Building and Renovating

​​A building permit must be obtained from the Township of Oro-Medonte before you begin most construction projects within the municipality. By obtaining a permit, not only will you comply with the requirements of the Building Code Act, you will also benefit by having your plans and construction of the project reviewed and approved as it progresses. These reviews and approvals are legislated to ensure that the minimum construction standards established by the Ontario Building Code have been met to protect the health, safety and welfare of both inhabitants and occupants of buildings.​​

In general, a building permit is required to erect, install, extend, alter, repair or demolish a building. The following are examples of projects that require building permits:

• Construction of a new home
• Addition of a carport, garage, porch or room(s) to an existing home
• Construction or finishing of rooms in the basement or attic
• Any structural work, including alterations to interior partitions or the installation of new skylights, windows or doors
• Enclosing a porch or deck including an unheated sun room
• Constructing or installing detached accessory buildings such as a garage, shed, or playhouse larger than 10 m2 (107 ft2)
• Installation of wood burning or solid fuel burning appliances (i.e. fireplaces)
• Replacing or installing new plumbing, including repair or installation of an on-site sewage system

A shed is exempt from the requirement to obtain a permit under section 8 of the Act and is exempt from compliance with this Code, provided that the shed, is not more than 15 m² in gross area, is not more than one storey in building height, is not attached to a building or any other structure, is used only for storage purposes ancillary to a principal building on the lot, and does not have plumbing.

NOTE even though a shed may not require a building permit, they are required to be in compliance with the Zoning By-Law for setbacks and location. If you have questions on setbacks and locations you can contact planning staff at planning@oro-medonte.ca

​Zoning Certificates / Building Permit

To ensure the Development Services Department is providing the most efficient customer service to the public, the following process has been implemented to ensure the required planning approvals are in place before submitting an Application for a Building Permit. Planning staff are the first contact for counter or phone inquiries, which ensures that projects can be reviewed for compliance with various planning documents prior to the submission of a “complete" building permit application. The purpose is to ensure that customer service is improved for contractors and residents in the Township, by providing them with guidance regarding the items they need to provide and meet with respect of the Township's Zoning By-law, and any other planning related regulations and policies before commencing the building permit process.

The preliminary Zoning Certificate review will confirm that the proposed construction meets the regulations of the Township's Zoning By-law or identify concerns with the proposed work. Planning staff will review the application to determine if the construction is exempt from the requirement of a Zoning Certificate or whether additional approvals are required from other department or agencies.

The following is the submission sequence:

Planning First/Zoning Certificate

1. Submit your application through the Cloudpermit environment. Planning staff will review your submission for completion and compliance with the Zoning By-law. The Planning Division will also inform you of the requirements for approvals from applicable law authorities such as the Ministry of Transportation, County of Simcoe, or Conservation Authorities.

Complete Building Permit Submission

2. Once your zoning certificate review is completed and all applicable law approvals have been obtained, a permit application can be submitted within the same Cloudpermit workspace. 

Note: Only building permit applications with all required drawings, engineering and related approvals will be deemed complete. If there is missing information, the application will be refused. By submitting a complete application, it will allow for processing within Ministry timeframes.

For additional questions, contact Planning or Building Division staff.​

Examples​​​​

Siteplan Example

Site Plan must display:

• ​All existing and proposed structure(s)
• Setbacks from ​property boundaries to current and/or proposed structure(s); shown in metres (shown in red)
• Dimensions of structures (shown in green)
• Septic system and well (specify if dug or drilled)
• ​​Setbacks from: septic to well, and; septic to structures
• ​Direction of surface drainage (shown in blue)
• Driveway
• North Arrow
• Road

A Deck does not require a permit when; (all of below)

• Decks/platforms less than 23 5/8" (600mm) in height from walking surface to grade when measured in accordance with the Ontario Building Code requirements,
• Decks not providing access to the principal entrance of the building, AND
• Decks not structurally connected to a building.

NOTE: Although a building permit may not be required, you MUST still comply with the requirements of the Township of Oro-Medonte Zoning By-Law.​​

Situations that may be exempt from Zoning Certificate review requirement (A Building Permit may still be required)

• Foundation repairs
• Solid Fuel Burning Woodstoves and Fireplaces including chimney repairs
• Septic System Tank Replacement
• Repair to Retaining Wall
• Plumbing
• Electrical
• Back Flow Prevention Devices
• Roof Top Solar Panels
• Interior renovation unless related to Change of Use or Accessory Apartment
• Fire/Smoke Alarms
• Roof Repairs unless change in height
• Window Replacement
• Water Meter Installation
• Pergola​