Toronto is the busiest permit market in Ontario, and its rules have changed fast - multiplexes, garden suites, and laneway houses are now permitted across most of the city. This guide covers what you need to know to get a building permit in Toronto in 2026, from basement apartments to additional residential units, plus the process, timelines, and typical costs.
Do You Need a Permit in Toronto?
You need a building permit in Toronto for almost any structural, life-safety, or use change: creating a basement apartment, building an addition, removing a load-bearing wall, adding a second unit or garden suite, or building a deck more than 600 mm above grade. Cosmetic work such as paint, flooring, and cabinets usually does not.
Basement Apartments in Toronto
Legal basement apartments are in high demand across Toronto, especially in Scarborough, Etobicoke, and North York. To pass plan review, your suite needs a minimum 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) ceiling height (underpinning if it is lower), 45-minute fire separation, compliant egress windows, interconnected smoke and CO alarms, and independent ventilation. A separate entrance is a common addition.
Garden Suites & Laneway Houses
Toronto now permits garden suites (detached rear-yard homes) city-wide and laneway suites on lots that back onto a public lane. Both are full detached dwellings with their own kitchen, bathroom, and entrance, and both must meet strict zoning setbacks, angular planes, and fire-access rules. Combined with a basement apartment, many Toronto lots can now hold up to three residential units.
The Toronto Permit Process
Toronto Building reviews permit applications, submitted online with OBC-compliant drawings, Schedule 1, and the required fees. Ontario legislation targets a 10-business-day review for houses once a complete application is filed, but incomplete drawings restart that clock. See our step-by-step permit process.
Toronto Permit Fees
Toronto calculates its permit fee per square metre of project area plus flat administrative fees, typically $500 to $4,000+ for residential work. This is separate from the BCIN designer fee for your drawings. See our 2026 cost guide for a full breakdown.
Common Toronto Pitfalls
- Zoning surprises - many projects need a minor variance, which adds two to four months
- Heritage and ravine or conservation constraints in older neighbourhoods
- Undersized egress windows in basement bedrooms
- Missing structural details for wall removals and additions
Planning a project in Toronto?
Call 416-558-9607 or request a free quote. We prepare BCIN-certified drawings and manage the Toronto submission.