For interior and exterior alterations, renovations, additions, tenant space improvements, selective or partial demolitions, changes to business activities (change of use) and/or site changes to commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings.

This also applies to changes to apartments/condos, rowhouses with 5 or more dwelling units, stacked rowhouses, and mixed-used (blend of commercial and residential) buildings.

Do I Need A Permit? 

Permits are required for:

Changes in activity in a space

  • Change to the business activity or change of use, such as:
    • From retail to restaurant 
    • From residential to office
    • From office to residential  
    • Adding residential units 
  • Change in intensity of business activity, such as increasing the number of seats in a restaurant

Construction 

  • First tenant in a new shell building
  • Renovating a condominium
  • Adding exterior balconies to an apartment building
  • Change to exterior doors, windows, walls and roofs
  • Change to the interior, such as walls, washrooms, stairs and mezzanines 
  • Change to building systems: heating and ventilating, plumbing, gas, and electrical systems
  • Change to life safety systems such as fire alarm, sprinkler, standpipe

Equipment

Installation, alteration or upgrade of equipment affecting the building, such as:

  • Storage racking
  • Commercial cooking equipment
  • Vehicle repair equipment such as paint spray booths or hoists 
  • Charging/fuelling of forklifts

Changes to the existing site

  • Change to site access 
  • Change to existing site layouts, such as to landscape islands or parking aisles
  • Change to the parking lot, sidewalk or line striping affecting accessible parking stalls

Permits are not required for:

  • Cosmetic interior changes such as painting, changing flooring, or cabinetry
  • Re-roofing or re-siding with materials of a similar type and assembly