How Long Does it Take to Get a Building Permit in Ontario? A Realistic 2026 Timeline (and how to speed it up)
How long does it take to get a building permit in Ontario? (And how to avoid the “we’re missing one thing” loop)
If you’re asking this, you’re probably trying to plan your build like a responsible adult… and the permit timeline is the one piece that refuses to behave. The short version: Ontario has response timelines for municipalities, but the real calendar depends on how complete your application is, whether zoning is clean, and how many “just one quick revision” requests happen.
Below is a practical 2026-style timeline, the most common reasons permits stall, and a simple way to shave weeks (sometimes months) off the process. No fluff. No “it depends” without explaining what it depends on.
Quick answer: the realistic Ontario permit timeline
For a typical house (Part 9 scope), you’ll often hear “10 business days” tossed around. That number is real-ish… but it’s not a magic approval button. Ontario’s public guidance explains that municipalities have set timeframes to issue the permit or provide a response, depending on complexity and completeness. If the submission is incomplete, the clock doesn’t help you. It just politely watches you suffer. (See Ontario’s overview here: Building permits – Ontario citizen’s guide.)
| Stage | Typical time (Ontario reality) | What usually causes delays |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-check & assembly Plans, forms, designer info, site data |
2–6 weeks | Missing lot info, outdated survey/site plan, unclear septic/well assumptions, or “we’ll figure it out later” notes. |
| Municipal review Zoning + Building Code review |
10 business days to respond on simpler files, longer for complex files | Incomplete application, zoning questions, conservation authority triggers, engineering not matching drawings. |
| Revisions (most common) Respond, update, resubmit |
1–6+ weeks (can repeat) | Slow turnaround by designer/engineer, unclear specs, or the classic “you changed one thing, so three other sheets need updating.” |
| Permit issuance Fees + approvals + stamped set |
1–7 days after final approval | Fees not paid, outstanding applicable-law items, or missing approvals (e.g., septic approvals where required). |
What people really mean by “10 business days”
Here’s the trap: if you’re expecting a full approval in 10 business days no matter what, you’ll end up planning your excavation date based on hope. Hope is not an approved building material.
Most building departments will follow a standard review stream approach: if the application is complete and falls under typical residential scope, you can get a response quickly. If it’s larger, more complex, or missing required items, the review takes longer and may not even start “properly” until the submission is complete. Toronto’s own guidance makes this point clearly: incomplete applications have no guaranteed review timeframe (see: Toronto Building – permit review streams).
Fast files usually have:
- A current survey or solid site plan (setbacks, lot coverage, grades)
- Clear wall/roof assemblies and insulation notes (no guessing)
- Engineering that matches the architecture set
- Septic/well assumptions addressed early (if applicable)
- One “source of truth” set (not five PDFs from five people)
Slow files usually have:
- Sketchy site info (“lot is about…”) or missing elevation data
- Structural changes that weren’t updated on all sheets
- Window sizes/details that create engineering questions
- Unclear HVAC approach (especially on high-performance builds)
- “We’ll decide later” notes that inspectors can’t approve
The biggest permit delay triggers in Ontario (2026 edition)
These are the common pain points that create the dreaded back-and-forth. If you handle these up front, your permit moves like it’s supposed to.
Setbacks, lot coverage, grades, and driveway location must be clear enough to verify zoning compliance.
If you’re on private services, septic design and clear locations matter early. (Related: septic system cost in Ontario.)
Headers/lintels, point loads, beams—especially when you have big glass or open concepts.
High-performance homes often need tighter documentation. If you’re doing ICF, make sure the approach is documented clearly (including assemblies and details).
Move a wall, and suddenly the foundation plan, framing plan, elevations, and schedules all need updates.
Conservation authority areas, driveway/entrance permits, and utility coordination can add time.
How to speed up your building permit (without annoying the building department)
The goal is simple: make your file easy to approve. Not “perfect,” but clear, consistent, and complete. Here are the moves that actually work.
Speed move #1: Do a pre-submission checklist
- Confirm zoning basics: setbacks, height, lot coverage
- Confirm servicing: municipal vs well/septic
- Confirm scope: decks, fireplaces, garages, finished basements
- Confirm assemblies: wall/roof insulation notes are consistent
Speed move #2: Keep one decision-maker
- Pick one person to collect comments and coordinate revisions
- Avoid “committee edits” that create contradictions between sheets
- Respond fast to comments—delays are often on the applicant side
Self-qualify: are you permit-ready yet?
This little checklist saves homeowners a lot of time. If you can’t answer these confidently, your permit timeline will be “unknown,” and that makes scheduling trades and financing harder than it needs to be.
Budget readiness
- Do you have a realistic build range for your target size/finish?
- Do you understand what’s typically excluded in early estimates?
- Have you sanity-checked with a calculator?
Lot readiness
- Survey/site plan available and reasonably current?
- Any conservation or access/entrance requirements?
- Servicing plan known (municipal or well/septic)?
Permits + “non-standard” builds: ICF and high-performance homes
If you’re building something higher-performance—ICF, airtight envelope, HRV/ERV-heavy design—the permit itself isn’t “harder,” but the documentation has to be clearer. Assemblies, structural details, and coordination matter more, because you’re not doing the standard “everybody knows what that means” approach.
If you’re in research mode on ICF and permits, these are good background reads: permits for ICF construction and building with insulated concrete forms. If you want a builder’s-eye view of how ICF affects comfort and performance, see benefits of ICF over traditional homes.
Want a quick way to keep decisions from bouncing your permit back and forth? If you have drawings already, a clean “one set + one coordinator” approach saves serious time.
Send Plans for Review Book a CallWhen to apply so your build doesn’t fight Ontario weather
Ontario scheduling is partly construction… and partly seasonal strategy. If your plan is to excavate and pour late fall without a firm permit, you’re gambling with weather, water, and schedule. (And the guy who supplies your frost blankets will start recognizing your phone number.)
A practical approach: work backward from when you want to be closed-in (windows/doors on, roof on). That’s the point where the job stabilizes: less weather drama, trades flow better, and you stop heating the outdoors.
How permit delays affect financing and total cost
The “hidden cost” of a slow permit is usually time: rate locks, trade availability, seasonal premiums, and carrying costs. If you’re using construction financing, timeline matters. If you’re planning that route, here’s a helpful overview: home construction loans in Ontario.
And if you’re trying to align budget expectations with current Ontario reality, keep this bookmarked: how much does it cost to build in Ontario. It’s a lot easier to pick finishes and scope when the budget range isn’t a mystery.
Next step: a simple “permit-ready” action plan
If you want to move quickly, do these in order:
Step 1: Lock the basics
- Confirm setbacks/coverage/height early
- Confirm servicing approach
- Confirm scope (garage, basement finish, decks, etc.)
Step 2: Submit a clean, consistent package
- One coordinated drawing set
- Engineering aligned with architecture
- Fast turnaround on municipal comments