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 The city's building division will be extending their hours of service from 4 to 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday in May through August, to give citizens, who may not be able to visit city hall during the day, adequate time to apply for and acquire the permits they may need to undertake a home project - such as decks, porches, swimming pools and sheds.

For more information contact 519-741-2433

Building Permits

Prior to starting a new construction project either inside or outside your home, you must first determine whether you require a building permit.

Projects that Require a Building Permit

  • Detached garage, shed or accessory structure 108 square feet and greater (measured to the outside face of exterior walls)

  • Attached garage, carport, shed or other roof structure of any size

  • Decks greater than 24 inches above grade

  • Finishing the basement of a house

  • Adding a bedroom to the basement

  • Additions to a building

  • Swimming pool with a depth of 36" or greater (including temporary or inflatable)

  • Creating a duplex (a.k.a. in-law suite, accessory apartment, granny flat)

  • Plumbing fixtures added or relocated

  • Removing a load bearing wall, column, lintel or beam

  • Re-insulating walls, ceilings or floors

  • Woodstove or woodburning fireplace

  • Installing a new window or door, or when increasing the width of the existing opening

  • Pending location, a retaining wall that is greater then 3'-3" in height

  • Solar Panels that are mounted to a building and have a face area of 5 square meters or greater  

  • Septic system installations and alterations

  • Site servicing (water or sewer lines) for all building types

  • New residential dwellings

  • Demolition of a structure greater than 108 square feet in building area

  • Tent or group of tents that is, more than 60m2 (646 ft2) in aggregate ground area, attached to a building, or constructed within 3m (9'-10") of any structure

  • Industrial, commercial, institutional and multi-residential construction or alterations or changes of use

Please note: We do not review or inspect electrical work. Please contact the Electrical Safety Authority at 1-877-421-2228 for electrical permits.

Projects that Do Not Require a Building Permit

  • Structure less than 108 square feet measured from the outside face of walls (that does not contain plumbing)

  • Gas fireplace

  • Fence (but must comply with zoning regulations)

  • Water softener

  • Painting, wall papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops, and similar finish work

  • Door and window replacements (within the existing opening, where no structural members are changed)

  • Installing new shingles on existing roof

  • Removing a non-load bearing wall in a single, semi-detached or townhouse dwelling

  • Replacing a plumbing fixture (i.e. toilet, bathtub or sink) with a new fixture in the same location

For more information, please contact us at 519-741-2433.

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