Building Permit Applications

What Does and Does Not Require a Building Permit

• What Requires a Building Permit?

  Under the Ontario Building Code Act, a building permit is required to construct, demolish, renovate, alter, install or change the use of a building.  The following is a list of typical projects or situations that require the issuance of a building permit prior to construction:

  • Construct a new building greater than 10 sq.m. in building area (the area of the building's footprint)
  • Install new plumbing in a building or part thereof
  • Change the use and/or occupancy of a building
  • Changing the fuel source of a fireplace from gas-fired to solid burning (wood)
  • Construct an addition to an existing building
  • Construct a deck*
  • Add or remove a structural wall in a dwelling
  • Complete a roughed-in bathroom or washroom
  • Alter an existing building or it's plumbing system
  • Repair a building or it's plumbing system
  • Repair or install a sewage system (commonly referred to as a 'septic system')
  • Install a new furnace utilizing a new fuel source, i.e. Electrical to natural gas
  • Install a solid fuel burning appliance, i.e. Wood burning stove or masonry fireplace
  • Complete a roughed-in fireplace
  • Detached or attached garages and carports
  • Solariums
  • Addition of a dormer
  • Raising a dwelling to provide a full basement
  • Sunrooms
  • Install a sign

   

  NOTE: Decks in the rear yard, not attached to the dwelling and less than 10 sq.m. (108 sq.ft.) in area, do not require a building permit. Decks larger than 10 sq.m. (108 sq. ft.) and all decks more that 600 mm (2' - 0") above average grade do require a building permit.

  If the above list does not include specifics of your project or you are not sure if a permit will be required, please contact our Permit Administrators at ​905-833-5321 or serviceking@king.ca with the details of the work.

• What Does Not Require a Building Permit

  It is not necessary to obtain building permits to perform the work listed below.  Please note, however, you must still comply with all applicable law including the Township of King Zoning By-law and if applicable, the Ontario Building Code.

   

  • Erect a fence, other than a pool enclosure fence. Compliance with the Township’s Fence By-law is required.  For the construction of a pool and required pool enclosure fence a Pool Permit is required. Please visit the Pool Permit page for more information.
  • Sidewalks
  • Planters and landscaping
  • Damp-proofing basements
  • Replacement plumbing fixtures
  • Replacement hot water heaters (note the requirement to limit hot water to 49°C after September 2004)
  • Kitchen or bathroom cupboards
  • Painting, decorating and general maintenance
  • Replacing roof shingles on a residential dwelling
  • Air conditioning units or heat pumps added to existing systems
  • Replacement furnaces provided the new and old furnaces have similar heat output and use the same fuel
  • Accessory buildings (storage sheds) not greater than 10 sq.m. (108 sq. ft.) in area. Compliance with the Township's Zoning By-law for property line setbacks is required. Visit the Planning Division for more information, or contact askplanning@king.ca
  • Decks in the rear yard, not attached to the dwelling and less than 10 sq.m. in area. Please Note: Decks larger than 10 sq.m. and all decks attached to a dwelling and more than 600 mm (2'-0") above grade do require a building permit

Building Permit Applications

• Before Applying for a Building Permit

  Prior to applying for a Building Permit, you are required to obtain confirmation that all Applicable Law requirements have been satisfied. This is done through the Planning Division. It is important to note that until Applicable Law is satisfied, a Building Permit application will not be accepted. 

  Information about the Applicable Laws that may impact your project, and to be confirmed by the Planning Division, can be found on the Planning Division website. Some examples may include: 

  Conservation

  • Much of the Township is regulated through various conservation authorities including Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority, Toronto Region Conservation Authority, and the Oak Ridges Moraine (including Site Plan Development Applications and ORM Conformity). Each of these regulatory agencies have different requirement and it is important to know how they may impact your project as many of them are required to be in place prior to applying for a building permit. Please contact the Townships Planning Division more Information.

