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Building Permit Process

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The City of Markham makes it easy to get a building permit!

Follow the three steps below to get your permit.

Building Code changes in effect January 1, 2020 apply to all new applications accepted after December 31, 2019. Find out more on the Province of Ontario's Building Code Updates page. 

Confirm whether your project needs a permit and which zoning requirements and applicable laws apply to your property.

Before planning your project, find out what Zoning By-laws and other Applicable Laws apply to your project.

 

Know Your Zoning

NOTE: On September 19, 2024, the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) approved the City’s Comprehensive Zoning By-law (CZBL) 2024-19 on a City-wide basis, save and except for lands associated with remaining site-specific appeals. The OLT has ruled that the CZBL shall be deemed to have come into force on January 31, 2024. 

Not all properties within the City are affected by the new Comprehensive Zoning By-law 2024-19. Please click here to check if your property is affected by this new Zoning By-law. Areas that are greyed out on the attached interactive map are not included in the new Comprehensive Zoning By-law 2024-19.

Please be advised that:

Committee of Adjustment applications currently in process for lands not affected by an appeal to By-law 2024-19 will now be governed by this new zoning document. If a variance was solely required under a previous zoning by-law but is no longer necessary under 2024-19, applicants have the option to withdraw their variance application. Please confer with City Staff on potential next steps.

The Comprehensive Zoning By-law (CZBL) includes transitional provisions in Section 1.7 for complete applications received before January 31, 2024. These provisions will be in effect until January 31, 2027. Any applications affect by these transitional clauses must secure building permits before January 31, 2027.

Zoning By-laws

You need to follow Markham’s zoning by-laws when you build. Our by-laws cover:

  • Land use
  • Building use
  • Structure size, height, location, and more

For example, the City's Zoning By-laws tell you how close to the lot line you can build. They also tell you whether you can put locate a certain type of business at a certain address in Markham.

Use the Zoning Search tool to get zoning information for any property in Markham.

Read our city-wide by-laws:

You can view or by Zoning By-laws at the City's Planning Department. You’ll find us at:

Markham Civic Centre
Thornhill Entrance
101 Town Centre Boulevard
Markham, Ontario, L3R 9W3

 

Zoning Preliminary Review

Zoning Preliminary Reviews are offered for low rise residential, multiple residential and non-residential projects. The service includes a review of preliminary plans and documentation to determine a proposed project's compliance with current zoning by-laws prior to the submission of either a building permit or a Planning Act application.

The fee for this service is based on the type of project. Refer to the Service Fee section of our Fee Schedule for current rates. Please be advised, the Service Fees identified include two (2) review cycles (initial submission and one re-submission). Submissions beyond the second review cycle will incur supplementary review fees in accordance with Markham’s Building By-law.

Note: Where land division is proposed, a single application can be made for both the severed and retained parcels. However, fees will be charged on a per lot basis based on the scope of work proposed.

Zoning Preliminary Reviews are applied for online using ePLAN. Please refer to the Zoning Preliminary Review Checklist and the Zoning Preliminary Review Quick Reference Guide for more information on the documents and drawings required to be submitted.

All uploaded files must comply with our ePLAN Submission Standards. For detailed information on using ePLAN, please review our ePLAN Steps to Success online guide. It provides an overview of the system as well as helpful reference sheets for each step in the process.

Our target review timelines for the first review cycle of a Zoning Preliminary Review are below measured in business days.  The timelines begin from the date the Zoning Preliminary Review fees are paid in full.

Complex Building                                                                                                                                                                                           30               
Housing10
Large Building20
Small Building15
Permanent Tent20
Is a Building Permit Necessary?

You need a building permit before starting any construction, demolition, or renovation project. We’ve listed the exceptions below.

Please note that the answers below are for general use and don’t cover every situation. For advice on whether your project requires a permit, please contact an Applications Administrator at 905-475-4858.

