Do you need a permit to renovate in Ontario?

The general rule

The Ontario Building Code applies across the province, and each municipality enforces it through its own building department. The rule of thumb is the same everywhere:

• Changing what the house is made of or how it works needs a permit: structure, plumbing, heating and ventilation, exits, openings in exterior walls.
• Changing how it looks does not: cabinets, counters, flooring, paint, trim, and fixtures swapped in place.

Zoning by-laws still apply to work that needs no building permit.

Work that usually needs a building permit

• Removing or altering a load-bearing wall, or adding new structural walls
• Adding, removing, or relocating plumbing fixtures and drains
• Adding a bathroom or a second kitchen
• Creating a new window or door, or enlarging an existing opening
• Changes to ductwork, a new furnace location, or a wood-burning appliance
• Finishing a basement, in most GTA municipalities
• Creating a basement apartment or other second unit
• Underpinning, lowering a basement floor, or adding a basement entrance
• Any addition, and decks above a set height
• Changing the use of a building or unit

Work that usually does not

• Replacing kitchen cabinets and countertops
• Replacing a sink, toilet, tub, or faucet in the same location
• New flooring, tile, paint, and trim
• Replacing a window or door with one of the same size in the same opening
• Re-shingling a roof
• Replacing a furnace or water heater in place, in most municipalities

What three GTA municipalities say

The details below come from each municipality’s own website. Lists are updated from time to time, so check the linked page for your project.

Town of Oakville

Oakville’s guidance on interior alterations says a permit is required for removing walls, adding or enlarging windows, and adding or relocating plumbing fixtures. Replacing existing cabinetry, sinks, faucets, and toilets, and cosmetic changes, typically do not need one. Finishing a basement requires a permit. Oakville also has four heritage conservation districts where exterior changes need heritage approval.

City of Mississauga

Mississauga’s page on when a building permit is required lists adding, removing, or relocating a plumbing fixture; installing, replacing, or repairing plumbing drainage; finishing a basement to create rooms or living space; and adding a second unit. Replacing or installing cabinetry, and replacing a fixture in the same location, are listed as exempt. Second units must also be registered with the City.

City of Toronto

Toronto’s page When Do I Need a Building Permit? requires a permit for structural or material alterations, new or enlarged openings, and installing or modifying plumbing or heating systems. It exempts installing cabinetry and millwork, repairing or replacing plumbing fixtures, and finishing a basement where there are no structural or material alterations, no new plumbing, and no additional dwelling unit.

See also our local pages for Oakville, Mississauga, and Toronto.

By type of project

Kitchens. Same layout: generally no permit. Moving the sink, removing a wall, or adding a window: permit. More on our kitchen renovation page.

Bathrooms. Fixtures replaced in place: generally no permit. A new bathroom or relocated drains: permit. More on our bathroom renovation page.

Basements. Usually a permit, with the Toronto exception above. A basement apartment always needs one. See basement renovation and legal basement apartment requirements.

Whole-home renovations. Almost always a permit, because they touch structure, plumbing, or heating. See full home renovation.

Additions. Always a permit, plus a zoning review. See home additions.

Other approvals that are not building permits

• Electrical. Regulated by the Electrical Safety Authority. Work is done under an ESA notification and inspected by the ESA.
• Gas. Gas piping and appliances are installed by licensed gas technicians under provincial rules.
• Heritage. Designated properties and those in heritage conservation districts need the municipality’s heritage approval for alterations covered by the designation, usually exterior ones.
• Conservation authorities. Building near a ravine, creek, wetland, or the Lake Ontario shoreline can need approval from the local conservation authority.
• Zoning and minor variances. An addition that exceeds setback, height, or coverage limits needs a minor variance from the municipality’s Committee of Adjustment.
• Condominium corporations. A condo owner needs the corporation’s approval regardless of whether the city requires a permit. See condo renovation.

How the permit process works

1. Drawings. Floor plans showing existing and proposed conditions, plus structural details where walls or beams are involved.
2. Application. Submitted to the municipal building department with forms and a fee.
3. Review. The municipality checks the drawings against the Building Code and zoning by-law and may ask for revisions.
4. Permit issued. Work can begin. The permit is posted on site.
5. Inspections. An inspector visits at set stages, such as framing, plumbing rough-in, and insulation, before each is covered up.
6. Final inspection. The permit is closed.

How we handle it

Where a project needs a permit, Calico Designs and Renovations prepares the drawings from the design you approved and manages the application. Because we do not demolish until the design is signed off, permit review happens while your existing rooms are still in use. See our process, or book a free consultation and we will tell you what your project needs.