Feasibility
Check what the property and concept can support before assuming a ZBA is required.
◆ Zoning & planning approvals
Rezoning (Zoning By-law Amendment) Support in Toronto
Does your project need a change in permitted use, height, density or other zoning permissions? iPermit helps assess the approval path, organize the application scope and coordinate the drawings, studies and municipal review required for a Toronto Zoning By-law Amendment.
Not every zoning conflict needs rezoning. The first step is to confirm whether redesign, a Minor Variance, a ZBA or a combined Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment is the appropriate route.
◆ Choose the right planning route
Not every zoning conflict needs a rezoning
The scale and type of relief determine the approval path. Start by separating limited zoning relief from a true by-law amendment, an Official Plan issue or a detailed Site Plan review.
01 / LIMITED RELIEF
Minor Variance
The proposed use is already permitted, but one or more zoning standards need limited relief — for example a setback, parking requirement or another site-specific standard.
A Committee of Adjustment / Minor Variance application may be the more appropriate route.
02 / CORE PATH
Zoning By-law Amendment
The proposal needs a more substantial change to the zoning itself, such as a new use or a meaningful increase in permitted height or density.
This is the core approval intent of this page.
03 / POLICY + ZONING
Official Plan Amendment + ZBA
The zoning is not the only issue. If the Official Plan designation or policy framework does not support the development, a Zoning By-law Amendment alone may not be enough.
The project may require a coordinated Official Plan Amendment and ZBA process.
04 / DETAILED SITE REVIEW
Site Plan Control
The zoning sufficiently permits the development, but the City still needs to review detailed site matters such as access, circulation, servicing, grading, parking, loading and other applicable Site Plan requirements.
Site Plan Control is a separate approval path. Toronto currently discourages assuming that detailed Site Plan work should automatically proceed while the zoning direction is still unresolved.
◆ Before a full application
What Should Be Resolved Before Committing to Rezoning?
Current permissions and policy direction: establish what the zoning currently permits, which site-specific exceptions or former by-laws may apply, and whether the Official Plan supports the proposed use, height, density and form of development.
The right approval mechanism: determine whether the issue can be solved through redesign, a Minor Variance, a Zoning By-law Amendment or a combined OPA/ZBA process. A more expensive planning application should not be built around the wrong approval path.
Site feasibility and application readiness: identify the property conditions that may materially affect the concept, including servicing, transportation, access, heritage, trees, environmental conditions and other site-specific constraints. The concept should be developed enough for PAC without being over-designed before the major planning issues are understood.
◆ What rezoning actually changes
What a Rezoning Actually Changes
A Zoning By-law Amendment changes the zoning permissions that apply to a specific property. Depending on the proposal, that can involve the permitted use, building height, density, setbacks, building envelope, parking, loading or other site-specific zoning standards.
The amendment should identify the permissions the project actually needs rather than treating every zoning difference as a request for unrestricted development.
A rezoning does not override the Official Plan. If the proposal also conflicts with the applicable Official Plan policies or designation, an Official Plan Amendment may be required in addition to the ZBA.
Rezoning also does not replace Site Plan Control, a building permit or other approvals that may apply later in the development process.
Use PAC to Define the Application Before Building the Full Consultant Package
Toronto’s Pre-Application Consultation process is voluntary but strongly encouraged for Zoning By-law Amendment applications. PAC gives the project team an early opportunity to discuss the proposal with City staff and identify the materials required for a complete application.
Toronto currently requires a Concept Site Plan and Concept Elevations and/or Renderings for a PAC request. After the meeting, the City provides a Planning Application Checklist Package identifying project-specific submission requirements.
The PAC fee deposit is currently $3,000 and is credited toward the related development application fee if the application proceeds.
PAC is not an approval. Its value is in defining the application scope before the project commits to a larger set of drawings, studies and consultant work.
◆ Toronto rezoning process
A Rezoning Application Is a Multidisciplinary Planning File
There is no universal consultant package for every Toronto rezoning. The required materials depend on the property, proposal and Planning Application Checklist.
| Workstream | What it may address |
|---|---|
| Planning & policy | Planning Rationale, Official Plan and zoning analysis, draft amendment material, public consultation strategy and other planning documentation. |
| Architecture & urban design | Site plans, floor plans, elevations, massing, renderings and other material needed to explain the proposal and surrounding context. |
| Transportation & access | Parking, loading, access, transportation impacts and other mobility requirements where applicable. |
| Civil, servicing & stormwater | Water, sanitary, stormwater, grading and infrastructure information appropriate to the site and development scale. |
| Landscape, trees & public realm | Landscape, tree and public-realm information where those materials are required for the application. |
| Site-specific studies | Heritage, environmental, geotechnical, hydrogeological, noise, vibration, wind, shadow or other studies triggered by the property and proposal. |
The project should identify who is responsible for each professional workstream before the application package is assembled.
◆ Rezoning project intake
What to send for an initial rezoning review
You do not need a finished ZBA application to start. Begin with the property address, your relationship to the property and a short description of the development concept, including the intended use and approximate scale, height or unit count where known.
Send the most current survey, site information, concept drawings, massing, floor plans or elevations already available. Early concepts are acceptable if the purpose is to determine whether more detailed rezoning work is justified.
If the City has already reviewed the property or proposal, include any ZAP results, PAC material, planning comments or other municipal correspondence.
Existing transportation, servicing, heritage, environmental or other consultant studies can also help identify what has already been resolved and what still needs work.
Finally, identify any important acquisition, financing, design or construction milestones. Rezoning strategy can change when the approval decision is tied to a property purchase or other major project commitment.
