Building Permit Timelines
Permit Review Timelines
The targeted service level for residential building permits is 5 to 7 business days and the targeted service level for industrial, commercial, institutional, and multi-storey construction is 2 to 5 weeks. Building Standards strives to provide consistency for industry by maintaining a maximum +5 business days above target, or less, through the spring, summer, and fall construction season.
What to Expect This Season:
- Review timelines for all permit applications are expected to remain above peak targets (5 business days over the service level or more) for the construction season.
- Preliminary Reviews will be suspended until service levels return to normal.
Current Review Timelines:
- Residential review timelines for single-family dwellings, two-unit dwellings, and related permits, where only a Building Standards review of the permit application is required, have returned closer to seasonal norms. Review timelines for these permits are currently at +5 business days or less.
- Review timelines for select residential types (apartments, group dwellings, garden/garage suites, and infill development) are at 25 business days (5 weeks) over the service level.
- All other review timelines are at 25 business days (5 weeks) over the service level.
After you have submitted your permit application, the Building Standards team will review the application for completeness. The service level for a completeness check is 1 - 2 business days for residential projects and 2 - 5 business days for apartment buildings and all other permit types. Once an application is confirmed to be complete, it is circulated to the appropriate departments for technical review. The established service level targets below are an estimate of the number of business days for all city departments to complete a review of the permit application.
New Construction | Alterations | |
---|---|---|
Single-family dwelling | 5-7 | 5 |
Two-unit dwelling | 5-7 | 5 |
Row Housing | 15-20 | 5-8 |
Apartment Buildings | 17-22 | 10-15 |
Commercial, Assembly, Industrial & Institutional | 17-22 | 10-15 |
Demolitions | 5-8 | N/A |