Contact(s)
- Any deck or shed attached to a house
- Any deck over 10 square metres (108 square feet)
- Any shed, gazebo, or pergola over 15 square meters (161.46 square feet)
- Any fence around a swimming pool
To obtain a building permit, you are required to submit the building permit application, a site plan, and two sets of construction drawings, along with the application fee. You may also be required to submit a pre-application screening form. See the links below for more information.
Click here for a detailed guide outlining the building permit application process, what can be done if your project doesn't comply with the City's by-law, and examples of construction drawings that will be required. It also includes a list of who to contact should you have further questions.
| Site Plans |
| A Site Plan is required to be submitted with most Building Permit applications including a deck, fence or shed, to ensure the Building Permit application will comply with the City of Orillia’s Zoning By-law 2014-44, as amended. Your Site Plan will include providing details about your existing and proposed development including property lines, dimensions and setbacks to property lines of existing and proposed buildings, and parking. The Guide below outlines the information required on a Site Plan and provides examples of different development scenarios.
Click to view the Guide to Creating a Site Plan for Building Permit Submission |
| Construction Guide & Checklist for Exterior Decks |
| The City offers a handy construction guide for building exterior decks.
Click here to view our Construction Guide and Checklist. Click here to view SB-7 Guards for Housing & Small Buildings |
| Zoning By-law |
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During the preliminary planning stage of your project it is imperative that you determine what Zoning By-laws apply to your property. Zoning By-laws regulate the use, size, location and types of buildings permitted on a parcel of land. The information you will require from the Zoning By-law will include:
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Fences |
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A building permit is only required for a fence if it is going around a swimming pool, otherwise a permit is not required. Please refer to the Zoning By-law for height provisions, definitions and performance standards. Please see more information on swimming pool fence permits. Fences that do not require a permit must still be erected in accordance with the City’s Zoning By-law which restricts fence height and location (i.e. not in a sight triangle), as well as prohibits electrified fences and the use of barbed wire or other sharp materials. |
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Line Fences Act (Provincial Legislation) |
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The Line Fences Act (“Act”) sets out an arbitration procedure for resolving line/boundary fence disputes between the owners of adjoining properties. The Act was enacted in 1834, and was intended for rural lands, as opposed to urban municipalities such as the City of Orillia. In 2022, Council for the City of Orillia opted out of the Line Fences Act, with the exception of section 20 of the Act. In general terms, this means that the City no longer has any part in compelling a property owner to pay for part of a boundary fence. The City has no authority to exempt itself from section 20 of the Act. Section 20 sets out the fencing and responsibilities of property owners adjacent to a former rail line (e.g., CN Rail) in locations where farming business is carried out on the adjoining land. |
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