Answers to frequently asked questions about use of the City of Edmonton on-line applications and payments for mechanical permits and inspections.

If your questions are not listed below, please email eservices@edmonton.ca

Are there any charges for using the Self Service website?

No. The City of Edmonton does not charge you for creating and/or using an account.

How can I reset the password of my account?

You can use the “Forgot your password?” button and have the password reset link sent to your email. If this does not work, please email the password change request to eservices@edmonton.ca.

Do I need an address to apply for a permit?

Yes. For online applications, an address is required to apply for a permit.

If I am the subcontractor on a house building permit, do I need to apply for a separate subcontractor permit?

No. The house building permit and multi-family rowhousing permit covers the subcontractor's work. You do not have to pay permit fees because the builder has paid for all the subcontractor's permits (plumbing, gas, HVAC, electrical).

Can I use the Self Service website to update the subcontractors on the trades under the building permit?

Contractor changes can be completed by the building permit applicant or assigned general contractor at permits.edmonton.ca.

I’ve submitted a permit application on the Self Service website but then encountered system difficulties. Is there any way to confirm if the application was submitted?

You can check whether the application was submitted by checking your dashboard on the Self Service website. If you need additional assistance, call 311.

Can I do a legal address search?

Yes. Legal address searches are provided by the City's interactive map service. Select Legal Description, then search by Plan No. and Block (specify the legal address of interest).

Can I search for the address of any permit?

Yes. You can search all permits provided by the City's interactive map service. Enter the date range, area (neighbourhood or city wide), and application type.

How do I ensure that our company does not pay for the permit if the builder has already paid the subcontractor’s permit fees?

If you are working on a commercial project and there is a General Contractor, there may already be a permit for the work. Search your Self Service account for the project number or have the General Contractor call 311, so we can add you as the subcontractor on the project.

How can I find out the fees associated with the permit I am applying for?

You can find the fees for all City of Edmonton permits and licences on our fee listing page.

I would like to use the Self Service website, but I do not want to pay online using Visa or MasterCard. Do I have any options?

All online permit applications must be paid for online using either Visa or MasterCard. 

If you do not wish to pay online, you can apply and pay at:

Edmonton Service Centre
2nd Floor, 10111 104 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB
T5J 0J4

When I pay online, do City employees see my credit card number? Is my credit card number stored on the City's files?

No. When you pay online, the City of Edmonton cannot access your credit card number and the number is not stored in the records.

Why must I provide the cardholder name and email address?

The system sends the receipt to the email address that you provide. This is your proof of payment. The City uses the cardholder name when there is a need to trace a credit card transaction because the City does not have access to your credit card number.

My credit card payment was declined. What can I do?

Check that your credit card number and expiry date are correctly keyed. If the problem persists, check with your credit card company. The City is unaware of the reason for the decline. It may help to print the Transaction Declined screen.

If your card was declined, your permit remains in the 'New' status, and inspections can not be scheduled. Until the credit card payment problem is resolved, payments must be made in person at:

Edmonton Service Centre
2nd Floor, 10111 104 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB
T5J 0J4

When a credit card payment is declined, a receipt is not prepared. No message is sent to your email account.

I accidentally created a permit I did not require. How do I get rid of the unwanted permit?

You can cancel the permit by clicking the “Cancel Application” button in the project.

It seems that often the City modifies an address after the permit is issued. So when I request an inspection, I am using obsolete addresses. How do I know if an address change has occurred?

This is particularly a problem when the unit numbering of a multiple family rowhousing complex changes. Sometimes the inspection results are defined against the wrong unit.

If inspections and unit numbers are mixed up, contact 311.

If you hear that address changes have occurred, you can ask the Development Officer for a copy of the official row housing addressing plan. Using the Self Service website, you can search for a permit by specifying the permit number or the address.

If you don't know the correct address, you can find the address of the lot by using the City's interactive map.

If my company is not the only subcontractor on the building permit, will I be able to see the inspection results of the other firms?

You do not have access to see the permits of other subcontractors. You can only see the permits that have you listed as the subcontractor.

Can I book a final building inspection before the final plumbing, gas, heating and ventilation inspections?

Yes, you can request a final building inspection before the final heating, ventilation, plumbing and gas inspections. Each contractor is responsible for requesting their discipline's inspections. For residential housing, the general contractor is responsible for scheduling inspections for all the trades.

I have scheduled a future-dated inspection and now wish to adjust that date. What should I do?

If the inspection scheduled is within one business day, call 311 to reschedule.

If the inspection is scheduled more than one business day away, you can cancel it on your Self Service account in the inspections tab by pressing “Cancel”.

I scheduled an inspection for the following workday, but the inspection did not occur. What went wrong?

Development Services, on a ‘best efforts' basis, attempts to provide the requested inspections on the next business day. Sometimes a given day's workload is too high, and some inspections must be rescheduled.

If I do not want to use the web service, how do I apply and pay for permits?

For support making your application through web services, you can call 311 or book an appointment online to meet with one of our staff who will walk you through the application process. Permit fees can be paid via credit card, EFT, or by cheque.