◆ Cost, sequencing & scope
Three decisions that shape the project after the route is confirmed
Rezoning is a planning entitlement process with real municipal fees, a separate relationship to Site Plan, and multiple professional responsibilities. Clarify these before the file is assembled.
2026 Toronto ZBA fees: what the City charges
For applications subject to Toronto’s 2026 fee schedule, the Zoning By-law Amendment base application fee is $63,679.83.
The City also applies an additional $6.23 per square metre of gross floor area, subject to a stated maximum City charge of $779,441.52 for a ZBA application.
Where an Official Plan Amendment and ZBA are submitted as a combined application, the 2026 City base fee is $76,251.18, with the same $6.23/m² GFA rate and a higher maximum charge.
These are municipal processing fees, not the full development-approval budget. A rezoning project may also require costs for planning, architecture, surveys, civil engineering, transportation, landscape, heritage, environmental or other technical work, plus legal or Tribunal services if those become necessary.
The City adjusts planning application fees periodically, including annual updates. The fee should therefore be rechecked when the project is ready to submit rather than treated as a permanent quote.
The practical takeaway is simple: confirm the approval path and application-readiness before committing to a full submission package.
Where Site Plan Approval fits after rezoning
Rezoning and Site Plan Control are related, but they do different work.
Rezoning deals with the planning permissions for the site. Site Plan Control deals with the detailed site design and technical implementation of a development that is authorized by the planning framework in force.
Toronto’s current guidance specifically warns applicants against assuming the two should always begin together. When concurrent ZBA and Site Plan PAC requests are submitted, the City schedules a separate Site Plan PAC and may advise that the Site Plan application is premature.
That is why iPermit treats Site Plan Approval as a separate service path rather than hiding it inside a generic “rezoning package.”
The right sequence depends on the project, but the key question is whether enough zoning certainty exists for detailed Site Plan work to proceed efficiently.
What iPermit can coordinate — and what remains specialist work
A rezoning can require planning, design, engineering and administrative work from several parties. The scope should make those responsibilities clear rather than treating every requirement as one undifferentiated service.
Depending on the agreed assignment, iPermit can help:
- review the property address, proposed development and current project stage;
- organize available zoning, survey, concept and municipal information;
- help identify whether the file appears to require rezoning, a different approval route or additional specialist review;
- coordinate architectural and technical information included within iPermit’s agreed services;
- identify supporting documents that still need to come from the client or outside consultants;
- keep the application package aligned to the current design revision;
- organize municipal comments and direct technical items to the responsible project discipline;
- assist with application administration or submission coordination where that work is included and authorized.
A rezoning also commonly requires work by qualified planning, engineering, legal, surveying, landscape, heritage or other professionals. Those services remain separate professional responsibilities unless specifically included in the project proposal.
The City reviews the application and City Council makes the zoning decision. iPermit does not guarantee approval, a particular recommendation or a fixed municipal review time.
◆ Related approval routes
Start with the owner page for the actual decision
Rezoning sits inside a wider approvals journey. Use the page that matches the decision you are making now rather than treating every zoning or planning issue as the same service.
Limited relief
For projects that need limited zoning relief rather than a change to the zoning by-law itself.
Approval map
Return to the parent hub when the project may involve more than one zoning or planning approval.
◆ Rezoning application questions
Rezoning application FAQs
Answers to the questions Toronto property owners, developers and investors usually need resolved before committing to a Zoning By-law Amendment application.
What is a rezoning application in Toronto?
A rezoning application is a request to amend the zoning by-law for a specific property. It is used when a proposed development needs permissions that the zoning currently in force does not provide, such as a materially different use, height or density. The formal application is called a Zoning By-law Amendment, or ZBA.
How do I know whether I need a Minor Variance or a rezoning?
A Minor Variance is generally used when the proposed use is already permitted and the project needs limited relief from one or more zoning standards. A rezoning changes the zoning by-law itself and is used for more substantial changes. The correct route depends on the actual property, proposal and degree of non-compliance rather than a universal percentage or distance threshold.
Do I need an Official Plan Amendment as well as a ZBA?
Sometimes. If the proposal conflicts with the Official Plan designation or policies, changing the zoning alone may not be enough. Toronto allows OPA and ZBA applications for the same property to be reviewed together when both are required.
How long does a Toronto rezoning take?
There is no reliable one-number answer for the entire project. Toronto currently targets a ZBA decision within 90 days of the complete application date, but design development, PAC, completeness, revisions, consultant work, community issues, Council scheduling and appeals can make the end-to-end project longer. The 90-day figure is a municipal service target, not a guaranteed approval timeline.
What are Toronto's rezoning application fees in 2026?
Toronto’s 2026 base City fee for a Zoning By-law Amendment is $63,679.83, plus $6.23 per square metre of gross floor area, subject to the City’s stated maximum charge. These are municipal processing fees only and do not include consultant or other professional costs. The fee schedule should be rechecked before submission because City fees change over time.
Do I need a Pre-Application Consultation before rezoning?
Toronto strongly encourages PAC for ZBA and OPA applications. PAC helps identify application requirements, major issues and the project-specific studies needed for a complete submission. It is not an approval and does not replace the formal application.
Can I apply for Site Plan Approval at the same time as a rezoning?
The two approvals can be related, but Toronto currently discourages concurrent PAC requests for ZBA and Site Plan Control. The City schedules Site Plan PAC separately and may advise that the Site Plan application is premature while zoning remains unresolved. The appropriate sequence should be established for the specific project.