Close Alert Banner
Close Browser Compatibility Notification
Browser Compatibility Notification
It appears you are trying to access this site using an outdated browser. As a result, parts of the site may not function properly for you. We recommend updating your browser to its most recent version at your earliest convenience.
Skip to Content
Background Living Here
Orillia Home

City of Orillia Logo

City of Orillia print logo
Contact Us Main menu icon
Contact UsA to Z ServicesLibraryTheatre
Search
Take Me To...
  • Living Here
    View our Garbage, Recycling & Green Bin Pickup page

    Garbage, Recycling & Green Bin Pickup

    View our Recreation FUN Guide page

    Recreation FUN Guide

    View our Route Map & Schedules page

    Bus Route Map & Schedules

    • Accessibility
    • Animal Control & Licensing
    • Building Information
    • By-laws/Municipal Code - Regulations & Policies
    • City Services
    • Community Services Information
    • Education
    • Emergency Services
    • Garbage, Recycling & Green Bin Pick-up
    • Have Your Say
    • Health Care
    • Housing
    • Landfill
    • Life Events
    • Living in Orillia as a Student
    • Maps
    • New Resident Information
    • News
    • Orillia's Climate Future
    • Parking & Ticket Payments
    • Pingstreet
    • Property Taxes & Assessments
    • Public Transit
    • Roads & Traffic
    • Seniors Information
    • Sewer & Wastewater
    • Source Water Protection
    • Stormwater
    • Water
    • View More...
  • Doing Business
    View our Maps page

    Maps

    View our Transportation Options page

    Transportation Options

    View our Housing page

    Housing

    • City Profile
    • Why Orillia
    • Business Resources
    • Real Estate
    • Invest Downtown Orillia
    • News
  • Visit Orillia
    View our Discover and Do page

    Discover & Do

    View our Festivals and Events page

    Festivals and Events

    View our Stay and Plan page

    Stay & Plan

    • Leacock Museum
    • Orillia Farmers' Market
    • Orillia Opera House
    • Port of Orillia
    • Parking
    • Municipal Accommodation Tax
  • Inside City Hall
    View our City of Orillia Employment Opportunities page

