Site Plan Approval & Site Plan Control Support in Toronto
If zoning is sufficiently resolved but the City still needs to review how the development works on the site, Site Plan Control may be the next approval step.
iPermit helps define the application path, organize the required materials and coordinate project inputs through municipal review, resubmissions and conditions.
Do you actually need Site Plan Control?
Toronto places the entire city within a Site Plan Control area, but that does not mean every project requires a Site Plan Control application.
Many residential developments containing 10 dwelling units or fewer fall outside the normal Site Plan Control definition, subject to specific exceptions. For example, prescribed rules can bring certain properties near railway lines, wetlands, lakes or rivers back within Site Plan Control.
The next question is whether the zoning is sufficiently resolved. Zoning determines whether the proposed use, scale and development standards are permitted. Site Plan Control deals with how an authorized development functions on the property.
Toronto strongly recommends confirming the zoning and Site Plan path before committing to a full application. If the zoning still needs to change, a Site Plan application may be premature.
A useful first review should establish whether Site Plan Control applies, whether the zoning path is sufficiently settled and whether any existing Site Plan Agreement, registered undertaking or other property-specific condition affects the next step.
Ready to Define Permit Path?
Send project context first, the next step can then focus on scope, information gaps and the right page or service route.
What Site Plan Control actually reviews
Site Plan Control focuses on how a development is organized and functions on its site. The exact review scope depends on the property, proposal and current municipal requirements.
| Site Plan issue | What may need to be coordinated |
|---|---|
| Access & circulation | Vehicle, pedestrian, bicycle, service and emergency access, including driveways, internal routes and loading relationships. |
| Grading, drainage & servicing | Site grades, stormwater, water, sanitary servicing and their relationship to the building, surrounding land and municipal infrastructure. |
| Parking, loading & waste | How parking, loading, waste collection and other operational requirements function with the proposed site layout. |
| Landscape, accessibility & adjoining lands | Applicable landscape, site-interface, accessible-access and neighbouring-property matters within the City’s current statutory review authority. |
Ontario changed parts of the statutory Site Plan Control framework in 2026. For a current application, the live City checklist, Terms of Reference and assigned planning team should govern the final submission scope.
Prepare the Concept Before Requesting a PAC Meeting
Toronto’s Pre-Application Consultation process is voluntary but strongly encouraged for Site Plan Control applications. The purpose is to identify project-specific issues and determine which plans, studies and reports will be required for a complete submission.
A PAC request should already have a reasonably defined concept. Toronto currently requires a Concept Site Plan together with Concept Elevations and/or Renderings.
The concept should be developed enough to explain the building footprint, setbacks, access, parking, site organization and relationship to surrounding properties. Starting PAC before the basic development concept is stable can create avoidable redesign after the consultant scope is established.
A Site Plan application is a coordinated package, not one drawing
Toronto’s current planning application process requires a set of core documents and then adds project-specific plans, studies and reports based on the site and proposal.
The current core submission set for a Site Plan Control application includes the City’s development application form, applicable fee schedule, Project Data Sheet, covering memo and either the Planning Application Checklist Package issued after PAC or the applicable Application Checklist if PAC was not completed.
The technical package is then built around what the City requires for that file. Depending on the development, that can include architectural plans and elevations, grading and servicing information, stormwater material, landscape and tree information, transportation/access studies, a planning rationale or covering rationale, context or perspective drawings, and site-specific environmental, heritage, rail or conservation-authority work.
Not every Site Plan application needs every item. The wrong approach is to order a large generic consultant package before the municipal scope is understood. The better approach is to establish the approval path, identify the required disciplines, and then coordinate each submission so the drawings and reports describe the same project.
A civil plan that assumes one driveway, a landscape plan that shows another, and an architectural plan with a third layout create review comments that could have been prevented before filing. Coordination quality matters as much as document count.
Ready to Define Permit Path?
