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Permits

Building Permit Cost in Ontario: How Fees Are Set

How much a building permit costs in Ontario and why it varies: municipal fee by-laws under the Building Code Act, cost-recovery limits, refunds and other charges.
each municipality sets its own fees
Local
each municipality sets its own fees
fees cannot exceed reasonable costs
Cost recovery
fees cannot exceed reasonable costs
notice before a fee change meeting
21 days
notice before a fee change meeting
public report on fees and costs
Yearly
public report on fees and costs

Last updated

There is no single building permit cost in Ontario. Each municipality sets its own fees by by-law under the Building Code Act (BCA s. 7(1)(c)BCA s. 7 By-laws, resolutions, regulations(1) The council of a municipality or of an upper-tier municipality that has entered into an agreement under subsection 3 (5) or a board of health prescribed for the purposes of section 3.1 may pass by-laws, a planning board prescribed for the purposes of section 3.1 may pass resolutions and a conservation authority…), and the total it collects cannot exceed its anticipated reasonable costs of running the building department (BCA s. 7(2)BCA s. 7 By-laws, resolutions, regulations(1) The council of a municipality or of an upper-tier municipality that has entered into an agreement under subsection 3 (5) or a board of health prescribed for the purposes of section 3.1 may pass by-laws, a planning board prescribed for the purposes of section 3.1 may pass resolutions and a conservation authority…). That is why the same deck or addition can cost a different amount in different towns.

This page explains how permit fees are set, what limits apply, how refunds and fee changes work, and what other charges can come with a project. For whether you need a permit at all, see our building permit guide. Your municipality's fee schedule has the actual numbers.

Permit fees at a glance

Item Rule in short Where to look
Who sets fees the principal authority, usually the municipality, by by-law BCA s. 7(1)(c)
What fees cover permit applications, permit issuance, maintenance inspections BCA s. 7(1)(c)
Cap total fees no more than anticipated reasonable costs BCA s. 7(2)
Registered code agency reduced fees where one is appointed BCA s. 7(3)
Late or unpaid fees interest and penalties allowed BCA s. 7(1)(c.1)
Refunds as the by-law provides BCA s. 7(1)(d)
Annual report fees collected and costs, made public BCA s. 7(4); Div. C 1.9.1.1.
Changing fees notice and a public meeting first BCA s. 7(6); Div. C 1.9.1.2.
Unpaid fees the permit can be refused BCA s. 8(2)(f)

This is our summary of the Act and Division C, not a copy of them.

Who sets the fee

The Building Code Act lets the body that enforces it in an area pass a by-law requiring fees and prescribing their amounts for permit applications, permit issuance and maintenance inspections (BCA s. 7(1)(c)BCA s. 7 By-laws, resolutions, regulations(1) The council of a municipality or of an upper-tier municipality that has entered into an agreement under subsection 3 (5) or a board of health prescribed for the purposes of section 3.1 may pass by-laws, a planning board prescribed for the purposes of section 3.1 may pass resolutions and a conservation authority…). For most people, that body is the municipality. The Building Code itself sets no prices.

Most Ontario fee schedules follow a similar pattern:

  • New buildings and additions: a rate per square metre of floor area, which differs by type of building.
  • Small projects such as decks, sheds over the exemption size, or basement finishing: a flat fee or a smaller area rate.
  • Other items: fees for plumbing, demolition, change of use, revisions to approved drawings, and work started without a permit.

Your municipality's website usually has the current schedule, often with a calculator.

The cost-recovery limit

A municipality cannot use permit fees to make a profit. The total amount of its permit fees must not exceed its anticipated reasonable costs to administer and enforce the Act in its area (BCA s. 7(2)BCA s. 7 By-laws, resolutions, regulations(1) The council of a municipality or of an upper-tier municipality that has entered into an agreement under subsection 3 (5) or a board of health prescribed for the purposes of section 3.1 may pass by-laws, a planning board prescribed for the purposes of section 3.1 may pass resolutions and a conservation authority…). Every 12 months it must prepare a report of the fees it collected and its direct and indirect costs, and make it public (BCA s. 7(4)BCA s. 7 By-laws, resolutions, regulations(1) The council of a municipality or of an upper-tier municipality that has entered into an agreement under subsection 3 (5) or a board of health prescribed for the purposes of section 3.1 may pass by-laws, a planning board prescribed for the purposes of section 3.1 may pass resolutions and a conservation authority…, Div. C 1.9.1.1.OBC Div. C 1.9.1.1. Annual Report(1) The report referred to in subsection 7(4) of the Act shall contain the following information in respect of fees authorized under clause 7(1)(c) of the Act: (a) total fees collected in the 12-month period ending no earlier than three months before the release of the report, (b) the direct and indirect costs of…).

Where the owner appoints a registered code agency to review plans and inspect, the fee by-law must provide reduced fees (BCA s. 7(3)BCA s. 7 By-laws, resolutions, regulations(1) The council of a municipality or of an upper-tier municipality that has entered into an agreement under subsection 3 (5) or a board of health prescribed for the purposes of section 3.1 may pass by-laws, a planning board prescribed for the purposes of section 3.1 may pass resolutions and a conservation authority…).

