Building Inspections in Toronto

By requiring building inspections for permits and demolitions, as well as by looking into emergency orders and work done without permission, Toronto Building enforces adherence to the Ontario Building Code.

About Building Inspection

A building inspection is thoughtfully designed to cover very certain elements of the property. It is an in-depth inspection of real estate that is required at different stages of construction and is done by a professional and qualified inspector. Starting from the foundation and plumbing to electrical, heating, roof, and air conditioning, an inspection of the building covers all significant systems after building construction. A building inspector checks for defects in a property as per the house inspection checklist, and if problems are found, you will be able to manage specialist advice before signing on the dotted line. Moreover, building inspections allow you to open negotiations with the seller to cover some of the repair costs in case of defects. Using the services of a quality building inspection company will make sure that all terms in the detailed inspection report are accurate and easily understandable.

Mandatory Inspections by Law

Builders are required by the Ontario Building Code, Subsection 1.3.5.1, to notify the Chief Building Official when your building is prepared for required inspections at each important stage of construction.

• Once your construction project begins, it is your responsibility to get in touch with the Toronto Building Department to arrange for the necessary inspections.
• Failure to conduct these checks could result in expensive delays and lengthy work stoppages.
• With the help of a building inspector, you can confirm which inspections are necessary for your specific project.
• Your building permit price includes the cost of these inspections.
• Your local inspection office can arrange for further inspections (an additional fee may apply).

Your permission forms include information about the inspector and the district inspections office, such as their name and phone number.

Construction Phases That Need Inspection

Inspectors may need to visit your construction site numerous times to do the following inspections, depending on the project's specific requirements. The many kinds of mandated inspections that may be necessary for each project are listed on the pages to which the links below lead.

• When to request small building inspections (Part 9 of the Ontario Building Code, including houses and small commercial structures)
• When to schedule massive building inspections (Part 3 of the Ontario Building Code).

Response Times for Inspections

Booking an inspection for your facility requires a minimum of 48 hours' notice. Monday through Friday, during regular business hours, inspections are conducted. When doing their required inspection

• Building inspectors must be able to observe the portion of the project that is being examined.
• Before your project is finished, any construction components that have been covered up before the necessary inspection has been conducted must be uncovered for inspection and passed.
• Please keep in mind that each inspection requires that your stamped permit plans be present.
• Print copies of any documents provided with the permit, such as records, drawings, or specifications, and keep them on hand for inspections. Drawings and specifications must be printed full size, to scale, and in color. This applies to permits issued by email or on a DVD (all permits after November 2012).

Request a Building Inspection

Building permit holders in Toronto have 24/7 access to the online system to request for inspection, postponing inspections, and cancelling inspections. Monday through Friday, during regular business hours, inspections are conducted. You can do the following steps to request a building inspection via a web application on a PC or smartphone:

• Click on the link below to request a building inspection - https://secure.toronto.ca/InspectionRequest/index.do.
• Check out the inspection details.
• Cancel or reschedule an inspection.
• To see the forthcoming inspections, you will need your permit number and the contact details of the person who will be on site to meet the inspector at the scheduled time in order to submit an online request for an inspection.

Note:

• After making your request, it is advised that you close the browser to preserve your privacy and security.
• You need a permit number to set up or cancel an inspection.

Search Inspection Status Online

Information on permits that are older than five years, closed, or cancelled is not available on the building permit application and permit inspection status website. This website's information is current as of the previous business day. The application for city building permit status now shows the status of applications for preliminary zoning reviews, including those for zoning certificates and preliminary project reviews. Monitor a permit's development as it goes through the review and/or inspection process by clicking on https://secure.toronto.ca/ApplicationStatus/setup.do?action=init.

Request an Inspection Status Report Online

An inspection status report will indicate which inspection stages have passed, failed, or are pending. Details of the inspection are not included. The Permit Inspection Status Report was taken from electronic records kept in the Toronto Building at the time of purchase. You will require the following in order to acquire an inspection status report:

• Permit number
• Email address
• Credit card

Send an online request for a written report outlining the progress of a permit's required inspections.

Building Inspection Status Report for Toronto

An application for an inspection status report will let you do the following by clicking on the https://secure.toronto.ca/InspectionStatusReport/index.do. Follow the below-steps for further proceedings.

• Look up a building permit.
• An inspection status report can be purchased and ordered.
• Receive and download the inspection status report.
• Which Inspection Stages have passed, failed, or are pending will be noted in an Inspection status report. Details of the inspection are not included.

The Inspection Status Report was taken from electronic records kept in the Toronto Building at the time of purchase.

Working Without a Permit

Building permits will only be provided for work that is permitted by these laws and regulations, which include the building by-law, zoning rules, plumbing and electrical system codes, among other laws and regulations that are related to building and renovation work. Inspections and permits operate together to guarantee that the work was done correctly, safely, and in accordance with the plans indicated in the permit.

After the work has begun, if you discover that you need a permit

If it comes out that you require a permit for work that has already begun but you do not have one, there could be serious and potentially expensive repercussions, such as:

• A fine for "working without a permit." This is an additional fee of up to $27,234.64 and is equal to 50% of the permit fees for the project, or $198.59 (2021 rate), whichever is higher.
• A hold-up while we process your permit application. During this period, all work must cease. The application processing fees and deadline are still in effect.
• It might be necessary to undo the completed job.
• You might need to perform additional structural or mechanical work that wasn't originally planned for or budgeted for.

Note: Even if you hired a contractor who promised you that permits weren't required, you as the homeowner are still responsible for covering these costs or fines. Future legal, financial, or other problems that would affect your ability to sell your home or file an insurance claim.

