Building permit application stubs can provide information about a property owner, building materials, architect, use, and cost of a structure.
Building permit application stubs are the records kept by the municipality after it issued a permit. They are not the actual building permit. They can provide information about property owner, building materials, architect, use, and cost of a structure.
To see building permit application stubs, you will need visit the Archives. Building permit application stubs are available on microfilm for the former City of Toronto for the years between 1882 and 1926, and in hard copy up to 1970.
For building permits issued after 1970 or by other former municipalities, please contact Toronto Building Customer Service.
You can read more about building permits in the Archives database entry for Series 1186.
This building permit index shows all the building permit numbers issued for each street in one year. The index does not give an address for each permit number. You must look at the building permits themselves to find the address.
In this example from the 1907 building permit index, J. Somers has been given building permit 6206. You must look at the building permit itself to find Somers’ address. Note: Even though all the names here begin with the same letter, they are not arranged alphabetically within the letter.
Not all building permits give as much information as this one. It shows that Leigh Todd had a permit to build a two-storey brick and stone house, with basement. The address is 5 Emerson Avenue. (‘E.S.’ stands for ‘east side’). He could afford to hire a professional architect as well as a builder. $2500 was an average cost for a brick house at the time. Wooden houses were much cheaper.