Building Permits

COVID-19 Update: Building permit applications can be made online for selected types of permits. Alternatively, building permit submissions can be made by mail, courier or drop-off. Due to increased COVID-19 safety protocols, there may be delays in processing any mail, courier or drop-off.

Online option is available for both residential and limited non-residential applications. Online applications are processed and issued electronically following online payment by credit card. To avoid processing delays due to COVID-19 safety protocols, online permit submission is highly recommended.

A building permit is a formal permission from Richmond Hill to start a building project. Richmond Hill staff must review your permit plans to make sure that they follow the Building Code Act (BCA), Ontario Building Code (OBC) standards, local zoning by-laws and other regulations that apply to your project.

Building permit fees

Building permit fees are calculated according to By-law 71-10. Building permit fees are calculated according to By-law 71-10.

Building permit fees are calculated according to By-law 55-19.

Fees for all classes of permits that fall under By-law 55-19 (Building By-law) can be found in Schedule "A", Section (3), By-law 55-19.

All permit fees are due at the time of permit application. When application fees are in excess of $20,000, applicants may elect to pay 50% of the fee at the application stage and the balance at the time of permit issuance.

Apply for a building permit - in person or NEW online option!

Richmond Hill now accepts various building permit applications online.

Building permit applications - apply and pay online

Richmond Hill accepts online applications for all types of building permits, including:

Alterations and additions to existing homes
Miscellaneous residential permits such as decks, porches, finished basements, basement walkout, garages and accessory buildings
Demolition permits
Custom Home (single family dwelling) Note: Each online submission is for one single family dwelling only
Production Home Builder permits (singles, semis, townhouses)
Temporary Tent
Tenant Unit Finish/Alteration
Miscellaneous Alteration (solar panel, rooftop unit, designated structure, facade/balcony repair, plumbing and others)

Eligible applications are reviewed and processed electronically. Online applications must be paid by credit card (Visa or Mastercard) and a convenience fee of 2.78% will be added to the total fee at checkout. When the building permit is issued, it is the responsibility of the permit holder to print the permit card and relevant drawings/documents (in colour) and keep them on the construction site.

Building Permit - Apply and Pay Online

Online submission process

There are two steps to the online submission process: Pre-screening and Formal application.

Pre-screening

When a pre-screening submission is made, a reference number will be assigned and the Building Division will pre-screen your submission to determine if all of the submission requirements are included.
Where it is determined that the acceptance criteria has been satisfied through the pre-screening stage, you will be advised by email from Building Division staff the requirements to move to the formal application stage, including the applicable fee based on the fee schedule.
Where the submission is deemed to be insufficient, you will continue to coordinate with Building Division staff until such time the submission is determined to be acceptable.

Formal application

Once a confirmation email is received with a list of outstanding items (including the applicable fee), you are ready to complete your application.
Following the instructions provided, you will reply to the email with a reference to the assigned reference number and attach any outstanding PDFs as requested (if any). If no further attachment is necessary, simply advise the Building Division staff member before you make the required payment.
A building permit fee is required to complete the application. Online applications must be paid online by credit card (Visa or Mastercard). A 2.78% convenience fee will be added to the total fee at checkout.
Please note that the formal submission must be made and the applicable fee must be received in full within two weeks from the date in which the confirmation email is sent by the Building Division. Otherwise, the reference number will no longer be valid and you will need to resubmit all relevant files and documents.
Payment by Visa or MasterCard is limited to a maximum of $100,000.00. Any balance of payment may be paid by cash or cheque.

Submission requirements

All attachments must be submitted as unprotected PDFs. Plans and supporting documents containing multiple layers must be flattened to a single layer prior to submission.
Forms must be completed and signed electronically. All City of Richmond Hill Building forms are available online in fillable format.
Plans and supporting documents must be in black and white only. Full colour renderings and photos may be attached, but only as supplements to plans.
Printing to paper and scanning to create a PDF will not be accepted.
Drawings must be to scale with applicable scale identified on each drawing.
Drawings must be to a scale no smaller than 3/16”=1'-0"
Plans within a discipline containing multiple pages must be combined into a single PDF format in proper order.
Upload your required attachments with the following naming convention:

