Home Renovation or Construction

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Building permits can be applied for by emailing your application and documents, including drawings to: buildingpermits@woolwich.ca

Please refer to the Permit Requirements tab below for information on:

• application requirements
• designer requirements
• drawings requirements

Development charges

Fees and by-laws

Inspections 

Inspections are needed during construction and are noted on your building permit. Contact building staff to book an inspection at 519-669-6035 or 519-669-6034. Or you can use our toll free number 1-877-969-0094, extension 6035 or 6034.

Normal inspections include:

• excavation - prior to placement of concrete
• services - installation of sanitary, storm and water services
• septic - after excavation of distribution piping bed and prior to system backfill
• foundation - prior to backfill
• under floor drains - prior to covering
• framing - prior to insulation
• air barrier - prior to starting exterior cladding
• HVAC - rough in
• plumbing - rough in
• insulation/vapour barrier - prior to covering
• occupancy - this must be obtained prior to occupancy
• final plumbing inspection
• final building inspection

Please note the Township does not review or inspect electrical work. Contact the Electrical Safety Authority at 1-877-421-2228 for electrical permits.

Permit Requirements

Application requirements

The following documents are required for the permit submission; all documents and drawing pages must be in PDF format and combined into one or two files. The maximum email file size is 10MB.

• application form

• one set of drawings
• full and complete site plan for the entire lot
• schedule 1- designer information form (one for HVAC calculations and one for house design)
• heat loss/heat gain calculations and mechanical summary form
• energy efficiency design summary (EEDS) form (when drawings do not include this as a matrix)
• sewage system design (if applicable)
• schedule 2- sewage system installer information form (if applicable)
• any other forms that pertain to your project

Forms can be printed from our applications, licences and permits page.

Designer requirements

All submitted drawings must be prepared by either the owner, or prepared and reviewed by a qualified designer, architect, professional engineer or a combination. Some drawings must be designed by a professional engineer when the design falls outside of the prescriptive requirements of the Building Code.

The Building Code requires qualified, registered designers, who review and take responsibility for design activities, to include the following information on documents submitted to a chief building official or registered code agency:

• the name and building code identification number (BCIN) of the registered firm.
• a statement that the qualified person has reviewed and taken responsibility for the design activities.
• the name and BCIN of the qualified person.
• the signature of the qualified person.

Drawing requirements

The following drawings and information may be required to accompany applications for permits:

• lot grading plan
• foundation plan
• floor plans/framing plans
• roof plans
• building elevations
• sections and details
• truss layout drawings (if applicable)
• pre-engineered floor joist layout drawings (if applicable)

All drawings must be fully dimensioned, drawn at minimum 3/16"= 1'-0"; and note all sizes and types of construction materials to be used and their respective locations, finishes to all walls, ceilings and floors and all existing and proposed fire separations.

When is a permit required?

• Adding a bedroom to the basement
• Adding dormer to existing roof
• Additions to a building
• Attached garage, carport, shed or other roof structures
• Backflow prevention device
• Basement or main floor walkouts
• Creating a duplex (a.k.a. in-law suite, accessory apartment, granny flat)
• Decks greater the 24 inches in height
• Demolition of a structure greater than 108 square feet in building area
• Detached garage, shed or accessory structure 108 square feet and greater (measured to the outside face of exterior walls)
• Finishing the basement of a house
• Industrial, commercial, institutional and multi-residential construction or alterations or changes of use
• Installing a new window or door - when increasing the width of the existing opening
• New residential dwellings
• Pending location, a retaining wall that is greater than 1 meter in height
• Plumbing fixtures added or relocated
• Re-insulating walls, ceilings or floors
• Removing a load bearing wall, column, lintel or beam
• Renovation or converting an existing building (change of use)
• Septic system installations and alterations
• Site servicing (water or sewer lines) for all building types
• Solar Panels that are mounted to a building
• Swimming pool or hot tub with a depth of 37" or greater (including temporary or inflatable)
• Tent or group of tents that is, more than 60m2 (646 ft2) in aggregate ground area, attached to a building, or constructed within 3m (9'-10") of any structure
• Woodstove or wood burning fireplace

What does not require a permit?

• Decks less than 24 inches in height
• Door and window replacements (within the existing opening, where no structural members are changed)
• Fence unless installed around swimming pool or hot tub with a depth of 37" or greater (including temporary or inflatable)
• Installing a gas fireplace
• Installing new shingles on existing roof
• Installing a water softener
• Painting, wall papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops, and similar finish work
• Removing a non-load bearing wall in a single, semi-detached or townhouse dwelling
• Replacing a plumbing fixture (i.e. toilet, bathtub or sink) with a new fixture in the same location
• Structure less than 108 square feet measured from the outside face of walls (that does not contain plumbing)