You do need a Building Permit for the following projects:

 

New Construction:

  • Any new building greater than 10 m2 (108 ft2) in size (the area of the building's footprint)
  • Any new building that contains plumbing, irrespective of size
  • Any addition to an existing building, irrespective of size
  • Concrete porches
  • Raised decks more than (24") above existing grade at any point
  • Detached or attached garages and carports
  • Solariums
  • Addition of a dormer
  • Sunrooms
  • Installing or changing a swimming pool fence enclosure
  • Tents (645 sq. ft. / 60 m2 more ground area)

 

Demolition and Alterations:

  • Demolishing any building greater than 10m2 (108 ft2) in size
  • Adding, removing or altering a structural wall or column
  • Adding, removing or altering a non-loadbearing partition
  • Changing the use of a building
  • Installing a basement entrance
  • Relocating a Building
  • Changing a fireplace from gas to wood or solid fuel burning
  • Roughing in a bathroom or washroom
  • Installing a fireplace or wood stove
  • Renovating a dwelling to provide a full basement
  • Construction separate rooms in a basement
  • Installing an accessory apartment
  • Installing any new plumbing piping
  • Repairing or installing an on-site sewage system
  • Connecting to municipal sanitary and storm sewers
  • Installing a new furnace utilizing a new fuel source
  • Installing an exterior sign
  • An underground sprinkler system connected to building plumbing
  • Installing a solar hot water system
  • Recycling grey water to reduce water use
  • Commercial roof-mounted solar projects
  • Replacing an exterior wall or cladding

You need a building permit whether the work is on the interior or the exterior of the building or dwelling. You can’t get an exemption if you’re only doing construction inside a dwelling.

You don't need a Building Permit for the following housing projects:

  • Constructing detached single-storey accessory buildings (no plumbing) less than 15 m2 in area
  • Decks less than 600 mm (24 inches) above existing grade at all locations
  • Interior damp-proofing basements
  • Replacing plumbing fixtures or water heaters
  • Replacing a furnace or adding air conditioning units or a heat pump
  • Electrical projects
  • Kitchen or bathroom cupboards
  • Painting and decorating
  • Maintenance and repairs
  • Replacing windows or doors with no changes to the size of the rough opening
  • Replacing roofing or shingles
  • Fences other than a pool enclosure fence
  • Retaining walls less than 1 meter in height
  • Sidewalks, planters and landscaping
  • Ground or roof mounted solar photovoltaic panels
What are Applicable Laws and do they apply?

Building permits cannot be issued if a project doesn’t comply with Applicable Laws (defined by the Building Code). Applicable laws may be based on the location of your property or the proposed use of the building. Review our Applicable Law Guide (coming soon) for a detailed summary of current applicable laws and what approval documents are required to be included with your permit application.

Perform a Property Details Search to confirm if your property lies in an area subject to certain applicable laws.

Find out how to apply for a building permit.

Please see our online Guides to Building Permits. It shows the forms, drawings and documents you need to send us for each type of permit application.

Your building permit application must include:

  1. Completed application forms
  2. Drawings and supporting documentation
  3. The applicable permit fee

 

How do I apply?

All applications for building permits, demolition permits, plumbing permits, certified models, shop drawings, Zoning Preliminary Reviews sign permits and pool enclosure permits must be submitted using ePLAN. Paper applications are no longer accepted.

All ePLAN applications are submitted online using the ePLAN portal.
 

Submit

  • Applicant creates a new account or logs in to an existing account
  • Applicant creates a Customer Account with Markham’s ePLAN system.
  • Once logged into ePLAN, Applicant requests a new application. A non-refundable Pre-Application Fee of $100 must be paid before drawings can be uploaded.
  • Applicant uploads drawings directly to ePLAN.
  • Markham staff conduct a Pre-Screen review to confirm the project complies with our Submission Standards.
  • Once the submission passes the Pre-Screen Review, it becomes a permit application. The date of application is the date that Pre-Screen is approved.

