Building Permit

Our Building Services issues building permits to help create safe, accessible and sustainable buildings in the Town of Saugeen Shores. View when you need to submit an application for a building permit.

How to apply for a building permit

The Town is pleased to offer residents, builders, and the business community an online application system to apply for and track your building permits.

The online building permit system allows you to apply for and to see the status of your application anywhere, at any time. You can start an application and finish it later, and receive email updates on the status of your permit application. You can even request building inspections!

Apply for a building permit

Need help getting started with Cloudpermit? A step-by-step guide to help you from login, to submitting your first application is available.

Guide to Cloudpermit

If you are having difficulty using Cloudpermit, please contact the Building Department for assistance at building@saugeenshores.ca or 519-832-2008 ext. 118. You can also access support through Cloudpermit's online portal.

Cloudpermit Support

Once the application has been reviewed and is ready to be issued, applicants will be notified of application fees owing via Cloudpermit. Cheques can be dropped off at the municipal office (600 Tomlinson Drive, Port Elgin) drop box located to the left of the Plex entrance. Once payment is received, the building permit will be issued on Cloudpermit.

Residential Buildings

New Dwelling

Building permits are required for all new dwelling construction projects. Required documents to be uploaded to Cloudpermit include:

Schedule 1: Designer Information Form
Energy Efficiency Design Summary - Prescription Method
Site Plan including location of proposed building, including setbacks to property lines
Lot Grading and Drainage Plan - Prepared by a Professional Engineer (P. Eng), Certified Engineering Technologist (CET) or Ontario Land Surveyor (OLS) as applicable
Construction plans including structural and architectural details (preferably in pdf format)
Roof truss drawings, stamped by an engineer (preferably in pdf format)
Septic system design and permit (if applicable)
Clearance from the Conservation Authority if you plan to build in a regulated area

Guide to applying for a new house permit

Renovations, additions and repairs

Building permits are required for all additions to residential and commercial buildings and some renovations and repairs. Renovations such as finished basements, installing roof mounted solar panels, altering location of or installing new plumbing appliances, etc. require building permits. Required documents to be uploaded to Cloudpermit include:

Site Plan including location of proposed building, including setbacks to property lines and septic system (if applicable)
Drawings specific to the project (construction/building layout plans)
Evaluation of septic system (if applicable)
Roof mounted solar panels will require engineering for the connection system and an evaluation of the supporting building by a professional engineer
Clearance from the Conservation Authority if you plan to build in a regulated area

Guide to applying for an addition or renovation

Additional Residential Units (ARUs)

A building permit is required in the Town of Saugeen Shores for creating an Additional
Residential Unit (ARU). ARUs are permitted as renovations or additions and as detached structures. Please pre-consult with the Building Department at
building@saugeenshores.ca to ensure your property has the correct zoning to allow for such ARU to be created. Required documents to be uploaded to Cloudpermit include:

Site Plan including location of proposed building, including setbacks to property lines
Drawings specific to the project (construction/building layout plans)
Energy Efficiency Design Summary (applicable to additions and detached structures)

Guide to applying for a detached ARU

- or -

Guide to applying for an ARU as an addition or renovation

Accessory Buildings

Accessory buildings, such as garages and sheds, over 15m² require a building permit. Required documents to be uploaded to Cloudpermit include:

Site plan showing the proposed location of the accessory building
Construction drawings
- Cross section
- Floor plan section

Guide to applying for an accessory building

Decks

A permit is required for a deck if the proposed deck meets the following criteria:

When the deck floor is 2 feet or greater from the finished grade at any point around the deck within 1.2 metres;
It is covered or enclosed; or
It is attached to a structure (i.e. house, garage).

Required documents to be uploaded to Cloudpermit include:

Site Plan including location of proposed building, including setbacks to property lines and septic system (if applicable)
Construction plans including details pertaining to footing, framing, posts, beams, rafters, floor joists and guards (for decks) and building height
Clearance from the Conservation Authority if you plan to build in a regulated area

Guide to applying for a deck permit

Non-Residential

New Buildings & Additions

Building permits are required if you plan to build a new Industrial, Commercial, Institutional building or an addition. Additional information may be required as needed depending on the application type and individual circumstances

All new Industrial, Commercial or Institutional buildings within the Town of Saugeen Shores are subject to site plan controls under the Planning Act. A site plan agreement must be approved and in place prior to submission of a building permit application.

Required documents to be uploaded to Cloudpermit include:

Site Plan
Grading / Site Servicing Plan(s)
Architectural drawings
Structural drawings
Commitment to General Review (if applicable as per OBC)

Interior Alterations

Required documents to be uploaded to Cloudpermit include:

Architectural Drawings shall include:
- All room and space dimensions
- Clearly identify the use of all rooms and spaces. Example: staff washroom, eating area, storage area
- Existing and proposed construction
- Location of all plumbing fixtures
- Details on all existing and proposed fire-rated assemblies and demising walls
- Reflected ceiling plans and associated details
- Wall sections and details.
- Stair sections, plan and details.
- Door, window and room finish schedules
Structural Drawings shall include:
- Design information including design criteria, construction details and specifications for all structural modifications

Agricultural buildings

Livestock and manure storage

Building permits are required for new and expanding livestock buildings and manure storage. Required documents include:

Schedule 1: Designer Information Form
Minimum Distance Separation (MDS) formula
Letter of approval from OMAFRA, which includes a Nutrient Management Strategy
Site Plan including location of proposed building, including setbacks to property lines, wells, septic systems, buildings and natural areas
Construction drawings (designed by professional engineer for buildings greater than 600 square metres and all manure storage require Engineer’s Commitment to Review)
Clearance from the Conservation Authority if you plan to build in a regulated area

Structures not housing livestock (i.e. grain silo, implement shed)

Building permits are required for all farm buildings such as grain bins, silos and drive sheds. Required documents include:

Schedule 1: Designer Information Form
Site Plan including location of proposed building, including setbacks to property lines, wells, septic systems, buildings and natural areas
Construction drawings (designed by professional engineer for buildings greater than 600 square metres require Engineer’s Commitment to Review
Clearance from the Conservation Authority if you plan to build in a regulated area

Other permits

Swimming Pool Enclosure

Building permits are required for all swimming pools which are capable of holding more than 0.76 metres of water in depth at any point.

