Building permit cost and time frames

Find out how much it will cost to get your building permit and how long it might take.

How much a building permit costs

The total fees depend on the size, type and use of the proposed project or building. The exact cost of your permit will be calculated once we prescreen your request.

For a residential property, a permit will cost a minimum of $174. Permits for non-residential properties will cost a minimum of $292.

You will need to pay a $20 administrative fee when you submit your request online. This non-refundable deposit will be credited towards the total cost of your permit.

Fees for different types of projects are outlined in the Building Permit Fee Schedule.

Additional fees during construction

There may be additional fees such as development charges or deposits you need to pay before your permit is issued.

Prescreen review time

It usually takes about 7 to 10 business days to prescreen your request. This is subject to change depending on request volumes.

Department review time

If your application is deemed complete, the first review may take:

  • Residential applications – 10 business days
  • Second unit applications – 15 business days
  • Non-residential applications – 20 business days

Incomplete applications are not subject to the timelines listed above.

Department review time for resubmissions

There is no guaranteed review time for resubmissions since they are not subject to legislated time frames listed above. Each resubmission cycle could add two or more weeks.

How long it takes to get a permit

The total amount of time it takes to obtain a permit will vary depending on the quality of the submission and how responsive you are as an applicant. If your application is incomplete and we need to request additional information from you, it will add more time to the review process.

These are the average times for processing and issuing a permit:

  • New residential (detached, semi) – 13 weeks
  • Residential alteration (detached, semi) – 7 weeks
  • Second unit – 10 weeks
  • New non-residential – 12 weeks
  • Non-residential alteration – 9 weeks

We recommend that you apply for your building permit well in advance of your construction date.

Contact us

If you need more information, call 311 (905-615-4311) or contact us online.