The Building Permit

Applying for a building permit requires gathering all the pieces to the puzzle as well as filling out the actual application form. These pieces include but are not limited to construction drawings, truss design, HVAC design, septic design, entrance permit, conservation authority approvals etc.
The construction drawings was a pretty easy one for me, as this is exactly what I do. Next was the truss design & layout, I often work with a truss designer to design engineered roof trusses. Collaborating with the truss designer is critical in getting our designs to coordinate for construction but also needing the layout to apply for building permit.
​Depending on the complexity of your HVAC design, you may want to involve the designer before finalizing your plans. In my case this was critical since we wanted primarily to heat with a radiant in-floor system fueled by an indoor wood boiler. I needed to work with my HVAC designer to determine the size of the system, so I could size my service room accordingly, as well as determining the need for a back-up heat source. So when it came to applying for the building permit, I had an HVAC design already in-hand ready to go.
​The septic system design was something I had in the works, as soon as I was able to give my designer a building size and fixture count (ie. number of sinks, toilets etc.) I worked with a septic designer who was able to obtain my health unit permit on my behalf, checking off an important item on the list.
​An entrance permit is something most people building on vacant pieces of land need, but in our case, there was an existing driveway leading onto the property that we planned to use. Conservation authority approvals was another easy one for us, as no conservation authority has jurisdiction in our area. This is not always the case and can add additional time and fees the projects. Your local municipality can help you to determine if you require these types of additional permits and approvals, as well as any other additional information necessary to obtain a building permit.
​With all the pieces in-hand, I was able to submit my application. The building department then had 10 business days to do a plans review and issue the permit. Once issued, we paid the permit fees as well as the development charges to both the township and county. Be prepared, if you're planning a new construction  project, development charges can take a surprisingly large bite out of your budget.
​We are now very excited to begin construction!