Send project context first, the next step can then focus on scope, information gaps and the right page or service route.
How Toronto Site Plan Control moves forward
The exact file varies, but a well-managed Site Plan application moves through a series of distinct decisions rather than one municipal review event.
Confirm the approval route
Determine whether Site Plan Control applies, whether the zoning is sufficiently resolved and whether another planning approval should happen first.
Use PAC where appropriate
Use the current City requirements and, where appropriate, PAC to identify the project-specific drawings, studies, reports and consultant inputs required for the file.
Coordinate and Submit the Application
Prepare one consistent submission package and file it through Toronto’s Application Submission Tool with the required forms, materials and payment.
Respond to Municipal Review
Organize comments by discipline, coordinate revised drawings and reports and submit clear responses as the application moves through circulation and any required resubmissions.
Clear Conditions and Finalize
After a Notice of Approval with Conditions, address the applicable pre-clearance items, agreement, securities and other conditions required before the City issues the Statement of Approval.
A NOAC is approval with conditions — not the end of the file
Toronto uses a two-stage Site Plan approval process.
Notice of Approval with Conditions (NOAC): the City has approved the Site Plan subject to identified conditions. Some conditions must be cleared before final approval, while others can continue into later project stages.
Statement of Approval: issued after the required pre-clearance conditions have been satisfied. In many files this includes completion and registration of the Site Plan Control Agreement and posting required financial securities.
The period between NOAC and Statement of Approval can still involve consultant, legal, financial and municipal coordination, so the NOAC date should not automatically be treated as the end of the Site Plan process.
Site Plan, rezoning and building permit solve different problems
These approvals connect to each other, but they do not answer the same question. The goal is to identify which approval owns each unresolved problem and sequence the work accordingly.
| Approval path | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Zoning Review | You need to understand whether the current zoning and property conditions appear to support the proposed development before a more involved application is started. |
| Rezoning | The current zoning does not authorize the proposed use, scale or development standards and a broader change to the zoning permissions is required. |
| Site Plan Control | The development is sufficiently authorized and the City needs to review the detailed site layout, access, servicing, grading and other applicable site matters. |
| Building Permit | The project is moving into Building Code and construction-document review after the applicable planning and other-law requirements have been addressed. |
What the current Toronto fees and timelines actually mean
Municipal fees, statutory milestones and final approval are different things. Budget the application around the live City fee schedule and the real coordination work that follows.
What are the current Toronto Site Plan fees?
Toronto’s 2026 schedule lists a $43,605.12 base Site Plan Control fee plus $5.37 per m² of gross floor area, to a maximum City charge of $621,372.96. The 2026 Site Plan Amendment fee is $52,524.55 and the Administrative Site Plan Amendment fee is $6,540.77. These are municipal fees only and can change with future fee schedules.
What does a Toronto PAC cost?
The current PAC fee is a $3,000 deposit for each applicable PAC request. It is paid before the meeting and credited toward the related development application fee if the application proceeds. If the applicant does not proceed, the deposit is not refunded.
Do 30 days or 60 days mean final approval?
No. Toronto states that it will advise whether the application is complete or incomplete within 30 days of submission including payment. Current legislation and City reporting identify 60 calendar days as the non-decision appeal point for Site Plan. That is not a promise of final Statement of Approval. Circulation, revisions, conditions, agreement/security work and pre-clearance can continue beyond those milestones.
What changed in 2026?
Ontario’s Bill 98 changed parts of the legal scope of Site Plan Control and affected Toronto Green Standard implementation. Toronto has said its guidance and application documentation are being updated. For a live 2026 file, the current City checklist, Terms of Reference and assigned planning team should govern rather than an older generic Site Plan checklist.
What iPermit can help coordinate on a Site Plan file
The value of Site Plan support is not just uploading documents. It is keeping the approval path, consultant inputs and municipal comments aligned as the file develops. Signed/sealed professional work and legal advice remain with the appropriately qualified professional.