 

Review

  • All plans review and any required resubmissions are conducted electronically.
  • You will receive an email notification when reviews have been completed
  • Log in to review mark-ups and comments
  • Resubmit revised plans and documents for further review (until approval)

 

Approve

  • You will receive an email notification when plans review is completed.
  • When the permit is issued, login to download the approved plans and documents.
  • Applicants are responsible for printing the permit card, permit placard and one (1) set of approved plans for use on site.

All ePLAN applications must comply with our Submission Standards.

For detailed information on using ePLAN for building permit applications, please review our online ePLAN Steps to Success guide. See our ePLAN Guides and Tutorials for additional resources on using ePLAN with building permit applications.

How long does it take to get my permit?

It can take anywhere from 10 to 40 days to get your building permit. They are often delayed because of:

  • Incomplete drawings
  • Zoning compliance mistakes
  • Incomplete applicable law approvals (such as City Planning or Conservation Authority Permits)

When the permit application is received it will be deemed complete or incomplete. A complete application includes all required forms, documents and drawings and applicable law approvals.

Our target review timelines for an application depend on the application’s status as complete or incomplete. Below is a summary of our target review deadlines for the first review cycle, measured in business days. The timelines for complete applications begin from the date that the Pre-Application Review is approved. The timelines for incomplete applications begin from the date the estimated permit fees are paid in full.
 

 Complete Applications          
 		Incomplete Applications       
 
Houses and other small projects
 		10
 		20
 
Accessory Apartment1520
Non-Stacked Townhouse Blocks
 		10
 		25
 
Small buildings other than houses
 		15
 		30
 
Stacked Townhouse Blocks
 		15
 		30
 
Large buildings
 		20
 		40
 
Complex buildings
 		30
 		40
 
Tents
 		10
 		10
 
Interior alterations of non-housing projects                                                                             
 		10
 		10
 
Demolition permits
 		10
 		20
 
Plumbing – Housing
 		10
 		10
 
Plumbing – Other than Housing
 		15
 		15
 
Certified Models
 		10
 		15
 
Sign Permits
 		10
 		20
 
Pool Enclosure Permits
 		10
 		10
 

We can’t process incomplete applications. We may abandon your application if it is inactive for 6 months or more.

When and how to request a building inspection.

All new construction in Markham must have an inspection done by City Building Officials. Buildings must meet the health and safety requirements of the Ontario Building Code, the Building Code Act, the Building By-law and other applicable law and standards. Staff also do special investigations of illegal construction and unsafe buildings.

The following is a list of typical projects that require inspection:

  • All commercial, industrial and institutional projects
  • All commercial and industrial tenant projects
  • All housing projects, including additions and renovations
  • Change of Use projects
  • Life safety systems
  • On-site sewage systems
  • Public swimming pool construction
  • Commercial kitchen exhaust systems and the fire suppression system
  • Spray booth exhaust systems and the fire suppression system
  • Dust collection systems

 

Requesting a Building Inspection

Please be advised that our Permit Inspection Request Line (PIRL) will no longer be available as of January 1, 2021.

Please book inspections through our Inspections Portal here by selecting "Request a Building Inspection".

Upon submission of an inspection request, confirmation of a scheduled inspection will be emailed to the listed owner on the Building Permit.

Our Inspection Services Include

Building Inspections of:

Building Inspection Checklists and Forms

Checklists

During construction and at the time of building occupancy, building officials inspect a building for compliance with the building permit documents and the Ontario Building Code. We receive many requests on what our inspectors check for during these inspections. Use the following checklists to make sure your structure is built to code.(1)

Housing Permit Inspection Checklists

(1) Checklists cannot contain all references in the Building Code. You must build in full compliance with the Ontario Building Code and Act even though you have checked all items on the checklist.

Forms 

Contact

Building Standards Department

101 Town Centre Boulevard

Markham, ON, L3R 9W3

Phone 905.475.4858

Hours

Monday to Friday
8:30 AM to 4:30 PM