Toronto basement permit: when you need one and what to submit
The short answer
Only if the work changes the structure, plumbing or heating, digs or underpins, adds an entrance or creates a second unit. Finishing without any of those doesn't need a permit. City fee: $6.20 per m², minimum $214.79.
Last verified 2026-10-07 · City of Toronto: When do I need a building permit?, City of Toronto: Building permit fees, City of Toronto: Secondary suites permit guide- City fee
- $6.20 per m², minimum $214.79
- Where to apply
- City of Toronto: Express building permit application
- Review time
- Express service aims to review a complete deck, porch or house alteration application in 3 business days.
A basement apartment always needs a permit.
What an application usually includes
Toronto’s checklist has the exact list; apply through City of Toronto: Express building permit application.
- Existing and proposed floor plans with room names and sizes
- Ceiling heights, beams and ducts
- Window details for bedroom escape
- Insulation and energy information, and heating and ventilation where they change
- The application form and the owner or designer declaration
Local quirks
- Starting work before the permit is issued adds 50% of the permit fee.
- A pool enclosure has to keep every door of the house outside the fenced pool area.
- Any fence within 2.4 m of a driveway must be see-through, so drivers can see the sidewalk.
Design your Toronto basement to the Building Code.
The design, drawings and code checks work in Toronto today. Toronto’s own forms aren’t built in yet, so you’ll fill those in on the City’s portal.