### Street Name Building Permit

Forms and Pre-approvals
- Bld Permit App Form.pdf
- Demolition Sign Off.pdf (for demolition permit)
- CTGR.pdf (Commitment to General Reviews by Architect & Engineer)
- EEDS.pdf (Energy Efficiency Design Summary Sheet for residential housing)
- Applicable Law Declaration.pdf
- Mechanical Unit Data.pdf (where rooftop unit is proposed)
- Plumbing Worksheet.pdf (where plumbing and drain work is proposed)
- Agreement.pdf (where applicable; Executed Site Plan Agreement or amendment)
- CofA.pdf (where applicable, Committee of Adjustment decision)
- Heritage RH.pdf (where applicable, regulated under the Ontario Heritage Act)
- TRCA.pdf (where applicable, for properties within regulated area)
- CNR.pdf (where applicable, for work near rail corridors & tracks)
- York Region.pdf (if property has entrances from Regional roads)
- Site Alteration.pdf (for infill housing & additions >400sq.ft)
- Letter of Use.pdf (for tenant permits describing the nature of the operation or business)
- Other submission1.pdf (registered deed, etc.)
Drawings
- Site Plan.pdf (survey, site plan)
- Architectural.pdf (architectural drawings)
- Structural.pdf (structural drawings)
- Mechanical.pdf (mechanical/plumbing drawings)
- Sprinkler.pdf (sprinkler drawings)
- Site Services.pdf (site servicing drawings)
- Roof Truss.pdf (engineered roof trusses)
- Floor Joists.pdf (engineered floors)
- Other submission2.pdf (photos for demolition permit, soils report, etc.)

Building permit applications - apply in person

Building permits are issued by the Building Division of Richmond Hill's Planning and Infrastructure Department. The Building Division is located in the main Municipal Offices at:

225 East Beaver Creek Road, 3rd Floor
Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3P4

The person applying must be the owner of the building or property, or have written permission to apply for a permit on the owner's behalf.

Make sure you have everything you need when you apply, including:

A completed application
All required permit plans
All required specifications
All required permit fees

Designers (other than the homeowner), who prepare any permit plans and specifications for the application must be registered with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing or have a valid, qualified and registered architect's or engineer's licence.

View the Common Building Permit Application Form from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Learn about:

Development charges that may apply to your project
Non-residential permits
Residential permits
Frequently asked questions about building permits

Call our Building Division at 905-771-8810 for more information, or email building@richmondhill.ca.

Additional information

When do I need a permit?

Examples of projects that require building permits include:

A new building, including temporary and farm buildings
Renovating a building, or a material alteration of a building
An addition to a building, including sunrooms
Building a deck
Altering the interior of a building, including finishing a basement
Moving a building
Demolishing a building
Changing the use or occupancy of a building
Building a fireplace and chimney
Installing a woodstove or chimney
Altering or remodelling a plumbing and/or HVAC system
Installing or modifying a sprinkler system
Installing or modifying a fire alarm system
Constructing a retaining wall and any other designated structures
Installation or alteration to an on-site sewage system

When is a permit not required?

You don't need a building permit for the following projects:

Constructing a detached accessory building that has an area of 10 m² or less and contains no plumbing
Painting or decorating
Installing kitchen or bathroom cupboards
Landscaping
Roof shingling, unless it is a clay tile roof
Eavestroughing
Damp-proofing a basement
Making minor repairs to bricks or blocks

Projects that do not require a building permit still need to follow Richmond Hill's zoning by-laws.

Why do I need a building permit?

The BCA requires that a building permit be issued before you start any work on a new house, an addition or any material alterations to an existing building. Permits and other requirements of the OBC are in place to for the health and safety of homeowners, building occupants, future owners, businesses, tenants and the community.

How do I attain zoning information?

During the planning phase of your project, you must determine what zoning requirements apply to your property. For all zoning and compliance-related information, visit Zoning and Compliance Letter Requests. Please note that we do not provide zoning information over the phone or in person at this time.

Building Permit Volumes

Historical building permit volumes are contained in the below accordions.

