How to Get a Building Permit in Montreal
Montreal building permits: the borough permit counter, the documents, the $9.80 per $1,000 fee, and the permit validity periods.
How to Get a Building Permit in Toronto
How to get a building permit in Toronto for a new house, including the drawing package, the forms, the 2026 fee schedule, and how to apply online.
Applies in: Ontario
This guide covers getting a building permit in Toronto for a new house. It follows the City of Toronto new-house application guide and the City building permit fee schedule, both as published on toronto.ca. Toronto's process is city-specific: the forms, the fee schedule, and the online submission route described here are Toronto's, and other Ontario municipalities have their own fee schedules and submission routes. The fee figures in this guide are the fees effective January 1, 2026, as shown on the City of Toronto building permit fees page, which was last modified June 19, 2026. Re-check the fee page before you apply, since fees are indexed and the page states the bylaw is the authority on refunds and fee calculation.
Step 1: Confirm the project fits the new-house service
The new-house service is a building permit for a new dwelling, such as a detached house, semi-detached house or row house. If your project is an addition, an interior alteration, a secondary suite, or a demolition, use the Toronto application guide for that project type instead. The drawing and form lists below are the new-house lists. Starting with the wrong service wastes a submission, because each service carries its own required documentation and fee lines.
Step 2: Assemble the drawing package
All drawings must be drawn on standardized sized sheets, drawn to scale, fully dimensioned, signed and dated. All drawings, reports, and forms, including the completed Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish, must be provided in PDF format. The new-house guide requires the following.
A site plan with a survey or site plan showing property lines, lot area, and rights-of-way or easements referenced to a current survey, the location of existing and proposed buildings with overall dimensions and setback dimensions to property lines and adjacent buildings, a summary of permitted and proposed zoning provisions including lot area, building area, coverage, and grade elevations to confirm height, and dimensioned parking areas, driveways, hard and soft landscape treatments, and accessory structures such as sheds, decks, and detached garages. A lot grading plan showing the proposed grading of the lot, designed so that no new instances of ponding occur on existing adjacent properties and the subject property as a result of construction, in conformance with the Lot Grading Criteria for Infill Housing.
Fully dimensioned floor plans for each level showing existing and proposed uses of all spaces, including the location of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors and all plumbing fixtures, with existing and proposed construction, foundation and exterior wall information, interior partitions, and structural framing above. A roof plan showing the existing and proposed roof layout, roof structure, skylights, roof slopes, hips, valleys, peaks and ventilation, plus truss drawings and a floor joist plan where engineered roof trusses or floor systems are proposed. Elevations showing exterior finishes with roof slopes, window and door types, locations and sizes including the height of sills above floor level, the area of exposed building face, the percentage and area of unprotected openings and required limiting distances, exterior decks, landings, stairs, guards and handrails, and the overall building height dimension. Sections showing cross sections of existing and proposed building construction and specifications of all floor, wall, and roof assemblies, footing and foundation wall details including the height of exterior grade above the basement floor, floor to floor, floor to ceiling and overall building heights, and stairs, landings, guards and handrails in detail. Construction details and notes covering building materials and specifications of all wall, floor, and roof assemblies with a typical wall section and typical roof detail, and guard details including connection detail.
If a party wall is involved, a building permit must be issued for all the properties separated by the party walls, and each application must be filed by the owner or the authorized agent of each property at the district Building Permit office for the properties. Do not include personal information on building plans, such as the homeowner's name or phone number, since building plans submitted for a permit are subject to disclosure under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
Step 3: Get the drawings signed by the right person
Applications including drawings with the seal of a professional engineer must include a completed Assumption of Responsibility for Engineering Content Form. The professional engineer who sealed the drawings or documents confirms the content for which the engineer is assuming professional responsibility by completing that form. If drawings were prepared by a qualified designer as defined under Division C, Part 3, Section 3.2 of the Ontario Building Code, the drawings must include the designer's name, registration number, qualification identification number, signature, and stamp or statement that the person has reviewed and taken responsibility for the design activities. Schedule 1, the Designer Information Form, is required for all designers except engineers and architects when applying for any construction permit, and property owners, if exempted from qualification or certification, must fill in the form to specify the reason for exemption. Confirm who must sign your drawings before submission, because an unsigned or wrongly signed package is the kind of defect that stalls a file.
Step 4: Complete the forms
The required forms for a new house include the Application to Construct or Demolish form, required for all submissions, and the Energy Efficiency Design Summary for Part 9 residential work, required when applying to construct a new Part 9 residential building or an addition to an existing Part 9 residential building, to establish compliance with the energy efficiency requirements in Supplemental Standard SB-12 of the Ontario Building Code. Use the prescriptive Energy Efficiency Design Summary form for prescriptive compliance, or the Performance Compliance Methods form for performance and other acceptable compliance methods. Other forms on the new-house list include the Infill Public Notice Declaration Form, the Municipal Road Damage Form, under which the applicant or owner must pay a damage deposit as a protection guarantee against damage to the curb, sidewalk, road, public laneway, boulevard and other services, tracking mud on City streets, or failing to clear snow and ice from sidewalks while construction is in progress, the Tree Declaration Form, required for all projects where there is a potential for damage to private or City trees, the Lot Grading for Infill Housing Letter of Undertaking, required for new housing not subject to subdivision or site plan approval, and the Declaration Form for Overhead Electrical Conductors, which must be submitted with every permit application for the construction of a new building or an addition to an existing building and signed by the designer who prepared the designs. The Lot Grading Consultant must issue a final Lot Grading Certificate to Toronto Building upon completion of the final grades during construction.