  Zoning By-laws

  • Zoning By-Laws determine the permitted uses of a property including such items as setbacks, lot coverage, pervious surfaces and building height. It is important to ensure your proposed project complies to the Zoning By-Law requirements before applying for your building permit. For more information, please contact the Planning Division.

  Other Applicable Law 

  • Other Applicable Law that may impact your project can be found HERE 
• How to Apply for a Building Permit

  All application submissions are to be made online.

  To make a building permit application customers will be asked to provide the forms, fees, and digital copies of the specified drawings as outlined in the application guide packages provided. Submissions must be made following the Townships Electronic Submission Guidelines. 

  Applications that do not follow the Electronic Submission Guideline or are submitted prior to obtaining the necessary Applicable Law approvals, may be refused and will need to be resubmitted.
• Once You Have Applied for Your Building Permit

  Step One

  Once you have submitted your application online, our Permit Administration team will review the application for completeness. We will then provide you with a letter response including your application number (not a permit number), the fees due, how to pay them online, and any other documents that may be outstanding. If your application required Applicable Law approvals, those approval documents must be included in your application.  

  Fees will be calculated in accordance with the Townships current Fees and Charges By-Law and The Building By-law, By-law 2021-060

  Development Charges, Cash In Lieu, or Lot Securities may apply to your application. As these fees fluctuate regularly, we cannot provide a confirmed balance due until the permit is ready to issue. 

  Many applications require a Security Deposit. This is a refundable payment once your permits are complete and closed. For more information on that process please click Here

  Note: Please allow up to (5) business days for staff to begin processing the initial review and intake of the application. 

  Step Two 

  Once the application fees have been received, as well as any other outstanding required documents, the application will be circulated to the appropriate staff for review for Ontario Building Code review. The Ontario Build Code Act. 1992 provides statutory time frames based on application type, in which the review is to be completed. If additional documentation or revisions are required as a result of the Ontario Building Code review, an email will be sent to the applicant advising of such. At this point, the statutory time frames will be deemed met. All re-submissions are to be sent to bldsubmissions@king.ca. Documents sent to individual staff may not be processed. 

  Step Three 

  Once the Plans Examiner has approved the Building Code review the application will be review again by the Permit Administration team for completeness. Once the application is deemed complete and all approvals are in place the permit is then issued, and approved by the Chief Building Official. All permits will be sent electronically, no hard copies will be provided. 

   

  • Note: If Site Plan Development approvals were granted, clearance of conditions will be required prior to issuance of the permit.
  • Note: If Development charges are applicable, payment of the Development Charges is required prior to release of the building permit.
  • Note: If sanity or water service improvements are required as part of the project, those approvals must be granted before buildings permits for structures can be issued. 
  • Note: The Ontario Building Code Act and Ontario Building Code provide guidelines for the amount of time permitted for the review and issuance of a Building permit. Most reviews are conducted within a 10 business day time frame, however there are exceptions to this for larger projects such as commercial, industrial or agricultural construction.

Your Building Permit

• Once You Recieve Your Building Permit

  Once you have received your Building Permit, you are permitted to start the associated construction works. Your permit will include a list of required inspections that must be conducted at specified stages of construction. All Inspections can be booked online HERE. 

  As per the Ontario Building Code Act, 1992, construction must commence within (6) months of permit issuance, and must have substantial progress within one year of the last inspection. Permits that do not comply with those time frames may be considered void or require a permit extension.

  Obtaining a permit extension can be done by submitting a written request to inspections@king.ca including the reason for the request.

  Once you have successfully completed all your required inspections including Final Inspection, your permit will be closed. 

• Obtaining Your Security Deposit Refund

  If you placed a Public Works Security Deposit during your Building Application process, you may be eligible for a refund. All permits on the property that are subject to a deposit will need to be completed and closed to be eligible for a refund.

  For more information regarding the Public Works Security Deposit click HERE! 

Building Permit Application Packages