Finishing a Basement
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A building permit is required for finishing basement areas and for any work involving new plumbing fixtures or the relocation of existing ones. Permit applications can be submitted through the Online Permitting Portal / ePlans Portal.
Thinking about adding a Secondary Suite while finishing a basement? Just a heads-up: you'll need a separate permit for that. Check out How to Get a Secondary Suite page.
Designer requirements
Drawings that are prepared by a qualified designer (as defined in the Ontario Building Code) must include:
- The qualified designer’s name
- The qualified designer’s registration number
- The qualification identification number of the qualified designer (Building Code Identification Number: BCIN)
- The qualified designer's signature
- The stamp or statement that the qualified designer has reviewed and taken responsibility for the design activities
Note:
Property owners may prepare and submit drawings that follow the requirements outlined in the “drawing requirements” section below.
Drawing requirements
A PDF copy of the construction drawing must be provided.
Drawings are to be fully dimensioned, signed and dated, and include information such as:
- Plan view construction drawings indicating:
- Window and door sizes
- Room names (proposed use)
- Bathroom layouts
- Location of new or relocated plumbing fixtures
- Location of stairs, furnace, etc.
- New interior wall construction and exterior wall construction including insulation values
- New beam sizes and supports
- Ceiling heights
Additional requirements
- Commonly Used Applicable Laws & Building Permits (PDF)
- Building Permit Applicant Authorization Form (PDF)
- Schedule 1 Designer Information Form (PDF)
- Residential Plumbing Data Form (PDF)
- Energy Efficiency Design Summary Form (SB-12 Compliance Requirements) (PDF)
- Two copies of the mechanical layout and heat loss or gain calculations
- Air leakage calculation and summary including F-280 forms, mechanical ventilation design summary
- Sewage System Installer Information Form (PDF) (if applicable) and septic tank design (if applicable)
- Any other documents that pertain to the project