomplete, and incomplete files get no review timeframe at all.
- The house stream is fast once you're in it. Complete applications for detached, semi-detached and row houses with up to two units are reviewed within 10 business days.
- Fees are calculated by area. Toronto's 2026 formula multiplies a service index by floor area, with a $214.79 minimum fee for any work.
- Electrical is a separate system. ESA says almost all electrical work needs a notification of work filed before it starts, and a building permit doesn't replace it.
- When zoning doesn't fit, the Committee of Adjustment decides. A 2026 minor variance for an addition to a house with three units or fewer costs $2,228.98.
What needs a building permit in Toronto
Toronto Building's own list is the reference point. As of 2026, you need a permit to:
- Construct a new building, or add to one: second and third storeys, attached garages and carports, sunrooms, porches and decks.
- Add or remove walls, or add, enlarge or relocate windows and doors. Enclosing an existing deck, porch or patio of any size also needs one.
- Finish a basement where the work includes structural changes, heating or plumbing changes, excavation or new foundations, underpinning, a new basement entrance or a second suite.
- Build a deck more than 60 cm (24 in) above ground, a shed of 15 m² or more, or an accessory structure larger than 10 m² such as a detached garage or pool house. Any accessory structure that's attached or has plumbing needs a permit regardless of size.
- Install or modify heating or plumbing systems, a backwater valve or a backflow prevention device.
- Install or rebuild a chimney or fireplace, or install a wood-burning stove.
- Demolish all or part of a building, or change a building's use even with no construction.
What doesn't need one
Toronto Building lists common exemptions, while noting that zoning still applies:
- Replacing windows or doors in a house in the same opening, with no change to size, structure or exits.
- Replacing a furnace, boiler or hot water tank, or adding air conditioning.
- Repairing or replacing plumbing fixtures, and installing cabinets and millwork.
- Re-roofing with no structural work, adding or replacing insulation, and basement waterproofing repairs.
- Finishing a basement with no structural change, no new unit and no new plumbing.
- Decks no more than 60 cm above grade, and sheds up to 15 m² that are one storey, detached, plumbing-free and used for storage.
Electrical work runs on a parallel track. ESA says almost all of it requires a notification of work filed before starting, and if you're paying someone for electrical work on a home in Ontario, the law says it must be a Licensed Electrical Contractor.
Step 1: the Zoning Applicable Law Certificate
Before Toronto Building will review a permit, it wants to know the project complies with the zoning by-law and other applicable law. That's the job of the Zoning Applicable Law Certificate, which the City describes as a preliminary review of submitted plans to confirm zoning and applicable law compliance. By-law 569-2013 governs most of the city, though pockets remain partly or wholly under the zoning by-laws of the former municipalities, which is one more reason to check before design is fixed.
The 2026 fees, effective January 1, 2026, are $644.38 for a new house (up to two units), an addition, a conversion or an alteration, $644.38 for a new laneway or garden suite, and $214.79 for accessory structures such as garages, porches and balconies. Up to three review rounds come with each application, and the fee is credited to the building permit application when you file the City's declaration form. You'll need a site plan based on a current Ontario Land Surveyor survey, dimensioned floor plans showing the use of each space, and elevations and sections, all as PDFs. Toronto also offers a voluntary, AI-assisted Building Permit Application Pre-Check to flag issues before you submit.
If the review finds non-compliance, you have two choices: redesign to fit, or ask the Committee of Adjustment for minor variances (covered below).
Step 2: applying online
Toronto takes both the zoning certificate and the building permit through Toronto Building Online Services, using its Application Submission Tool. For a new house, the package includes the drawings, a lot grading plan that meets the City's Lot Grading Criteria for Infill Housing, the SB-12 energy efficiency design summary, a Tree Declaration, an Infill Public Notice Declaration, a Municipal Road Damage Form with its deposit, and a Schedule 1 Designer Information Form. Where drawings carry a professional engineer's seal, the application must also include the City's Assumption of Responsibility for Engineering Content form, completed by that engineer. Mechanical, plumbing and drain permits associated with the new house are submitted online as their own applications, and if an existing house is coming down, its demolition application comes after the new house application.
How long a Toronto permit takes
| Review stream | Covers | Review time, complete applications |
|---|---|---|
| House | Detached, semi-detached and row houses with up to two units, plus garden and laneway suites | 10 business days |
| Small Building | Other Part 9 buildings | 15 business days |
| Large Building | Part 3 buildings | 20 business days |
| Complex Building | Complex Part 3 buildings | 30 business days |
| Express Services | Eligible decks, garages, interior alterations, underpinning and similar | Target of 3 business days after intake |
Ontario's Building Code Act requires the chief building official to decide on an application within the prescribed period once it meets the prescribed requirements; Toronto's streams are where that clock shows up. Under Toronto's Reliance on Professional Engineer's Seal approach, which was expanded on July 14, 2025 to cover more project types such as garden and laneway suites and mechanical systems, new house designs and material alterations bearing an engineer's seal get an expedited review.
The catch is that 10 business days describes the City's review, not your whole project. Examiner comments mean a resubmission and another round of review. Add the zoning certificate in front and, in our planning experience, the realistic window for a well-prepared addition or new house is roughly 8 to 14 weeks from finished drawings to issued permit. Our Toronto renovation timeline guide shows how that fits into the whole project.
