What is the Toronto permit process?

Funnily enough there are times when I ask myself this same question. It seems like every year the rules for the Toronto permit process change, in some way shape or form. Making something that was allowed before, not now. Regardless of my own personal frustrations, I think for simplicity sake we should divide the process into two parts.The first part would be to look at your home as a box, to better understand how things work.  The Toronto permit process begins with us defining the size,shape and location of your box to the city. The second deals with defining how that box will be made under the rules set out by the Ontario Building Code. 

• Stage 1

Whatever that home design you decide on it has to adhere to the zoning requirements and bylaws for your area. Essentially a list of rules dictating the size,shape and location of anything you want to build on your property. That is why it is very important to have a survey of your property before you start the design.  Most people will try to design within the confines of those rules, in order to avoid extending the permit process. Once the initial design has been completed, plans will be sent in for preliminary review. Which essentially means that someone will make sure that your design is within the bounds of those rules. Now if you can’t get what you want with in those rules. Then you have to ask for permission to break them. The Toronto permit process will then have to be extended to Committee of Adjustment. This is the place you go to bring your case as to why you should get what you want outside of the zoning rules and bylaws for your area. Now once you have gone through all of that, you are then ready to start the second stage of the Toronto permit process, the building permit phase. 

• Stage 2

Now this is the part that makes sure your box is going to built right. They will review all the proposed structural and construction techniques in order to make sure they conform with the requirements of the Ontario Building Code. Once your plans have been reviewed and you have satisfied any of your plans examiner’s questions. You can now look to start construction.  Toronto Permit cards are issued for the various required parts of your project. Usually building,plumbing and HVAC. An inspector is assigned to your permit number and must be notified at set inspection stages. At each stage you or your contractor will call for inspection and the inspector will then come onsite and review the work that has been completed and confirm it is as per the Toronto permit approved set of drawings. The inspector will also be the one at the end of the project,that will confirm when your home is ready to move back into. Once all inspections are complete the inspector will close the permit but all of your work and inspection logs will remain on file with the city forever. That way at anytime down the line if someone else wanted to work on your home. They could look up the file and know exactly what and how things and been done previously