    City of Orillia Employment Opportunities

    View our Bids and Tenders page

    Bids & Tenders

    View our Current Council Agendas page

    Council Meeting Information

    • A - Z Services
    • About City Hall
    • Accessibility
    • Applications, Licences & Permits
    • Bids & Tenders
    • Bill Payments
    • Boards & Committees
    • By-law Listing
    • City Plans, Studies & Maps
    • Contact Us
    • COVID-19 Information
    • Declaration of Interest Registry
    • Departments
    • Employment & Volunteer Opportunities
    • Fees
    • Governance Review
    • Grants
    • Issues and Complaints
    • Major Projects
    • Mayor & Council
    • Municipal Core Service and Organizational Review and Strategic Plan
    • Municipal Election
    • News
    • Office of the Integrity Commissioner
    • Recreation Facility
    • Winter Control Operations
    • Weekly Bulletin Board
  • Online Services
    • Bids & Tenders
    • City Centre Appointment Booking
    • Have Your Say
    • Find a Facility/Amenity
    • Find a Property
    • Leacock Tour Tickets
    • Opera House Tickets
    • Paytickets.ca
    • Property Tax Calculator
    • Recreation Program Registration
    • Water Usage Customer Portal
    • Waterfront Parking and Boat Launch Program
Follow Us: View our Twitter Page View our Facebook Page View our YouTube Page View the Community Services Instagram Page
  • Building Information
    • Building a Deck, Fence or Shed
    • Building By-Law
    • Building Code Updates
    • Building Compliance
    • Building Permits
    • Development Charges
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Get a Locate Before You Dig
    • Permit Reports
    • Property Standards
    • Sign Permits
    • Swimming Pool Permits
    • Tents & Other Temporary Structures
View Entire Menu
  • Accessibility
  • Animal Control & Licensing
  • By-laws/Municipal Code - Regulations & Policies
    • By-law Enforcement
      • Animal Control & Licensing
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Parking Information
    • By-law Listing
    • Frequently Requested By-laws
    • Recreational Cannabis
    • Smoke/Vape Free Orillia
  • City Services
    • Snow Removal
  • Community Services Information
    • Recreation Services
      • Athlete of the Year
      • Birthday Parties
      • Camps
      • Drop In Activities
        • Fun Orillia
        • Holiday and PA Day Activities
      • Holiday and PA Day Activities
      • Inclusion Special Needs Services
      • Lifeguard Recruitment
      • Orillia Sports Council
      • Recreation Events
        • Halloween Howl
        • June is Recreation and Parks Month
        • Movies in the Park
        • National Drowning Prevention Week
        • New Year's Eve
        • Sunday Evening Band Concerts
        • WinterActive
      • Recreation and Culture Programs
        • Adult Programs
        • Aquatic Programs
        • Camps
        • Children & Youth Programs
        • Older Adult 55Y+ Programs
        • Program Procedures
        • Program Proposals
        • Program Registration
        • Recreation FUN Guide
        • Seniors at Play Program
      • Sports Leagues
        • Dodgeball League
        • Orillia Adult Hockey League
        • Orillia Girls Softball League
    • Facilities & Parks
      • Arenas, Curling and Outdoor Rinks
        • Barnfield Point Recreation Centre
        • Brian Orser Arena
        • Outdoor Ice Rinks
        • Rotary Place
      • Barnfield Point Recreation Centre
      • Beaches
        • Couchiching Beach
        • Moose Beach
      • Booking a Facility or Park
      • Brian Orser Arena
      • Community Gardens
      • Downtown Parkland
      • Emerald Ash Borer
      • Facility Search
      • Geese Management
      • Golf Courses
      • Marinas
      • Multi Purpose Meeting Rooms
      • Leash-Free Dog Zones
      • Orillia Parks
        • Community Parks
        • Neighbourhood Parks
        • Parkettes
        • Scout Valley
      • Orillia Recreation Centre
        • Fitness Centre
      • Pavilions, Band Stand and Aqua Theatre
      • Playgrounds
      • Provincial Parks
      • Recreation Facility Project
      • Rotary Place
      • Skateboard Park
      • Splashpads
      • Sports Fields and Ball Diamonds
      • Trails and Trail Maps
        • Linear Trails
        • Looped Trails
        • Trail Etiquette
      • Waterfront
    • Culture & The Arts
      • 2021 Orillia Regional Arts & Heritage Awards
      • Black History Month
      • Community Organizations
      • Cultural Links
      • Cultural Plan
      • Cultural Roundtable
      • Festivals and Events
        • Event Planning
      • Galleries & Studios
      • Historic Properties of Interest
      • Historic Sites
        • Champlain Monument Working Group
      • Indigenous Initiatives
      • Leacock Museum
      • Museums
      • Music, Theatre and Dance
      • Orillia Opera House
      • Spacefinder
      • Vision of Culture
  • Education
  • Emergency Services
    • 9-1-1 Calls
    • Emergency Management & Preparedness
      • Managing the City's Emergencies
      • Pandemic Plan
    • Extreme Weather Events
    • Fire
      • Activities - What's Hot!
      • Administration
      • Care Facilities
      • Communications
      • Employment & Recruitment
      • Fire Fighters in the Community
      • Fire Prevention
      • Fire Safety in the Home
      • Fire Stations
      • Fire Suppression
      • Inspection Services
      • Multi Residential Properties
      • Smoke Alarms & Carbon Monoxide Alarms
      • Student Housing
    • Police and Paramedic Services
  • Garbage, Recycling & Green Bin Pick-up
    • Community Clean-Ups & Anti-Littering
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Garbage Collection & Tag Program
    • Green Bin / Yard Waste
    • Landfill
    • Recycling Collection
    • Recycling Tips
    • Waste Collection Routes & Schedule
  • Have Your Say
  • Health Care
  • Housing
    • Affordable Housing Action Plan
    • Affordable Housing Incentives Funding
    • Affordable Housing Organizations
    • Affordable Housing Programs and Funding
    • Living in Orillia as a Student
    • Senior Housing
  • Landfill
    • Fees & Items Accepted
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Hours
    • Household Hazardous Waste Depot
    • Reports
    • Reuse Programs
    • Township Information
    • Waste Electronics Recycling
    • Waste Management Advisory Committee
  • Life Events
  • Living in Orillia as a Student
  • Maps
  • New Resident Information
  • News
    • Subscribe
  • Orillia's Climate Future
  • Parking & Ticket Payments
  • Pingstreet
  • Property Taxes & Assessments
    • Paying Your Property Taxes
    • Property Tax Appeals
    • Property Tax Certificates
    • Property Tax Rates
    • Tax Sale Properties
  • Public Transit
    • About Orillia Transit
      • Advertising
      • Holidays
      • Route Map & Schedules
      • Transit Fares
    • Accessible Transit
    • Orillia Wheelchair Limousine Service
    • Pingstreet
  • Roads & Traffic
    • Active Transportation
    • Heavy Truck Restriction Map
    • Snow Removal
    • Traffic Signals
    • Traffic Volume Map
    • Transportation Master Plan
  • Seniors Information
  • Sewer & Wastewater
    • Environmental Spills
    • Phosphorus
    • Pumping Stations
    • Septage Receiving Facility
    • Service Locates
    • Tips & Frequently Asked Questions
    • Wastewater Treatment Facilities & Process
    • Water & Sewer Rates
  • Source Water Protection
    • Source Protection Mapping
    • Vulnerable Areas
  • Stormwater
    • Stormwater Destination
    • Stormwater Management: Quality Control
    • Stormwater Management: Quantity Control
    • Stormwater Master Plan
  • Water
    • Appearance, Taste and Odour
    • Bulk Water Services
    • Cross-Connection and Backflow Prevention Program
    • Drinking Water Quality Management System
    • Service Locates
    • Tips & FAQ
    • Water & Sewer Rates
    • Water Conservation
    • Water Meters
    • Water Quality Reports
    • Water Treatment Facilities and Process
    • Water Usage Customer Portal
  • Youth Information