What a permit costs in 2026
Toronto calculates most permit fees as a service index multiplied by floor area in square metres. The 2026 rates include $18.56 per m² for single-family, semi-detached and townhouse dwellings plus $56.33 for each new residential unit, $13.41 per m² for residential alterations and renovations, and $11.53 per m² for interior alterations. Residential decks, porches, carports, detached garages and accessory structures are a flat $214.79, which is also the minimum fee for any work. As a rough example, an 80 m² interior alteration at $11.53 per m² comes to about $922.
Fees must be paid before a permit issues. Credit cards are accepted up to $20,000, larger amounts go by EFT or wire, and cheques are no longer accepted. Development charges, parkland dedication and education development charges, where they apply, are payable only by EFT or wire. Budget separately for Committee of Adjustment fees, tree permits and the road damage deposit.
The inspection sequence
Once the permit is issued, Toronto Building inspects in a fixed order for houses and small buildings:
- Footings, at completion of formwork and before concrete.
- Foundations, at completion, with outside sewers and the water service inspected before backfilling.
- Structural framing, including rough-in of plumbing and HVAC.
- Fire separations, before interior finishes.
- Insulation and vapour barrier, at completion and before anything covers it.
- Fireplaces, gas appliances and chimneys, at the start of installation.
- Occupancy, plumbing and HVAC readiness, then final interior and final exterior.
You must notify the inspector when each stage is ready, and the City schedules the visit within the next two business days. Anything closed in before it passes must be opened back up for the inspector. The permit isn't closed until the owner books and passes the final inspection, and the City warns that open permits can complicate future sales and applications. On our projects, each required City inspection against the Ontario Building Code is a dated milestone on the schedule clients follow in Buildertrend.
Common delays and how to avoid them
- An old survey. The zoning certificate needs a site plan based on a current Ontario Land Surveyor survey. Order it first.
- Designing before checking zoning. A design that needs four variances is a Committee of Adjustment file, not a permit file. Check setbacks, height and coverage at concept stage.
- Trees. Toronto protects private trees with a trunk diameter of 30 cm and up, measured 1.4 m above grade, and City street trees of every size. Inside ravine and natural feature protection areas, the permit net widens to trees of any size, regrading and new structures.
- Conservation authority land. If the lot is in a TRCA Regulated Area, the City can't issue your permit until TRCA's own permit or clearance is in hand.
- Heritage districts. In a Heritage Conservation District, such as the Cabbagetown, Rosedale, Riverdale or Harbord Village districts, new construction, additions and exterior alterations need a heritage permit, though interior-only work and changes not visible from the street are among the exceptions. A heritage permit doesn't replace the building permit; where both are needed, the City assesses and issues them together.
- Missing engineering. Beams, underpinning and structural changes need engineered details and the right responsibility forms. A sealed design can also get the expedited review.
When zoning doesn't fit: the Committee of Adjustment
If the zoning certificate flags non-compliance, the usual path is to ask the Committee of Adjustment for minor variances. The Committee applies four tests: the request has to respect the general intent of the Official Plan, respect the general intent of the Zoning By-law, suit the appropriate development of the property, and be minor. Filing for an addition or alteration to a house of up to three units costs $2,228.98 in 2026; a new dwelling of that size costs $5,011.08. Applications are emailed as PDFs, and from October 1, 2026 the City requires its new Form A and Form B, with older forms refused after October 31, 2026.
Notice goes to neighbours at least 10 days before the hearing, a sign must be posted for 10 days, and the written decision follows within 10 days. Under the Planning Act, an appeal must be filed within 20 days of the decision, and the Toronto Local Appeal Body hears most Toronto appeals. Our Committee of Adjustment guide covers hearings, neighbours and timing in detail.
The same permit system covers the whole amalgamated city, from a Toronto home addition to custom homes in North York and a full renovation in Etobicoke. North of Steeles or west of Etobicoke Creek, each municipality runs its own permit portal, fee schedule and tree rules, as our guide to permits in Mississauga, Vaughan and Richmond Hill explains.
FAQ
Does finishing a basement in Toronto need a building permit?
Only if the work includes structural changes, new or changed plumbing or heating, excavation, underpinning, a new basement entrance or a second suite. A cosmetic finish with no new plumbing and no new unit doesn't need one. A second suite does, and our legal basement apartment guide covers those rules, as does our Toronto basement finishing page.
How long is the Toronto building permit process in 2026?
The City's house stream promises a 10-business-day review once an application is complete, and eligible small projects in Express Services target 3 business days. With the zoning certificate and at least one resubmission, plan on about 8 to 14 weeks for an addition or new house.
What is a Zoning Applicable Law Certificate?
It's the City's preliminary review of your plans for zoning and applicable law compliance. A permit application without an issued certificate is considered incomplete. The 2026 fee is $644.38 for a new house or an addition, with up to three reviews included.
How much does a building permit cost in Toronto?
Most fees are a 2026 service index multiplied by floor area, such as $18.56 per m² for a new single-family house or $13.41 per m² for residential alterations. Decks, garages and accessory structures are a flat $214.79, the City's minimum fee.
Do I need a permit to replace windows in my house?
Not if the new window goes into the same opening in a detached, semi-detached or row house, without changing its size or location, its structural support, or creating a new exit. Enlarging or moving an opening needs a permit.
What happens if I renovate without a permit?
It's prohibited outright under section 8 of the Building Code Act. Without a permit there are no inspections to prove the work, covered work may have to be opened up later, and the City warns that even open permits can impede a future sale. It's far cheaper to permit work up front.
We prepare and manage permit applications on our projects, from the zoning certificate through final inspection. Find out how permit coordination fits into our general contracting service, request a ballpark through our free online estimate, or contact us to check what your Toronto project will need.