List of Residential, Commercial, Industrial and Institutional Permit Values

List of Permit Values 2001 - 2020
Year	Residential		Commercial		Industrial		Institutional
	Const. Value	# of Permits	Const. Value	# of Permits	Const. Value	# of Permits	Const. Value	# of Permits
2001	369,751,929	2,323	41,948,605	418	27,271,875	48	71,487,694	62
2002	407,256,788	2,574	35,416,986	476	5,280,648	41	58,691,460	58
2003	348,343,416	2,148	26,142,854	429	16,012,873	47	34,242,466	38
2004	439,325,783	2,383	25,919,771	455	38,825,363	58	29,848,456	38
2005	535,445,508	3,267	45,565,722	486	14,385,321	38	56,619,328	38
2006	245,138,926	1,560	45,682,971	495	13,271,602	38	25,267,752	33
2007	201,382,877	1,352	96,282,991	596	22,929,000	40	12,683,086	39
2008	158,155,858	747	35,321,957	685	20,301,078	39	45,520,600	40
2009	190,101,486	1,369	31,577,735	670	25,238,955	36	24,356,600	44
2010	283,690,742	1,655	29,129,411	989	24,725,450	52	56,205,969	62
2011	240,562,862	1,296	18,371,503	954	11,850,912	34	34,433,100	55
2012	236,695,898	1,088	25,462,881	962	11,191,388	28	93,638,000	45
2013	194,087,404	1,239	24,834,118	911	15,417,749	34	15,962,500	50
2014	198,285,364	1,302	49,811,452	911	1,790,790	16	8,466,500	36
2015	247,861,064	1,108	16,435,687	890	10,931,740	33	8,868,260	45
2016	512,870,417	1,223	59,999,121	950	22,881,446	38	17,449,300	34
2017	296,069,569	987	40,208,664	937	8,630,425	32	18,416,140	31
2018	398,076,057	1,148	49,232,912	931	23,149,654	36	15,774,500	27
2019	330,146,146	1,069	40,736,654	818	51,370,577	38	28,459,100	47
2020	359,448,597	1,064	34,972,349	443	8,629,512	31	16,852,200	19

Total Permit Values

Total Permit Values 2001 - 2020
Year	Total # of Permits	Total Const. Value	# of Dwelling Units
2001	2,851	510,460,103	2,157
2002	3,149	506,645,882	2,311
2003	2,662	424,741,609	1,810
2004	2,934	533,919,373	2,269
2005	3,829	652,015,879	2,946
2006	2,126	329,361,251	1,250
2007	2,027	333,277,954	1,054
2008	1,511	259,299,493	981
2009	2,119	271,274,776	989
2010	2,758	393,751,572	1,500
2011	2,339	305,218,377	1,206
2012	2,123	366,988,167	1,711
2013	2,234	250,301,771	812
2014	2,265	258,354,106	1,249
2015	2,076	284,096,751	1,459
2016	2,245	613,200,284	2,086
2017	1,987	363,324,798	874
2018	2,142	486,233,123	1,056
2019	1,972	450,712,477	894
2020	1,557	419,907,658	941

Annual Building Permit Fee Reports

Annual Building Permit Fee Reports required by Ontario’s Building Code Act, 1992, Section 7(4).

2014

Income and Expenses

January 1, 2014 - December 31, 2014

Total fees collected		$4,534,944
Cost to deliver services related to the administration and enforcement of the Building Code Act:
	Direct cost to administer and enforce the Building Code Act, including the review of permit applications and inspection of construction	$3,231,722
	Indirect cost to administer and enforce the Building Code Act, including support and overhead costs	1,063,737
	Capital costs	20,020
	Total	(4,315,479)
Amount transferred to (from) the Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund		$219,464

Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund Balance Sheet

Period ending on December 31, 2014

Opening balance: January 1, 2014	$3,028,569
2014 Interest Revenue (Actual)	121,681
Amount transferred from operations	219,464
Balance: December 31, 2014	$3,369,714

2015

Income and Expenses

January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015

Total fees collected		$3,503,551
Cost to deliver services related to the administration and enforcement of the Building Code Act
	Direct cost to administer and enforce the Building Code Act, including the review of permit applications and inspection of construction	$3,344,906
	Indirect cost to administer and enforce the Building Code Act, including support and overhead costs	1,091,181
	Capital costs	20,018
	Total	4,456,105
Amount transferred to (from) the Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund		$952,554

Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund Balance Sheet

Period ending on December 31, 2015

Opening balance: January 1, 2015	$3,369,714
2015 Interest Revenue (Estimated)	40,337
Amount transferred to operations	952,554
Balance: December 31, 2015 (Estimated)	$2,457,497