Fee changes need a public meeting

Before introducing or changing a permit fee, the municipality must hold a public meeting, give at least 21 days' notice of it (including to anyone who asked for notice in the past five years), and make public an estimate of its costs and the proposed fee (BCA s. 7(6)BCA s. 7 By-laws, resolutions, regulations(1) The council of a municipality or of an upper-tier municipality that has entered into an agreement under subsection 3 (5) or a board of health prescribed for the purposes of section 3.1 may pass by-laws, a planning board prescribed for the purposes of section 3.1 may pass resolutions and a conservation authority…, Div. C 1.9.1.2.OBC Div. C 1.9.1.2. Change of Fees(1) Before passing a by-law or resolution or making a regulation under clause 7(1)(c) of the Act to introduce or change a fee imposed for applications for a permit, for the issuance of a permit or for a maintenance inspection, a principal authority shall, (a) hold the public meeting required under subsection 7(6) of…).

Refunds, interest and unpaid fees

  • Refunds are available in the circumstances the by-law sets out (BCA s. 7(1)(d)BCA s. 7 By-laws, resolutions, regulations(1) The council of a municipality or of an upper-tier municipality that has entered into an agreement under subsection 3 (5) or a board of health prescribed for the purposes of section 3.1 may pass by-laws, a planning board prescribed for the purposes of section 3.1 may pass resolutions and a conservation authority…). They usually shrink as the plans review moves along.
  • Interest and penalties can be charged on unpaid or late fees (BCA s. 7(1)(c.1)BCA s. 7 By-laws, resolutions, regulations(1) The council of a municipality or of an upper-tier municipality that has entered into an agreement under subsection 3 (5) or a board of health prescribed for the purposes of section 3.1 may pass by-laws, a planning board prescribed for the purposes of section 3.1 may pass resolutions and a conservation authority…).
  • The chief building official can refuse a permit when any fees due have not been paid (BCA s. 8(2)(f)BCA s. 8 Building permits(1) No person shall construct or demolish a building or cause a building to be constructed or demolished unless a permit has been issued therefor by the chief building official. (1.1) An application for a permit to construct or demolish a building may be made by a person specified by regulation and the prescribed form…).

Other costs that come with a permit

The building permit fee is often only part of the cost of a project. Depending on the work and the municipality, you may also see:

  • Development charges and other charges under planning and municipal laws, mainly for new units.
  • Deposits, such as for damage to municipal property or lot grading.
  • Design costs, for drawings by a qualified designer, such as a BCIN holder, architect or engineer.
  • Fees for other approvals, such as a minor variance, a conservation authority permit or a heritage permit.

Common mistakes

  1. Using another town's fee schedule. Fees are local.
  2. Leaving fees out of the budget for small projects like decks.
  3. Starting work first. Many by-laws charge extra for work begun without a permit.
  4. Forgetting revision fees when drawings change after approval.
  5. Assuming development charges are the permit fee. They are separate.

How to look it up yourself

The fee rules are in the Building Code Act, 1992, section 7, on e-Laws, and in Division C, Subsection 1.9.1. of the 2024 Compendium. Search terms:

  • "requiring the payment of fees" (BCA s. 7(1)(c))
  • "anticipated reasonable costs" (BCA s. 7(2))
  • "Change of Fees" (Div. C 1.9.1.2.)

Read section 7 in the code viewer.

BCIN exam angle

Fee by-laws, the cost-recovery limit and the public meeting before a fee change are General Legal/Process exam topics. Study the General Legal/Process chapter on permits, construction and demolition, then try the free quiz on the General Legal/Process exam page.

Based on the official 2024 Building Code Compendium on ontario.ca.

© King's Printer for Ontario, 2024. Reproduced with permission.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does a building permit cost in Ontario?
There is no provincial price. Each municipality sets its own permit fees by by-law under the Building Code Act, so the same project can cost different amounts in different towns. Most fee schedules charge new buildings and additions by floor area, with flat fees for small projects. Your municipality publishes its current fee schedule.
Who sets building permit fees in Ontario?
The principal authority that enforces the Building Code Act in the area, usually the municipality, sets fees by by-law under clause 7(1)(c) of the Act, for permit applications, permit issuance and maintenance inspections.
Can a municipality charge whatever it wants for a permit?
No. The total of its permit fees must not exceed its anticipated reasonable costs of administering and enforcing the Act in its area (Building Code Act, s. 7(2)). It must also report its fees and costs every year, and hold a public meeting before changing them (s. 7(4) and (6)).
Can I get a building permit fee refunded?
The Act lets the municipality provide for refunds in its by-law (s. 7(1)(d)). Refunds usually depend on how far the review has gone when you withdraw, so check your municipality's fee by-law.
Will a permit be issued if I have not paid the fees?
No. The chief building official can refuse a permit when any fees due have not been paid (Building Code Act, s. 8(2)(f)).