RENOVATIONS
Interior Renovations in Aurora
Kitchens, bathrooms, wall removals and basement finishing, charged by floor area at the alteration rate.
◆ Building in Aurora
Aurora Building Permit Services for Second Suites, Additions and Infill Homes
Aurora accepts applications through its CityView portal, by email or on a USB drive, and every building permit for a house is reviewed against Zoning By-law 6000-17 as well as the Building Code. The details that tend to decide an Aurora project are the second-suite rules in that by-law, the registration of every additional unit, the Northeast Old Aurora heritage district and the natural hazard overlay along the town’s creeks and the Oak Ridges Moraine.
Second and Third Units Under By-law 6000-17
Aurora’s zoning by-law still describes one second suite per lot in a detached house, semi or link house. Since the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022, though, the Planning Act lets owners of most serviced lots add up to two additional units, and the Town’s registration By-law 6660-24 covers two-unit houses, three-unit houses and detached ancillary units such as garden suites.
The second-suite section of 6000-17 still sets the practical limits:
- Front entrance. Only one entrance is allowed in the front yard, and a below-grade walkout counts as one, so the lower unit’s door usually goes at the side or rear.
- Unit size. Each dwelling unit in a house with a second suite needs at least 35 m².
- Parking. The suite needs one space on top of the house’s own requirement, and tandem spaces count in residential zones.
- Moraine lots. Second suites are not permitted in the C-ORM, NL-ORM, NC-ORM or EP-ORM zones without relief from the by-law.
The residential building permits page outlines how basement units, additions and new houses are prepared for that review.
◆ Before the drawings
Registration, the 1995 Cut-Off and Side-Yard Openings
Every additional unit in Aurora has to be registered with the Building Services Division. Once a unit is on the registry it stays there without renewal fees unless the Town revokes it, and the Town assigns the unit its own municipal address, which the owner has to display.
The date the unit was created decides the route. A two-unit house that existed on or before November 16, 1995 is grandfathered under the Land Use Planning and Protection Act and is inspected by Central York Fire Services against the Fire Code. A unit created after that date needs a building permit or a change of use permit and has to meet the zoning by-law and the Building Code. Both routes include an inspection by the Electrical Safety Authority.
The Town’s second-suite handout adds a point many owners miss: new openings are not allowed in an exterior wall less than 1.2 m from the lot line. On a narrow lot, that rule and the one-front-entrance limit together can leave the rear wall as the only place for the lower unit’s door.
Northeast Old Aurora, Private Trees and Two Conservation Authorities
Three kinds of approval sit outside Building Services and can hold up a permit if they are left until the end.
Heritage. The Northeast Old Aurora Heritage Conservation District is designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act, and inside it the whole property except the interior is protected. Additions, new windows, porches and demolition need a heritage permit; Council has delegated approval of appropriate alterations to the Manager of Heritage Planning and Urban Design. Demolishing a listed heritage building also requires a $10,000 security deposit before the demolition permit is issued.
Private trees. Private Tree Protection By-law 5850-16 lets owners remove two trees in a 12-month period without a permit, or two per 0.25 ha on larger properties. A heritage tree, or any single tree in a heritage district, needs a permit first.
Conservation authorities. Aurora sits in two watersheds. The zoning by-law’s natural hazard overlay marks land prone to flooding, erosion or steep slopes as identified by the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, and work on that land needs a permit from the authority concerned.
◆ An Aurora file, start to finish
From Zoning Check to CityView
Applications go in through the CityView portal, by email to the Building Division with a 16 MB limit, or on a USB drive delivered in person. Drawings must be flattened, unlocked, black-and-white PDFs, each saved as a separate file under the Town’s naming rules.
01
Assess
Lot and overlay check
Find the zone in By-law 6000-17, then check the heritage district boundary and the natural hazard overlay for the lot.
Intake
02
Check
Preliminary zoning review
For an addition, a second unit or a new house, ask the Town for a preliminary zoning review while the design can still change.
Feasibility
03
Prepare
Drawings and side permits
Complete the permit set and line up any heritage, tree or conservation authority permits the lot needs.
Drawings
04
File
Submission and inspections
File with payment by cheque, debit or credit card, then book each mandatory inspection through the portal as the stage is ready.
Municipal
◆ Aurora projects
Typical Aurora House Projects
The projects behind most Aurora permit applications.
SECOND UNITS
Aurora Second Suites
Basement and upper-level units planned around the 35 m² minimum, the entrance rule and the extra parking space.
ADDITIONS
Additions to Aurora Homes
Rear and second-storey additions measured against 6000-17, with heritage review where the house is in the district.
DECKS
Decks and Porches
Raised decks and porches, drawn from the Town’s deck construction guide or a full framing plan.
OUTBUILDINGS
Garages and Garden Suites
Detached garages, sheds of 15 m² or more, and detached ancillary units registered with the Town.
NEW HOMES
Infill Houses
New houses on existing lots, from demolition of the old house to final occupancy.
Aurora Building Permit Fees for 2026
Aurora’s 2026 fees are set by By-law 6737-25 and include HST where it applies. For a new house, the rate per square metre covers the building, plumbing, HVAC and occupancy permits, and the floor area counts the attached garage and the basement.
Permit | 2026 fee |
New house or addition (detached, semi, row or link) | $20.00 per m² |
Alterations to a house | $7.50 per m² |
Second suite dwelling unit | $7.50 per m² |
Residential accessory structure | $342 flat |
Underpinning | $9.50 per linear metre |
Demolition of a house, 55 m² or less / over 55 m² | $342 / $402 |
Revision to permit plans (up to 3 hours of review) | $345 |
Minimum fee, Part 9 residential | $342 |
A new house on an infill lot also needs a $10,000 security deposit under the Town’s Infill Housing Policy before the permit is issued.
Starting a Project in Aurora?
Share the property address and what you plan to build, and the reply will list the Aurora approvals involved and which one comes first.
◆ Why iPermit?
What to Ask Before Hiring Help in Aurora
Aurora files tend to stall on paperwork rather than design: drawings that are not flattened or are merged into one file, a heritage permit nobody applied for, or a unit registration sent in before the electrical inspection. It is fair to ask a consultant who checks the plans against By-law 6000-17, who prepares the heritage and conservation authority applications, and who responds to examiner comments. The Town reviews the application, issues the permit and inspects the work; the consultant’s role is to prepare and coordinate the file within the agreed scope.
◆ Aurora owners often ask
Aurora Permit Questions
Brief answers to questions that come up on Aurora projects.
Can I build a garden suite in Aurora?
On most serviced lots, yes. Aurora’s registration by-law treats it as an ancillary unit located in the rear or interior side yard of the main house, and like any other additional unit it has to be registered once it is built.
Does a low deck need a permit in Aurora?
Not if it is less than 600 mm (2 ft) above finished grade, although it still has to meet the zoning setbacks. A higher deck needs a permit and two inspections: one at the piers before backfilling and one when the deck is finished.
Do I need a separate plumbing permit?
Not for a new house, because the per-square-metre fee already includes plumbing and HVAC. For an addition or an alteration, a separate plumbing permit may be needed when fixtures or drains are added.
Does a second suite need servicing allocation from Council?
No. Section 7.5.4.4 of By-law 6000-17 states that second suite units do not need servicing allocation under Servicing By-law 5362-14.
What if work started before the permit was issued?
The Town adds a special investigation fee on top of the normal permit fee: half the permit fee or $309, whichever is greater.