The Renovation Permit Process in Toronto — 2026 Guide

When You Need a Permit

Under the Building Code Act, a permit is required for any "material alteration" — meaning anything that changes structure, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, or load-bearing walls.

Projects that typically require permits: kitchen or bathroom gut renovations with new plumbing or electrical, basement finishing with new walls or a bathroom, removing or modifying interior walls, adding windows or doors, installing new HVAC systems, and creating a secondary suite.

Projects that typically do NOT require permits: painting, non-structural flooring replacement, cosmetic fixture swaps in the same location, cabinet refacing, and minor cosmetic updates.

When in doubt, check with the City of Toronto Building Division before starting work.

How to Apply: The ePlans Portal

The City of Toronto requires all permit applications to be submitted digitally through the ePlans portal. As of February 16, 2026, all applications must use the updated "Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish" form.

What You Need to Submit

Core application forms: the permit application, Designer Information form (Schedule 1 with your designer's BCIN credentials), and the Energy Efficiency Design Summary form (SB-12) where applicable.

Architectural drawings: fully dimensioned floor plans, elevations, and cross-sections drawn to scale. Drawings must clearly distinguish between existing conditions and proposed work, and show all life-safety elements (smoke alarms, CO detectors, structural load paths).

Structural engineering: required for any work involving load-bearing walls, foundation modifications, or structural framing changes. Plans must be stamped by a licensed professional engineer.

Technical Submission Requirements

• All documents must be submitted as unencrypted PDF files (version 7 or later)
• CAD files with multiple layers must be flattened to a single layer
• Multi-page drawing sets must be combined into one PDF file
• Scanned drawings must be black-and-white at minimum 300 dpi (600 dpi recommended for fine detail)
• File packages over 25 MB must be transmitted via the City's Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) system

Drawings must be prepared, signed, and stamped by a professional engineer, licensed architect, or qualified designer holding a valid Building Code Identification Number (BCIN).

2026 Fee Schedule

The City implemented a 4.82% fee increase effective January 1, 2026. Fees are calculated per square metre of proposed work.

Zoning certificate reviews, mechanical permits, and plumbing permits carry additional fees. Confirm the full fee schedule at toronto.ca.

Review Timelines

The Ontario Building Code mandates a 15 business day review for complete residential applications. However, the clock only starts when the City considers your application fully complete — all drawings aligned, engineering stamped, zoning cleared.

Your application is reviewed by two separate examiners: a zoning examiner and a building code examiner. If either identifies a deficiency, they issue a revision request and the clock pauses until corrections are submitted.

Common Causes of Delays

Most delays come from incomplete or incorrect submissions. The most frequent problems:

• Using outdated forms (the application was updated February 2026)
• Drawings that do not match zoning requirements
• Missing structural engineer stamp
• Incomplete energy efficiency documentation
• Failing to address tree protection or heritage requirements upfront

Property Tax Implications

A persistent concern for homeowners: will my renovation increase my property taxes? In most cases, purely interior renovations that do not change the building's footprint or legal density do not trigger reassessment. However, adding a legal secondary suite or a structural addition does. Once the building permit is closed, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) will reassess the property to reflect the added value, which increases your ongoing property tax.

For context, Toronto's 2026 combined residential property tax increase was 2.2% — roughly $70–$91 per year on an average home. MPAC assessments remain based on January 1, 2016 values, so taxes do not reflect current market prices broadly.

Next Steps

The permit process does not need to be a bottleneck. Preparing a complete package with the right forms, code-compliant drawings, and engineering stamps — and submitting it correctly the first time — is the fastest path to approval.

Review our bathroom and basement renovation guides for project-specific permit requirements, and check the 2026 Cost Guide to budget for permit fees as part of your overall project cost.