Approval path and PAC preparation: review the property, proposal and available planning information, identify whether Site Plan appears to be the appropriate next step and organize the concept information needed for municipal scoping.
Consultant and submission coordination: translate the project-specific requirements into a working submission plan and help keep architectural, civil, landscape and other applicable project inputs aligned.
Municipal comments and resubmissions: organize comments by responsibility, track required revisions and coordinate updated materials so different disciplines continue to describe the same project.
Conditions and next-stage tracking: after NOAC, help organize the remaining pre-clearance items and approval steps included in the engagement before the project moves toward final Site Plan approval and the next permit stage.
Signed or sealed professional work and legal advice remain the responsibility of the appropriately qualified professional or legal advisor.
Ready to Define Permit Path?
Send project context first, the next step can then focus on scope, information gaps and the right page or service route.
What to send us for a Site Plan review
You do not need a complete Site Plan submission package to start. Begin with the property address, a short description of the proposed development and the current planning or project stage.
Send the most current concept site plan, survey, drawings or elevations you already have. If zoning, ZAP, rezoning, minor variance or another planning process has already been reviewed, include the relevant decision, comments or application information.
Any existing Site Plan Agreement, registered undertaking, easement or other known property constraint can also be important when available.
If technical work has already started, send the current civil, grading, servicing, landscape, transportation or other consultant material rather than waiting for a final package.
For an active municipal file, include the PAC notes, Planning Application Checklist Package, City comments, NOAC conditions and file number where applicable. The first review can then identify what is reusable, what is missing and which items need to be coordinated next.
Toronto Site Plan Approval FAQs
Answers to the questions that most often affect whether a Site Plan file is ready to move forward — and what remains after the first municipal decision.
What is Site Plan Control in Toronto?
Site Plan Control is a municipal planning approval used to review the detailed layout and technical functioning of certain developments. It can address matters such as access, circulation, grading, drainage, servicing, parking/loading, landscape and other applicable site elements. It does not replace zoning or a building permit.
Does every Toronto development need Site Plan Approval?
No. Toronto is designated as a Site Plan Control area, but the Municipal Code contains exemptions. Many residential buildings with 10 dwelling units or fewer are exempt, subject to exceptions including certain sensitive locations. Applicability should be confirmed for the specific property and proposal.
What is the difference between Site Plan Approval and rezoning?
Rezoning changes what the zoning permits. Site Plan Control reviews how an authorized development is organized and functions on its site. If the project still depends on a zoning change, the City may consider the Site Plan application premature.
Can I submit Site Plan Control while my rezoning is still underway?
The applications can be related, but Toronto strongly discourages concurrent PAC requests for ZBA/Site Plan files and may advise that Site Plan is premature. The right sequence depends on how settled the zoning, concept and technical design are.
Is Pre-Application Consultation mandatory for Site Plan Control?
No. Toronto’s current PAC process is voluntary, but the City strongly encourages it for Site Plan Control. A completed PAC can produce a project-specific Planning Application Checklist Package. Without PAC, the applicant uses the applicable City Application Checklist.
What do I need for a Toronto Site Plan PAC meeting?
Toronto currently asks for a Concept Site Plan plus Concept Elevations and/or Renderings. The concept needs enough detail for staff to understand the property, building footprint, setbacks, height, access, parking, site surfaces and relationship to surrounding properties.
How long does Site Plan Approval take in Toronto?
There is no responsible single number for final approval. Toronto has a 30-day completeness decision process, and current legislation identifies a 60-day non-decision appeal point. Final approval can take longer because circulation, revisions, resubmissions, conditions, agreement/security work and final clearance may still be required.
What is a NOAC?
NOAC means Notice of Approval with Conditions. It is the first stage of Toronto’s Site Plan approval process. It confirms approval subject to conditions, but it is not the same as final Statement of Approval. Pre-clearance conditions still need to be satisfied.