Design and Construction Guidelines
Standards and Specifications Manual
The City of Richmond Hill’s Standards and Specifications provide technical information about the requirements and standards for sewers, watermains, transportation and road works, grading and drainage, utilities, erosion and sediment control, and stormwater management for developments. The document also outlines development submission standards.
Included in our standards are lists of City approved manufacturers and products. To have your product considered by the City, please complete and submit the New Product Application Form. This step is essential for the City to assess and verify that your product aligns with the City's Standards and Specifications.
Please submit completed New Product Application Forms or inquiries regarding our City Standards and Specifications to the Chair of the Products, Standards and Specifications Management Committee by email to PSSMC@richmondhill.ca .
| Division A – Sanitary Sewers |
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This Division includes design, process, and construction requirements, as well as material and equipment standards for all sanitary sewer to be constructed within the City. |
| Division B – Watermains |
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This Division includes design, process, and construction requirements, as well as material and equipment standards for all watermain to be constructed within the City. |
| Division C – Transportation and Roadworks |
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This Division includes design and construction requirements for municipal roads, including but not limited to cross-section elements, pavement design, as well as active transportation. |
| Division D – Grading and Local Drainage |
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This Division includes guidance and requirements for lot level grading and drainage design. This Division should be considered in conjunction with other relevant Divisions. |
| Division E – Utilities |
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This Division includes design guidance as well as construction and material specifications for lighting and utilities within municipal roads, parking lots, as well as parks and sports facilities. |
| Division F – Development Application and Capital Projects Submission Requirements |
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This Division outlines the requirements for preparation and submission of various documents, drawings, and information in support of land development and capital projects within the City. Division F – Development Application and Capital Projects Submission Requirements – November 2022 |
| Division G – Wastewater Pumping Stations |
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This Division provides design details, technical specifications, process requirements as well as material and equipment standards for any wastewater pumping stations to be constructed within the City. |
| Division H – Stormwater Management, Storm Sewers, and Low Impact Development |
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This Division describes the various requirements for all stormwater management (SWM) projects or projects in which stormwater management design is involved within the City. Division H – Stormwater Management, Storm Sewers, and Low Impact Development – November 2022 |
| Division I – Erosion and Sediment Control |
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This Division describes the erosion and sediment control measures that are to be implemented on all City projects using a hierarchical approach of prioritizing Erosion Control (the elimination or reduction in erosion) followed by Sediment Control (the control of the sediment released via erosion). |
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Division J – Waste Management Design and Collection Standards for Development |
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This Division provides direction regarding the responsibilities for the design and operation of waste management systems related to new and redevelopment within the City, including the documentation and submission drawings that must be included as part of development applications. Division J – Waste Management Design and Collection Standards for Development – November 2022 |
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Division K – Planting |
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This Division is supplemental to and should be read in conjunction with the City’s Urban Forest Planting Guidelines (2016) document. It expands upon the design and approval process and also provides standard construction specifications as well as plant species lists. |
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Division L – Urban Boulevards |
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This Division is intended to formalize some of the concepts outline in City’s Public Realm Design Guidelines (2018) document and provide design guidance and standards for the hardscape and furnishing elements that exist and are identified within the City’s urban street typologies. |
| Division N – Parks and Open Spaces |
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This Division provides best practices and technical requirements for the planning, design, and construction of new or redevelopment of existing parks and open spaces that contribute to the City’s overall parks and open space system. |
View the Horizontal and Vertical Control Monuments map.
View the Development Record Drawings Checklist.
Bird-Safe Design Standards
The Bird-Safe Design Standards provide a range of solutions for development to reduce the extent of bird injury and fatal collisions without sacrifice to the design and quality of built-form in the City of Richmond Hill.
View the Bird-safe Design Standards.
Urban Forest Planting Guidelines
Our Urban Forest Planting Guidelines aim to increase the extent of area and proportion of large trees that comprise the urban forest while improving the long term health and survival rate of newly planted trees throughout Richmond Hill.
View the Urban Forest Planting Guidelines.
Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approval
The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) recently introduced a new approach to the Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) application process for municipal wastewater collection and stormwater management systems. The new Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approval (CLI ECA) streamlines the process and delegates approval authority to the City from the Province for all pre-authorized wastewater and stormwater infrastructure alterations. This replaces the previous Transfer of Review program.
Visit the Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approval page for details and application forms.
Engineering Drawings - Submit Requests and Pay Online
Richmond Hill has more than 17,000 engineering drawings available for purchase. If you are interested in obtaining engineering drawings, you can now submit your request and pay for the drawings online through a three-step process:
- Complete and submit the Engineering Drawing Request Form.
- Once your application has been reviewed, you will receive an email with a list of applicable drawings and a link to pay online via credit card.
- Once payment has been received, the drawings will be sent to you via email.
Please note that:
- Most requests can be accommodated within two business days following receipt of payment. Additional time may be required for complex requests.
- Engineering drawings and design sheets are $1.29 each plus HST.
- Payment can only be made online via credit card. All payments are final. No refunds.
- Site plans, building plans or structural plans for individual residential properties are not available through this form, but may be available from the Building Division.
Service Charter
Learn more about our Service Charter.
| Service Commitments |
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