Building Permits

Show or hide navigation More
  • Open new window to share this page via Facebook Facebook
  • Open new window to share this page via LinkedIn LinkedIn
  • Open new window to share this page via Twitter Twitter
  • Email This page Email
HomeLiving HereBuilding InformationBuilding Permits

More in this Section...

Lights from apartments reflecting in night water

Contact(s)

Receive Email Updates...
City of Orillia Building Permit Application Process

The City of Orillia Building Division is accepting the submission of Building Permit applications by e-mail to building@orillia.ca. This allows homeowners, contractors, renovators and business owners to apply for Building Permits without the need to submit paper drawings or paper application forms. Building Permit applications can also be mailed, sent via courier, or in-person at the 3rd floor Building counter.

If you wish to submit your permit electronically, please follow the guideline below.

Guideline to Electronic Building Permit Submission 

For more information please contact the Building Division.

 

Building permits ensure that zoning requirements, health, fire, structural safety standards and other building standards are met. Under the Ontario Building Code Act, you must have a building permit to construct or alter any structure greater than 10 square metres (108 square feet) in area or to install plumbing.

To obtain a building permit, you are required to submit the building permit application, a site plan, and 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.

Residential Building Permits

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.

All residential permit applications will require two sets of construction drawings. One copy will be kept for office use and the other copy will be returned to the applicant when the permit is issued.

Click here to download the Building Permit Application Form and Checklist.

For detailed information on building decks, click here.

Commercial/Industrial/Institutional Permits

All non-residential permit applications will require three sets of construction drawings.

A pre-application screening form may also be required. Please see 'Source Water Protection' below.

For detailed information on Sign Permits, click here.

Site Plan

A Site Plan is required to be submitted with most Building Permit applications 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.

Guide to Creating a Site Plan.

Zoning By-law

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:

  • Minimum building setbacks (distance from the buildings to the property lines)
  • Building height restrictions
  • Total building area and lot coverage permitted

Click here for more information.

