When is a Building Permit Required

Check with your City, but generally its:

• new construction;

• any structure that is over 10 square meters / 107 square feet, which is the size of a small shed. Pst. There’s also generally a height limit;

• making new openings for, or change the size of, doors and windows;

• making structural changes (renovations) to the interior or exterior of the building;

• changing occupancy use or adding suites;

• changing the footprint of a building;

• demolishing or removing all or a portion of a building;

• installing, changing or removing partitions and load bearing walls;

• building a garage, balcony, deck or stairs;

• excavating a basement or constructing a foundation;

• installing or reconstructing chimneys or fireplaces (including wood burning stoves)building a deck higher than 0.6 m/2.0 ft above ground;

• retaining walls over 1.2 m/4.0 ft in height;

• swimming pools;

• creating a basement entrance;

• re-insulating, adding or removing insulation; and 

• moving a building or structure.

When you don’t need one:

• Cosmetic upgrades, like new roofing or painting;

• construction of an accessory building smaller than 10 m2 (107 ft2);

• window or door replacement where the opening is not enlarged;

• furnace and boiler replacements, add-on cooling systems, air cleaners, and in-line humidifiers;

• repair or replacement of plumbing fixtures;

• re-roofing, except where structural work is involved or where the new material increases the dead load on the roof;

• finishing basements where no structural alterations or plumbing are involved (except where a secondary suite is installed);

• minor repairs such as installation of chimney caps, chimney liner and repointing of brickwork;

• wooden decks with no roof, where the finished deck level is not greater than 0.6 m/24 in above the adjacent finished grade and is freestanding;

• retaining walls under 1.2 m/4 ft;

• installation of counters, millwork, and appliances;

• oil storage tanks that are regulated; and

• landscaping, sidewalks and fences.

Keep in mind there are other permits that don’t fall under the ‘building permit’ scope, like tree removal, site alterations and variances. And there’s also stand-alone permits, like electrical and gas if you don’t require a building permit.

Rule of thumb: If you need something bigger than a shovel, double check with your City.