View more information on how to apply for a pool enclosure permit, fees and enclosure requirements.

Tent

You need to apply for a temporary tent permit when you are setting up tents that are:

More than 60 m² in an area (single tent and group of tents)
Attached to a building
Assembled less than three metres from other buildings or structures

View more information on how to apply for a tent permit, fees and design requirements.

Septic Systems

You need to apply for a septic permit if you want to:

Install a new septic system;
Replace an existing septic system;
Repair a leaching bed; or
Demolish or decommission a septic system

View more information on how to apply for a septic system permit, fees and design requirements.

Demolition

Demolition permits are required for all buildings greater than 10 m², except farm buildings.

View more information on how to apply for a demolition permit, fees and professional engineer requirements.

Signs

Building Services issues sign permits to those looking to install or replace a ground, wall, projecting or mobile sign. View more information on how to apply for a sign permit.

All applications are reviewed for compliance with the Ontario Building Code and Zoning By-law requirements.

Fees

Building Permit Fees
View the following list for fees associated with building permits: Residential Buildings, Additions & Renovations - finished space: $9.35 per m² with a minimum fee of $165.18 Residential Buildings, Additions & Renovations - unfinished spaces: $6.06 per m² with a minimum fee of $165.18 Plumbing fees: $15.28 per fixture Commercial, Group D and Group E: $11.17 per m² with a minimum fee of $165.18 Assembly/Institutional, Group A and B: $12.27 per m² with a minimum fee of $165.18 Industrial, Group F1, F2 and F3: $8.44 per m² with a minimum fee of $165.18 New Accessory Buildings for Small Buildings under Part 9 (non-farm): $6.06 per m² with a minimum fee of $165.18 Demolition: $171.85 Zoning and Building Compliance Letter: $111.45, if required in less than 48 hours - $164.06 View a list of our classes of permits and permit fees.
Additional Fees
In some cases, such as for new home builds, the Building Department is responsible for collecting fees on behalf of other Departments. These fees are as follows: Water meter; and Lot grading and drainage plan review
Fee reductions
You may qualify for a reduction in building permit fees for your renovation if the land is located within downtown Port Elgin or downtown Southampton. Fees in these areas are 50 per cent of the calculated required fee. We use our Building and Sign Permit Fee Reduction Policy to help eligible local business thrive in the downtown cores.
Development Charges
In addition to permit fees, we collect development charges to cover the cost of infrastructure, like roads, sewers, water, fire stations, police stations, recreation centres, libraries and more. We usually collect these charges at the time of your permit issue. How development charges are calculated View our Development Charges page to find out how development charges are calculated. See our Development Charges By-law for more information.

Building Permit Fees

View the following list for fees associated with building permits:

Residential Buildings, Additions & Renovations - finished space: $9.35 per m² with a minimum fee of $165.18
Residential Buildings, Additions & Renovations - unfinished spaces: $6.06 per m² with a minimum fee of $165.18
Plumbing fees: $15.28 per fixture
Commercial, Group D and Group E: $11.17 per m² with a minimum fee of $165.18
Assembly/Institutional, Group A and B: $12.27 per m² with a minimum fee of $165.18
Industrial, Group F1, F2 and F3: $8.44 per m² with a minimum fee of $165.18
New Accessory Buildings for Small Buildings under Part 9 (non-farm): $6.06 per m² with a minimum fee of $165.18
Demolition: $171.85
Zoning and Building Compliance Letter: $111.45, if required in less than 48 hours - $164.06

View a list of our classes of permits and permit fees.

Additional Fees

In some cases, such as for new home builds, the Building Department is responsible for collecting fees on behalf of other Departments. These fees are as follows:

Water meter; and
Lot grading and drainage plan review

Fee reductions

You may qualify for a reduction in building permit fees for your renovation if the land is located within downtown Port Elgin or downtown Southampton. Fees in these areas are 50 per cent of the calculated required fee. We use our Building and Sign Permit Fee Reduction Policy to help eligible local business thrive in the downtown cores.

Development Charges

In addition to permit fees, we collect development charges to cover the cost of infrastructure, like roads, sewers, water, fire stations, police stations, recreation centres, libraries and more. We usually collect these charges at the time of your permit issue.

How development charges are calculated

View our Development Charges page to find out how development charges are calculated.

See our Development Charges By-law for more information.

How to make payment for your permit

You can pay for your building permit directly through Cloudpermit using Visa or Mastercard. Should you wish to use a different form of payment, please attend the Municipal Office (600 Tomlinson Dr, Port Elgin) during business hours with a copy of your invoice. We can accept the following forms of payment at the Municipal Office:

Cash
Debit
Money order
Cheque
Visa
Mastercard

Cheques and money orders are payable to the Town of Saugeen Shores. Please note, Visa and Mastercard are not accepted forms of payment for development charges. Cheques can be left in our drop box located to the left of the Plex entrance (600 Tomlinson Dr, Port Elgin).