Building

About Us

The Building Division is comprised of a Chief Building Official, a Deputy Building Official, Inspectors, Plans Examiners, a Property Standards Officer, a Sign By-law Officer, an Accessibility Coordinator, a Zoning Clerk and an Administrative Assistant. We are located in the lower level of the Carnegie Wing, City Hall, 500 George Street North, Peterborough.

Functions

WHEN IS A BUILDING PERMIT REQUIRED?

You must obtain a building permit before you do any of the following:

• construct a new building
• installation of a swimming pool
• renovate, repair or add to a building
• demolish or remove all or a portion of a building
• change a building's use
• install, change or remove partitions and load-bearing walls
• make new openings for, or change the size of, doors and windows
• build a garage, balcony or deck or enclose an existing deck
• build a building over 108 sq.ft. (10 sq.m.)
• excavate a basement or construct a foundation
• install or modify any life safety or fire suppression system such as fire alarms, sprinkler or standpipe or fixed extinguishing systems.
• install or modify heating, plumbing, and air conditioning systems, fireplaces, fireplace inserts and woodstoves
• install or renovate plumbing
• construct or reconstruct a chimney
• to finish a basement or convert a room to a bedroom

You do not require a building permit to:

• replace existing, same-size doors and windows, subject to distance from property lines
• install siding on small residential buildings, subject to distance from property lines
• build a building under 108 sq.ft. (10 sq.m.), but must conform to the zoning setbacks
• reshingle a roof, provided there is no structural work
• install eavestroughs, provided that drainage is contained on your property
• damp-proof basements
• paint or decorate, including interior finishes, but excluding insulation
• reinstall/replace kitchen or bathroom cupboards without plumbing
• erect a fence (swimming pools and outside hot tubs do require special permits)

Please Note: Permits are required from the Electrical Safety Authority for any electrical work.

If you are the owner of a property designated under Part IV or V of the Ontario Heritage Act, you will be required to complete the Heritage Applications process prior to obtaining a building permit.

Applying For A Building Permit

Applications must be filed in person at the Building Division. Along with an application, you will be required to submit sketches, building drawings, plans and other documents to the City for processing. You may have to pay an application fee and additional charges for such services as water connection and surveys.

For interior work, a floor plan and a cross-section drawing will usually be required. For work affecting the exterior, you'll be asked to supply a floor plan, a cross-section, a site plan and elevations. These should be made to scale, showing all dimensions. For buildings over three stories, or more than 600 sq.m., an architect or engineer will be required to design your building and prepare drawings and plans.

Submitting Your Application

Building permit applications may be filed in person at the Building Division, City Hall, Lower Level, Carnegie Wing, 500 George Street North, Peterborough. Your completed application form should be brought to the Building Division accompanied by the following:

• Two sets of building plans (floor plans, elevations and/or cross sections). Plans must be prepared by a qualified designer when required by the O.B.C.
• Two copies of your property survey OR site plan
• If drawings are too bulky for folding, rolled drawings are acceptable
• Applicable permit fee

NOTE: Incomplete applications or plans will not be accepted. At the Building Permit Counter, a Plans Examiner will review your application to ensure that everything is in order.

How Are Permit Applications Processed?

Municipal staff review your application in terms of its completeness and compliance with the Ontario Building Code, the local zoning bylaw and all other applicable laws. It may then be sent to other municipal officials for their consideration.

Applications that involve simple alterations or additions can usually be dealt with fairly quickly, while more complex proposals naturally take longer to process. If a zoning change or minor variance is necessary, or if building plans must be altered to comply with the Ontario Building Code, the changes must be approved and in place before a building permit can be issued.

Where there are problems with your proposal, our building officials will usually discuss them with you in detail before considering refusal of a permit.

The Building Permit Process:

1. Before Applying
   Before submitting an application, consult with the Building Division.
2. The Application
   Submit application with supporting documentation to the Building Division, along with the required fee.
3. Consideration
   Application is reviewed for completeness and against local zoning bylaws, Building Code and other legislation.
4. Consultation (Optional)
   Comments on proposals obtained from other municipal officials. Other approvals may be required.
5. Decision
   Application may be approved or refused. Inspections specified.
6. Appeal (Optional)
   • Building Code Commission
   • Judge of Ontario Court (General Division)
7. Inspections During Construction
   Inspections are required during several stages of construction to occupancy and completion. It is the owner(s) responsibility to ensure calls for inspections have been made in order to close out the permit.
8. Construction Completed
   Notice of permit completion will only be issued upon request.

The Approval Process

Your application will be reviewed for compliance with the following:

1. Other authorities having jurisdiction: e.g. Conservation Authority; Municipal Zoning By-law; Ontario Building Code and other applicable law.
2. Zoning
3. Building

When the review of your application is complete, you will be notified by phone if there are any outstanding requirements or problems. If you need to inquire about the status of your application, call permit inquiry at 705-742-7777 Ext. 1892. When all requirements have been met, you will be notified to attend at the office to pick up your permit.

Once you receive your permit, ensure that the permit and approved drawings are available on the construction site.

INSTALLATION OF SWIMMING POOLS

Since January 1, 1988, a permit has been required prior to excavation for, or construction of, a privately owned outdoor swimming pool or swimming pool fence. The application fee for a permit is $50.00.

Submission Requirements for Swimming Pool Permit Applications

When applying for a permit to install a swimming pool, you must have certain basic information about the construction for the application to be complete and accepted by the Building Division.

If you do not have all of this information, your application is incomplete and cannot be processed. Please ensure that you have the following before applying for a pool permit:

• The municipal address of the property.
• The cost of construction for the pool and fence enclosure.
• The application fee of $50.
• Name, address and phone number(s) for the owner(s), the pool contractor and fence installer.

Plans Required

Plans must accompany the application to show clearly what is being built and where it is being built. If possible, obtain a copy of your location survey plan to use as a basis to prepare a site plan. If no survey plan is available, prepare a sketch showing the lot and the existing building footprint(s). The site plan must show all existing buildings; the size and area of the pool; setbacks from all lot lines and the fencing enclosure to the swimming pool; the location of all gates, hydro and gas meters, (fuel oil fill pipe if applicable), any retaining walls, driveways, streets and a north arrow. Grades and drainage arrows should indicate how surface drainage is being directed so grading complies with the subdivision agreement. The plan must also show the type and height of the fence and gates. If there is a deck being built under the same permit, please see the submission requirements for decks. If you are not familiar with the construction details of what is to be built, you may need your contractor to prepare the plan and file the application on your behalf. If you know what you want to build but are not capable of preparing the necessary plan, you may have to hire someone to prepare the required drawing for you. This person must be qualified and/or registered as per the requirements under Bill 124. You must file:

• Two complete site and fence plans along with one copy of your existing location survey.
• If pool is to be constructed on a lot in a Registered Plan of Subdivision, you will be required to submit a pool site/grading and drainage plan, prepared by an engineer.

Note: If you do not have a location survey for your property, you may be asked to provide one to prove where the lot limits of your property are and how far your existing building and proposed swimming pool is from the lot lines. This is to ensure compliance with the Swimming Pool Bylaw. Please ensure that you have all the required information, application fee and plans so there are no delays in accepting or processing your application.

NO POOL IS TO BE INSTALLED UNLESS A PERMIT IS ISSUED AND THE INSTALLATION INSPECTED BY THE CITY. FAILURE TO COMPLY MAY RESULT IN PROSECUTION UNDER PROVISIONS OF THE BYLAW.

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Revised:2010-06-09| Revised by: The City of Peterborough