Mechanical and plumbing permits associated with the new-house permit are submitted online as related permits. To submit plumbing, drain and mechanical permits associated with the new-house permit, submit all required forms and documentation for those permits online. For one- and two-unit houses, no plans are required for plumbing unless the project includes a reverse-sloping driveway, in which case drawings showing details of the reverse-sloped driveway and drain plan must be submitted. All other residential plumbing and drain permit applications must include drawings showing the layout of plumbing and related fixtures on each floor level. If your project includes heating, ventilating and air conditioning elements, review the Residential Mechanical (HVAC) Guide for additional requirements.
Step 5: Submit online and work out the fee
To submit an application for a new house, all required forms and documentation may be submitted through Toronto Building Online Services Application Submission, and a user guide is available to support the application. When submitting online, you will have the option to submit the related mechanical, plumbing and drain permits once you have submitted the building permit application. The City also offers a voluntary AI-assisted Building Permit Application Pre-Check tool that helps identify potential issues before you submit. Using the pre-check is voluntary, and it does not replace a complete application.
Permit fees are calculated on the formula permit fee equals service index times floor area, where the service index is the rate for the classification of the proposed work and the floor area is the floor area in square metres of the work involved. A minimum fee of $214.79 in 2026 is charged for all work, and an hourly fee of $92.79 in 2026 is charged for examination and inspection activities. For Group C residential occupancies, each new residential unit included in an application carries a $56.33 unit fee, single family dwellings, semis, townhouses, duplexes and live or work units carry $18.56 per square metre, certification of plans carries $9.29, permits for certified plans carry $15.75, and all other multiple unit buildings and any other residential occupancies carry $18.56 per square metre. The fee for a zoning certificate is 25 per cent of the total prescribed building permit fee. Work out the fee from the full schedule for your exact mix of work, including any mechanical and plumbing fee lines, rather than applying the new-house rate to the whole project. For an incomplete application, if the preliminary estimate of the fees required is more than $20,000, the deposit is the greater of $20,000 or an amount equal to 60 per cent of the estimated full building permit fees.
Payment by cheque is no longer accepted. Permit fees to a maximum of $20,000 may be paid by credit card, Visa, MasterCard, or American Express, either online or by telephone, and any remaining balance over $20,000 is payable only by electronic funds transfer or wire transfer. Interac e-transfers are not accepted for permit fees. To arrange an electronic funds transfer or wire transfer payment, contact 416-397-5330. No permit will be issued until all applicable fees and charges are paid. However, for projects with permit fees greater than $20,000, a partial permit for excavation and shoring may be issued if the required minimum deposit is made on the building permit fee. Refunds of permit fees are considered in accordance with Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 363-4.11, and the fee page states the bylaw is the authority on how refunds are processed. A refund request must be received within a year of an application or permit being cancelled or revoked.
Step 6: Build to the approved drawings
The opened Toronto pages do not state a review timeline or list the required inspection stages for a new house, and this guide does not invent either one. The fee schedule charges the hourly examination and inspection rate for examination and inspection activities, and charges for construction without a permit at 50 per cent of the permit fee or $214.79, whichever is greater, to a maximum of $29,456.99 per permit. Before you start work, confirm with Toronto Building which inspections your permit requires, how inspections are booked, and what must stay open for inspection before it is covered. Do not cover work that an inspector has not yet seen, and keep the approved drawing set on site so the work can be checked against it.
Figures and details not verified on the opened official pages
No review timeline, inspection-stage list, permit validity period, or expiry rule is stated on the opened City of Toronto new-house and fee pages used for this guide, and none is stated here. The opened pages also do not state a fee for the voluntary pre-check tool or a processing time for online submission. Confirm the required inspections, the review timeline, and the permit validity period with Toronto Building before you start work or plan a schedule around a date. Timeline and inspection figures from private permit services and blogs were not used. All fee figures in this guide are the January 1, 2026 rates on the fee page last modified June 19, 2026, and must be re-checked on that page before you apply.
