Service Description

A building permit for a new additional self-contained living accommodation, usually located in the rear yard, but not on a public lane, and is separate or detached from the main house on a residential lot.

Considerations

Where there is a potential for damage to private or City trees due to the proposal of a Garden suite, the applicant is advised to contact City Planning and Urban Forestry staff to discuss how the design of the suite can be accomplished to protect the healthy tree(s) in question.

All Garden Suites must be provided with principal access as per the Ontario Building Code (Div. B. 9.9.2.4.) and fire access as per (Div. B. 9.10.20.3).

Service Outcome

Building Permit

All drawings to be drawn on standardized sized sheets, drawn to scale, fully dimensioned, signed and dated.

If drawings were prepared by a qualified designer (as defined under Div. C, Part 3, Section 3.2 of the Ontario Building Code), drawings must include the designer’s name, registration number, qualification identification number, signature, and stamp/statement that the person has reviewed and taken responsibility for the design activities.

All drawings, reports, and forms, including the completed Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish, must be provided in a PDF format.

Access for emergency services must be provided from the street that the existing house faces. The travel distance to the proposed garden suite must not exceed Toronto Fire Services requirements for firefighting access.

To ensure access to a garden suite in the case of an emergency, Toronto Fire Services, Emergency Services and the Building Code require a firefighting access with:

  • a maximum 45-metre travel distance measured from a public street to the entrance of the garden suite to a fire apparatus on a public street, where the fire apparatus is within 45 metres of a fire hydrant; and
  • a minimum width of 1.0 metre and a 2.1 metre vertical clearance from the fronting public street. The 1.0 metre minimum width must be unobstructed with the exception of hydro and gas meters and other similar localized protrusion only, into the path of travel width.

For more information about required emergency access to a new Garden Suite, please see Providing Emergency Access to a new Garden Suite.

Site Plan

  • Survey or site plan showing property lines, lot area, right-of-way or easements (referenced to a current survey)
    Location of existing/proposed buildings with overall dimensions and include setback dimensions to property lines and adjacent buildings.
  • Summary of permitted and proposed zoning provisions to include lot area, building area (GFA), coverage, and grade elevations to confirm height.
  • Indicate dimensioned parking areas, driveways, hard & soft landscape treatments, accessory structures (sheds, decks, detached garages, etc).

Lot Grading Plan

Submit a plan showing the proposed grading of the lot, designed in a manner that will result in no new instances of ponding on existing adjacent properties and the subject property as a result of construction, in conformance with the Lot Grading Criteria for Infill Housing.

Floor Plans

Fully dimensioned, for each level showing existing & proposed uses of all spaces, including location of smoke alarms & carbon monoxide detectors and all plumbing fixtures.

Provide existing/proposed construction with foundation & exterior wall information, showing interior partitions and structural framing above.

Roof Plan

  • Existing/proposed roof layout showing roof structure, skylights, roof slopes, hips/valleys/peaks and ventilation.
  • Truss Drawings and Floor Joist Plan
  • Where Engineered roof trusses or floor systems are proposed.

Elevations

  • Exterior finishes with roof slopes, window/door type, locations & sizes including height of sills above floor level.
  • Provide area of exposed building face, percentage/area of unprotected openings and required limiting distance(s).Show exterior decks/landings, stairs, guards/handrails.
  • Provide overall building height dimension.

Sections

  • Cross section(s) to show existing/proposed building construction and specifications of all floor, wall, & roof assemblies.
  • Provide footing & foundation wall details including height of exterior grade above basement floor.
  • Show floor to floor, floor to ceiling and overall building heights.
  • Detail stairs, landings, guards & handrails.

Construction Details and Notes

  • Building materials & specifications of all wall, floor, and roof assemblies with typical wall section and typical roof detail.
  • Provide guard details including connection detail.

Mechanical Permit & Requirements

Mechanical (HVAC) Permit

If your project includes an HVAC elements please review the Residential Mechanical (HVAC) Guide for additional requirement

Plumbing & Drain Permits

Plumbing Data Sheet

If your project includes a plumbing or drain and water service elements, please submit a Plumbing Data Sheet (below) with your building permit application. For one- and two-unit houses or garden suites, no plans are required unless the project includes a reverse-sloping driveway. If the project includes a reverse sloped driveway then drawings must be submitted showing details of reverse sloped driveway and drain plan. All other residential plumbing and drain permit applications must include drawings showing layout of plumbing and related fixtures on each floor level.

Service Requirements

All new Garden Suites must comply with (Div B. 7.1.5.4 (4) Separate Services) of the Ontario Building Code for Separate Services:

(4) No plumbing serving a dwelling unit shall be installed in or under another unit of the building unless the piping is located in a tunnel, pipe corridor, common basement or parking garage, so that the piping is accessible for servicing and maintenance throughout its length without encroachment on any private living space, but this Sentence does not prevent plumbing serving a unit located above another unit from being installed in or under the lower unit.     OBC Div B 7.1.5.4

To submit an application by email please use the ‘Email’ button on top of the Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish.

Detailed steps for the email submission process are also available to assist in making your application.

Building permit application form required for all submissions

Application to Construct or Demolish form

 

Energy Efficiency Design Summary – Part 9 Residential

Required when applying to construct a new Part 9 residential building or an addition to an existing Part 9 residential building, to establish compliance with the energy efficiency requirements stipulated in Supplemental Standard SB-12 of the Ontario Building Code.

Compliance using prescriptive method:

Prescriptive Energy Efficiency Design Summary Form

Compliance using performance and other acceptable compliance methods:

Performance Compliance Methods Form

This is a declaration form to be submitted to Toronto Building in order for the Owner or authorized agent of the owner to request an electronic copy of the Residential Infill Public Notice from Toronto Building.

Infill Public Notice Declaration Form

 

Applicant/owner is required to pay a damage deposit as a protection guarantee against damage to the curb, sidewalk, road, public laneway, boulevard and other services as well as tracking mud on City streets, or failing to clear snow and ice from sidewalks while construction is in progress.

Municipal Road Damage form

 

Required for all designers, except Engineers and Architects when applying for any Construction Permit. Property Owners, if exempted, from Qualification / Certification must fill-in the form to specify the reason for exemption.

Schedule 1: Designer Information Form

Required for all projects where there is a potential for damage to private or City trees. Applicant is also responsible to comply with other tree protection bylaws.

Tree Declaration Form

Construction – Group C [Residential Occupancies]

Type Fee (per m², unless otherwise stated) Effective Jan. 1, 2024
Residential Unit Fee

Each new residential unit included in an application

$52.08/unit
Single Family Dwellings, Semis, Townhouses, Duplexes, Live/Work Units $17.16
(i) For Certification of Plans $8.59
(ii) Permits for Certified Plans $14.56
All other multiple unit buildings and any other residential occupancies $17.16

 

The permit fees shown above are shown as as Service Index per square metre of proposed work, unless otherwise specified. For full details of permit fee calculation and a complete list of fee rates, please see the Building Permit Fees page.

Protect Your Privacy

Please do not include any personal information on your Building Plans (e.g., the homeowner’s name or phone number). Building Plans submitted for Permit are subject to disclosure in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA).