Building Applications

When do you need a building permit?

You must obtain a building permit if you're planning to build new, demolish, renovate, repair or add onto a building or structure.

Building

Examples of when a building permit is required includes:

• A new building or structure that's larger than 10 square metres (108 square feet)
• An addition or sunroom that's attached to a building or structure
• Agricultural buildings
• A pre-fabricated building/structure, which is greater than 10 square metres (108 square feet)

Garages, foundations, and basements

You'll need a building permit if you're excavating a basement or constructing a foundation, or if you're converting an attached garage into a liveable space. You also need a building permit if you're installing:

• A door between an attached garage and a house or its basement
• An exterior staircase for basement access

Load-bearing walls and beams

You'll need a building permit anytime you:

• Install, change, remove or move load-bearing walls and beams
• Install new openings in load-bearing walls, exterior walls or change the size of doors and windows
• Install a skylight in the roof of a building/structure

Decks

You need a permit to build a wood deck greater than 600 mm (23-5/8 inches) in height above ground level. This includes decks around private swimming pools and if you're adding a roof over a wood deck.

Septic, heat, and air conditioning systems

Installing or modifying a septic system, water service, sewer line, heating system, air-conditioning system, fireplaces, or wood-stoves requires a building permit, as well as:

• Installing or repairing a chimney
• Installing, renovating or modifying plumbing fixtures or plumbing systems
• Constructing, renovating or repairing a sewage system, septic tank or septic field

Building permit applications and requirements

Use our Applicable Law Appendices to find out which agency approvals that you need before we can issue a building permit. It is your responsibility to obtain the proper approvals.

Application forms

Along with you building plans, we require a complete application form:

• Building Permit Application Form 
• Municipal Permit Application Form
• Notice of Change Application Form

Non-residential projects may need to include:

• Commitment to General Review Form

Building plans and drawings

View our “What You Should Know About Building Permits” guide for the drawings and documentation you'll need to prepare.

Building permit fees

Full permit fees are calculated based on our Building Permit By-Law Fee Schedule and currently collected at the end of the permitting process when your permit is ready to be issued. Other fees can include:

• Development fees (Municipal, County, Education)
• Fire Services fees
• Security deposits

Submitting your application

Complete your applications to the best of your ability. You must submit applications with the required supporting documentation. If you do not include them with your application, the application is considered incomplete and will be returned.

Current Application Procedure 

We are currently accepting online applications.

• Please email your application to building@newtecumseth.ca;           
• Drawings shall be submitted digitally and be in a PDF format.  The drawings shall be scaled and legible.  Pictures of drawings will not be accepted.  Building staff will circulate digital applications to the required internal departments (Planning, Engineering, Fire, Finance) for their approvals and/or comments.

You may apply for any type of permit during regular office hours:

• Monday to Friday
• 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Registered owner of the property

If you submit an application but you are not the registered owner of the property, include a letter of authorization from the registered owner of the property.

Inspections

The Ontario Building Code requires inspections through various stages of your project's construction. It is your responsibility to book inspections (or to ensure that your contractor does so).

Contact us to book an inspection

Inspections must be booked a minimum of 24 hours in advance before 3PM Monday to Friday excluding holidays.  Inspection requests can be made by emailing our team or by phone 705-415-1909.

When submitting an inspection request please provide:

• The permit number
• Address of the inspection
• Type of inspection being requested
• Contact name and telephone number

Have the following information ready

Before booking an inspection, please have the following information:

• The owner's name that appears on the permit card
• The permit number
• The project location
• The type of inspection required

Please note that an occupancy inspection is not always a final inspection.