Fees

2022 Building Permit & Application Fees.

Forms & Procedures

Building Permit Application Form and Checklist

Demolition Procedures

Commitment to General Review Form

Energy Efficiency Form

2022 Plumbing Fee Schedule

Guide to Permit Application Process

Guide to Creating a Site Plan

Letter of Authorization

 Other Approvals
 In addition to or instead of a building permit, your project may require the following approvals:
  • If your project might impact provincial roads and highways, you must contact the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.
  • If your project might impact the natural environment (i.e. work in the lake or at the water's edge), you must contact the Ministry of Natural Resources.
  • If your project involves construction on a property fronting on Lake Simcoe or Couchiching, a Shoreline Development Agreement may be required, you must contact our Planning Division. 705-325-7471.
  • If any electrical work (i.e. lighting, wiring, switches and outlets) is proposed, you must contact the Electrical Safety Authority at 1-877-372-7233.
  • If plumbing is part of your project, you will need a permit and to arrange for an inspection. Click here to view our Plumbing Fee Schedule.
  • For other permits and licences that may be required from the City, please see the Applications, Licences & Permits page.
 Process
 You can download and complete the Building Permit Application Form and Checklist. You can also obtain a copy of the application at the front counter of the Development Services and Engineering Department on the third floor of City Hall at 50 Andrew St. S., Orillia.

In addition to the completed application, you will also need:

  • Two sets of building plans for small residential projects and three sets for commercial, industrial and institutional projects
  • Two copies of your survey/site plan
  • A plumbing fee schedule if fixtures are being added or relocated

The completed application and additional materials must be submitted as a permit package to the Building Department. Building Department staff will review your application to ensure it is complete and correct. Once the permit package is reviewed, the Building Department will determine the applicable fee. The building permit will be issued when the fee has been paid.

The video below describes the process of applying for a building permit in the City of Orillia.

 Source Water Protection Pre-Screening Application Form

Effective July 1st, 2015, in accordance with the provincially approved South Georgian Bay Lake Simcoe Protection Plan and Clean Water Act, 2006, all potential applicants who plan to submit a permit(s) or application(s) that are located within the Wellhead Protection Area and/or Intake Protection Zone area are required to complete a Pre-Application Screening Form prior to the City accepting a permit or application.

For more information regarding Source Water Protection, and to see if you are located in a WHPA/IPZ area, click here.
For a list of applications that require a PASF, click here.

Please find the Pre-Application Screening form below:

Pre-Application Screening Form 

 Timeline

Timelines will vary depending on the size of the project, the time of year, and the completeness of the permit package. Small residential projects take about two weeks from start to finish, while larger projects can take four to six weeks. When you submit your building permit application, Building Division staff can give you a better idea of the timeline you can expect.

The City of Orillia Web site includes links to Web pages or sites operated by third parties that will take you away from our site to destinations over which we have no control. Our privacy statement does not apply to the sites of third parties and we do not assume any responsibility for the actions of third parties. We encourage you to review the policies of these sites yourself upon your arrival.

 

We attempt to make our website documents Accessible however, some of these documents may not completely meet the AODA Accessibility requirements. If you require assistance or communication support, please contact 705-329-7258.

Orillia logo

© City of Orillia, 50 Andrew Street South, Suite 300, Orillia, Ontario, L3V 7T5, Tel: (705) 325-1311, Fax: (705) 325-5178, Email: info@orillia.ca

Privacy2big4emailSitemapStaff DirectoryAccessibility & CommunicationsWebsite Feedback
Designed by eSolutionsGroup

Take Me To...

Business Info

  • Building Information

City Info

  • Transit
  • Recreation Facility
  • By-laws, Municipal Code
  • Parking & Ticket Payments
  • Applications, Licences & Permits
  • Mayor & Council
  • Weekly Bulletin Board
  • Major Projects

Recreation Info

  • Rotary Place
  • Community Parks
  • Recreation Programs
  • Beaches
  • Holiday and PA Day Activities
  • Trails
  • Recreation Facilities & Parks
  • Outdoor Ice Rinks
  • Changes and Cancellations
  • Program Registration

Visitor Info

  • Discover & Do
  • Events
  • Getting Around Orillia
  • Orillia Opera House
  • Port of Orillia
  • Shop & Dine
  • Stay & Plan
  • Stephen Leacock Museum

Waste & Landfill Info

  • Garbage/Recycling/Green Bin Pickup
  • Waste Collection Schedule
  • Landfill Site
  • Landfill Hours
  • Garbage Tags
  • Items/Fees
  • Green Bin/Compost
  • Recycling Tips
  • Recycling Collection
x