Related guides:
The Toronto new-house building permit path
- Confirm the project is a new dwellingThe new-house service covers a new detached house, semi-detached house or row house
- Assemble the drawing package to scaleSite plan, lot grading plan, floor plans, roof plan, elevations, sections, and construction details, all drawn to scale, fully dimensioned, signed and dated
- Complete the forms, including the energy summaryThe Application to Construct or Demolish form, the Energy Efficiency Design Summary for Part 9 residential work, and the designer and tree forms that apply
- Submit online and pay the permit feeSubmit through Toronto Building Online Services, with the fee calculated as service index times floor area and a 2026 minimum fee of 214.79 dollars
- Build to the approved drawings and keep the fee recordNo permit will be issued until all applicable fees and charges are paid, and a partial excavation and shoring permit may be issued for projects with fees over 20,000 dollars
Questions people ask
What work does the Toronto new-house permit cover?
A building permit for a new dwelling, such as a detached house, semi-detached house or row house. This guide covers that new-house service only. Additions, alterations, secondary suites, decks, and demolition each have their own Toronto application guides and fee lines, so use the guide for your actual project type rather than forcing a new-house application onto different work.
What drawings do I need for a new house in Toronto?
A site plan showing property lines, lot area, rights-of-way or easements referenced to a current survey, the location of existing and proposed buildings with setback dimensions, and a summary of permitted and proposed zoning provisions including lot area, building area, coverage and grade elevations. A lot grading plan, fully dimensioned floor plans for each level showing uses, smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and plumbing fixtures, a roof plan, elevations, sections, and construction details and notes. All drawings must be on standardized sized sheets, drawn to scale, fully dimensioned, signed and dated, and provided in PDF format.
Who must prepare or sign the drawings?
Applications including drawings with the seal of a professional engineer must include a completed Assumption of Responsibility for Engineering Content Form. If drawings were prepared by a qualified designer as defined under Division C, Part 3, Section 3.2 of the Ontario Building Code, the drawings must include the designer's name, registration number, qualification identification number, signature, and stamp or statement that the person has reviewed and taken responsibility for the design activities. Do not include personal information such as the homeowner's name or phone number on building plans, since plans submitted for a permit are subject to disclosure under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
How is the Toronto building permit fee calculated in 2026?
Permit fee equals the service index times the floor area in square metres, with a minimum fee of 214.79 dollars for all work in 2026 and an hourly fee of 92.79 dollars for examination and inspection activities. For Group C residential occupancies, each new residential unit carries a 56.33 dollar unit fee, and single family dwellings, semis, townhouses, duplexes and live or work units carry a service index of 18.56 dollars per square metre. Certified plans carry 9.29 dollars for certification of plans and 15.75 dollars for permits for certified plans. Interior alterations in Groups C, E and F are 11.53 dollars per square metre, and basement finishing in dwellings and townhouses is 6.20 dollars per square metre. A zoning certificate costs 25 per cent of the total prescribed building permit fee.
How do I pay, and what happens if construction starts before a permit is issued?
Payment by cheque is no longer accepted. Permit fees may be paid by credit card up to a maximum of 20,000 dollars, online or by telephone, and any balance over 20,000 dollars is payable only by electronic funds transfer or wire transfer. No permit will be issued until all applicable fees and charges are paid, although for projects with permit fees greater than 20,000 dollars a partial permit for excavation and shoring may be issued if the required minimum deposit is made. Construction without a permit carries an additional charge of 50 per cent of the permit fee or 214.79 dollars, whichever is greater, to a maximum of 29,456.99 dollars per permit.
What inspections are required, and how long does review take?
The opened City of Toronto pages used for this guide do not list the required inspection stages or a review timeline. The fee schedule charges an hourly rate of 92.79 dollars for examination and inspection activities, and the new-house guide states only the drawing, form and submission requirements. Do not rely on inspection-stage lists or timeline figures from private permit services. Confirm the required inspections and the current review timeline with Toronto Building before you cover any work, and ask how inspections are booked for your permit.
Sources
- City of Toronto, New House — the new-house service description, the drawing requirements for site plan, lot grading, floor plans, roof plan, elevations, sections and construction details, the engineer and qualified designer signing rules, the PDF format rule, the required forms including the energy efficiency design summary, road damage deposit, tree declaration, lot grading undertaking and certificate, and overhead electrical conductors declaration, the mechanical and plumbing submission rules, the online submission route, the Group C fee lines, and the privacy warning about personal information on plans. Date modified August 27, 2026.
- City of Toronto, Building Permit Fees — the fee calculation formula, the 2026 minimum fee of $214.79 and hourly fee of $92.79, the Group C residential rates, the interior alteration and basement finishing rates, the payment methods and $20,000 credit card limit, the no-cheque rule, the partial permit rule for fees over $20,000, the zoning certificate fee of 25 per cent, the construction-without-permit charge, the incomplete-application deposit rule, and the refund rules. Date modified June 19, 2026.
- City of Toronto, Toronto Building Forms Index — the official forms index carrying the Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish, Assumption of Responsibility for Engineering Content, Schedule 1 Designer Information, Energy Efficiency Design Summary, Infill Public Notice Declaration, Municipal Road Damage Deposit, Tree Declaration, Lot Grading Letter of Undertaking, and Declaration for Overhead Electrical Conductors forms.