Toronto building permit requirements come down to three questions: does the work need a permit at all, what goes into the application, and which approvals have to exist before Toronto Building will treat that application as complete. As a building permit company working on Toronto applications, we start every file with these three checks.
So, do you need a building permit in Toronto? New buildings, additions, structural changes, new plumbing or heating, and changes of use all need a permit, while a handful of small jobs do not. If your project falls on the permit side, the details for each type of house project are on our residential building permits page. The table below shows where common house projects land and what usually tips them one way or the other.
| Project | Permit needed? | What decides it | Extra items the City usually asks for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | Only above 60 cm (24 in.) | Height of the walking surface above ground | Footing and guard details |
| Storage shed | Only at 15 m² (161 sq ft) or more | Size, one storey, storage only, no plumbing | Site plan with setbacks |
| Detached garage or workshop | Yes, over 10 m² (107 sq ft) | Use beyond simple storage | Site plan and zoning certificate |
| Basement finishing | Only with structural work, new plumbing or heating, or a new unit | What changes behind the drywall | Plumbing data sheet, HVAC permit |
| Window or door replacement | No, if the opening stays the same in a single-unit house | Whether the opening is enlarged or moved | Lintel and wall details when it is |
| Addition or new house | Yes | Zoning compliance | Zoning certificate, energy efficiency summary, grading plan for a new house |
Work that triggers Toronto building permit requirements
Toronto’s list of permit work is broader than most owners expect. Beyond new houses and additions such as second storeys, attached garages and sunrooms, it covers adding or removing walls, enlarging or relocating windows and doors, underpinning a basement, installing a chimney, fireplace or wood stove, changing heating or plumbing systems, and adding a green roof or solar panels. Converting space from one use to another, for example residential to commercial, needs a permit even when almost nothing is built.
Retaining walls are a narrower case: the City lists walls over 1 m (3 ft 3 in.) on public property or on land the public can access.
Building permit exemptions in Toronto are tighter than they sound. A storage shed under 15 m² is exempt only if it is detached, one storey, used just for storage and has no plumbing; put a desk and a heater in it and it becomes an accessory structure that needs a permit once it passes 10 m². A deck is exempt when its walking surface is less than 60 cm above the ground. One rule applies to every exempt project: the City still expects it to meet the Zoning By-law, so setbacks, height and lot coverage are enforced whether or not a permit was issued.
Documents for a building permit application in Toronto
On paperwork, Toronto building permit requirements are specific. Applications go in online, and everything has to be uploaded as PDF: drawings to scale, fully dimensioned, signed and dated. The core forms for a house project are these:
- Application to Construct or Demolish, required for every submission.
- Schedule 1: Designer Information, for the person who prepared the drawings unless that person is an architect or engineer.
- Energy Efficiency Design Summary, in either the prescriptive or the performance version, for new houses and additions.
- Assumption of Responsibility for Engineering Content, when an engineer seals any of the drawings.
- Tree Declaration, where the work could damage a private or City tree.
- Municipal Road Damage form, which comes with a deposit.
- Declaration on overhead electrical conductors, for new houses and additions.
Some forms depend on scale. An addition over 100 m² of floor area and a new house trigger the Infill Public Notice declaration, and a new house that is not under subdivision or site plan approval also needs a lot grading letter of undertaking from the owner. Renovation applications also include a Rental Renovation Licence screening form, which tells the City whether rental units are affected.
The drawing set starts with a site plan based on a survey, showing lot lines, existing and proposed buildings, setbacks and parking. Floor plans, a roof plan, elevations, cross-sections and construction notes follow, plus a plumbing data sheet when fixtures or drains change. HVAC and plumbing permits are filed alongside the building permit rather than after it. One detail catches people out: plans should carry no personal information such as names or phone numbers, because they can be disclosed under freedom of information rules.
Zoning applicable law certificate and other approvals
For most house projects, the Zoning Applicable Law Certificate comes first. It is a detailed review of your drawings against the Zoning By-law and other applicable law, it allows up to three rounds of comments, and Toronto Building will not consider the permit application complete without it. If the design does not comply, the route is a minor variance at the Committee of Adjustment before any permit can follow.
Other applicable law sits beside zoning. A designated heritage property needs heritage approval, a lot in a ravine protection area or TRCA’s regulated area needs those permits, and trees bring their own rules: a private tree 30 cm (about 12 in.) or more in diameter needs a permit to injure or remove, and since September 1, 2026, the City can refuse removal of a healthy tree over 61 cm. These approvals are the main reason the total time to a permit runs well past the City’s review targets; our article on how long a building permit takes in Toronto breaks that down.
Who can design and file a Toronto building permit application
Drawings for a house can be prepared by an architect, a professional engineer, or a designer registered with a Building Code Identification Number (BCIN) in the right category. Owners may design their own house, and the Schedule 1 form has a section for exactly that case, but the examiner reviews the drawings to the same standard either way. Some structural elements still need an engineer, for example a steel or engineered beam that replaces a load-bearing wall, and the engineer’s sealed drawings then go in with the rest of the set.
The applicant can be the owner or an agent acting with the owner’s authorization, which is common when a designer or consultant handles the file. Once the permit is issued, the requirements shift to the site: the permit card, the approved drawings on site and inspections at each stage.
The most useful step with Toronto building permit requirements is to answer the first question honestly: if the work is near a threshold, such as a deck close to 60 cm or a shed that might get power and a workbench, plan it as permit work from the start. With the survey, any existing drawings and a clear description of the work in hand, the forms, drawings and prior approvals your Toronto file needs can be settled before design starts.