2016

Income and Expenses

January 1, 2016 – December 31, 2016

Total fees collected		$5,031,477
Cost to deliver services related to the administration and enforcement of the Building Code Act
	Direct cost to administer and enforce the Building Code Act, including the review of permit applications and inspection of construction	$3,512,101
	Indirect cost to administer and enforce the Building Code Act, including support and overhead costs (Estimated)	975,046
	Capital costs (Estimated)	20,403
	Total	4,507,550
Amount transferred to the Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund		$523,927

Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund Balance Sheet

Period ending on December 31, 2016

Opening balance: January 1, 2016	$2,457,497
2016 Interest Revenue (Estimated)	30,629
Amount transferred to operations	523,927
Balance: December 31, 2016 (Estimated)	$3,012,054

2017

Income and Expenses

January 1, 2017 – December 31, 2017

Total fees collected		$4,730,835
Cost to deliver services related to the administration and enforcement of the Building Code Act
	Direct cost to administer and enforce the Building Code Act, including the review of permit applications and inspection of construction	$3,295,666
	Indirect cost to administer and enforce the Building Code Act, including support and overhead costs (Estimated)	1,116,608
	Capital costs (Estimated)	18,519
	Total	4,430,793
Amount transferred to the Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund		$300,449

Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund Balance Sheet

Period ending on December 31, 2017

Opening balance: January 1, 2017	$3,012,053
2016 Interest Revenue (Estimated)	46,165
Amount transferred from operations	300,449
Balance: December 31, 2017 (Estimated)	$3,358,667

2018

Income and Expenses

January 1, 2018 – December 31, 2018

Total fees collected		$5,325,035
Funding from Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve		88,200
Cost to deliver services related to the administration and enforcement of the Building Code Act
	Direct cost to administer and enforce the Building Code Act, including the review of permit applications and inspection of construction	$3,607,438
	Indirect cost to administer and enforce the Building Code Act, including support and overhead costs (Estimated)	1,138,550
	Capital costs (Estimated)	20,316
	Total	4,766,304
Amount transferred to the Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund		$646,931

Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund Balance Sheet

Period ending on December 31, 2018

Opening balance: January 1, 2018	$3,358,667
2018 Interest Revenue (Estimated)	80,022
Amount transferred from operations	646,931
Balance: December 31, 2018 (Estimated)	$4,085,620

2019

Income and Expenses

January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019

Total fees collected		$5,507,648
Funding from Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve		$43,500
	Cost to deliver services related to the administration and enforcement of the Building Code Act
	Direct cost to administer and enforce the Building Code Act, including the review of permit applications and inspection of construction	$3,620,670
	Indirect cost to administer and enforce the Building Code Act, including support and overhead costs (Estimated)	$1,198,358
	Capital costs (Estimated)	$20,430
	Total	$4,839,458
Amount transferred to the Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund		$711,690

Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund Balance Sheet

Period ending on December 31, 2019

Opening balance: January 1, 2019	$4,085,620
2019 Interest Revenue (Estimated)	$110,148
Amount transferred from operations	$711,690
Balance: December 31, 2018 (Estimated)	$4,907,458

2020

Income and Expenses

January 1, 2020 - December 31, 2020

Total Fees Collected		$4,240,276
	Cost to deliver services related to the administration and enforcement of the Building Code Act
	Direct cost to administer and enforce the Building Code Act, including the review of permit applications and inspection of construction	$3,835,742
	Indirect cost to administer and enforce the Building Code Act, including support and overhead costs (Estimated)	$1,270,189
	Capital costs (Estimated)	$15,054
	Total	-$5,120,984
Amount transferred from the Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund		$(880,709)

Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund Balance Sheet

Period ending on December 31, 2020

Opening balance: January 1, 2020	$4,907,458
2020 Interest Revenue	$52,290
Amount transferred to Operations	$(880,709)
Amount transferred to Capital Project (PRM)	$(763,878)
Balance as of December 31, 2020	$3,315,162

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Building Permits

Building permit fees

Apply for a building permit - in person or NEW online option!

Pre-screening

Formal application

Additional information

Building Permit Volumes

Annual Building Permit Fee Reports

Income and Expenses

Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund Balance Sheet

Income and Expenses

Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund Balance Sheet

Income and Expenses

Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund Balance Sheet

Income and Expenses

Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund Balance Sheet

Income and Expenses

Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund Balance Sheet

Income and Expenses

Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund Balance Sheet

Income and Expenses

Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund Balance Sheet

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