Partial Occupancy of an Unfinished Building

An unfinished building must adhere to the requirements of Division C, Part 1, Subsection 1.3.3 of the Ontario Building Code before any portion of it can be occupied. After confirming with the building inspector that the structure is ready for such a permission, a request for an authority to occupy is made to allow a component of an incomplete building to be occupied. When submitting a request for a partial building occupancy permit:

• Maintain communication with various inspection organisations (such as the Fire Services and the Electrical Safety Authority) to ensure that you can get the necessary permissions before the building is ready for occupancy.
• Any additional costs will be minimised by adhering to Ontario Building Code requirements before inspection.

If you don't have one and continue to occupy an unfinished structure, you risk being asked to leave and facing other legal repercussions. Use the link, https://wx.toronto.ca/intra/it/pubformrep.nsf/57a82d5a76decda785257460004a171a/8df7440de269d0af85257b72006bc779/$FILE/14-0053-Authority-to-Occupy.pdf  to send an email with your application for a permit for occupancy. A minimum of 10 working days must pass before the intended occupancy date in order to submit an application.

General Occupancy Requirement

To schedule an appointment for Toronto occupancy permit inspection in Toronto, get in touch with your building inspector.

• When requesting a permit to occupy an unfinished Part 3 building, you must first confirm with the building inspector that the structure is prepared for the permit.
• Give a detailed description of the space that will be occupied. Please be aware that the suggested occupancy date has a 10-business-day lead time.
• Each stage of occupancy necessitates a different occupancy permit.
• The Ontario Building Code's Division C, Part 1, Article 1.3.3.1 specifies the conditions for occupancy permits.

Documentation Required

Before the occupancy inspection, the architects and engineers on your project are required to submit reports indicating their satisfaction with the work done on the portions of the building that will be occupied.

Fees Required

Occupancy Permit (authorization to move in before construction is finished) - $428.95 minimum per permit The initial five hours of the inspection are covered by the occupancy permit price (building, plumbing, and HVAC inspection). The price for additional time will be $85.79 per hour. (Rates are valid beginning January 1, 2020).

Active Permit Review Program

When Toronto Building's records show that there are ongoing building licences for which no inspection requests have been received, letters with an included Notice of Intention to Repeal will be addressed to permit owners with permits older than 18 months. The Toronto Building has not been informed that the work permitted by the permit(s) has started. According to Section 10.2 of the 1992 Building Code Act, permit holders are required to inform the Chief Building Official that the construction is ready for inspection at each stage of completion indicated in the Ontario Building Code. Without a request for an inspection, Toronto Building is forced to draw the conclusion that no work has started.

Inspecting a Building: Steps to Follow

Calling for building inspections is a vital responsibility once building construction starts. The primary objective of this inspection is to identify whether the property structure complies with building codes. Here’s how you can request an inspection of a building during and outside business hours!

Requesting a Building Inspection During Business Hours

Building inspection requests can be quickly made by phone during normal business hours. For this, you simply need to give a call at 416-338-0700, and

• Press 1 for Toronto and East York
• Press 2 for North York
• Press 3 for Etobicoke
• Press 4 for Scarborough

You can press the desired number to contact an agent at the respective district inspection office. Also, make sure you include the contact name, the contact number where you can be reached, and the permit number when leaving a voicemail message for an inspection request.

Requesting a Building Inspection Outside of Business Hours

The Toronto Building TelePermit service is no longer available. Therefore, you can submit the request using the Online Inspection Request Service. For that, you simply need to go to the Online Inspection Request on Toronto.ca official website and click on ‘Terms of Use’. After going through all the terms of use, hit the ‘Agree’ button and enter the ‘8-digit Permit Number’ to proceed further. You can then follow the on-screen instructions to submit the building inspection request. The Inspection Request application allows you to:

• View Inspection Details
• Schedule a Building Inspection
• Re-schedule an Inspection or Cancel an Already-existing Inspection

NOTE: A permit Number is required to schedule or cancel an inspection.  Getting an inspection done is pretty easy with the steps listed above. Neglecting such inspections might cause expensive delays and time taking work stoppages.

Mandatory Inspections by Law

The Ontario Building Code, Section 1.3.5.1, requires all builders to give prior notice to the Chief Building Official when the building is ready for mandatory inspections at each critical stage of construction. As a builder, you must keep in mind that:

• It’s your responsibility to get in touch with Toronto Building to get the required inspection conducted once your construction project begins.
• Ignoring such inspections might cause costly delays and time-consuming stoppages in work.
• A professional building inspector can help you confirm the necessary inspections for a particular building or project.
• The cost of building inspections is involved in your building permit fee.
• You can get additional inspections arranged through your local inspection office. But remember that an additional fee might apply to the same.

Note that you can find the name and contact number of the inspector and district inspection office in your permit documents.

Inspection Stages in Construction

As already mentioned, inspection is required at different stages of building construction. Depending on the nature of your real estate project, the inspectors might have to visit your building site multiple times to inspect as per the house inspection checklist. Please keep in mind that:

• You must inform your inspector once your real estate project is prepared for each required inspection type.
• You should have a copy of the stamped permit plans available for inspection on the project site
• Building inspection will be conducted within the next two business days of the date you raise an inspection request.
• The inspector should be able to notice all building elements being inspected.
• All the building elements that are covered before being passed an inspection must be uncovered so that the inspector can inspect them.

Also, different types of inspections are required for different categories of projects. Refer to the sections below that list when to call for inspections for small and large buildings.

Inspection of Small Buildings

As per Part 9 of the Ontario Building Code, the inspections that might be required for a project that falls in the category of a small building or a house involve the following:

Necessary Building Inspections

*Construction might be done in different phases. Such real estate projects may require additional inspections.

Necessary HVAC Inspections

**Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning

Necessary Plumbing Inspections

Inspection of Large Buildings

As per Part 3 of the Ontario Building Code, the inspections that might be required for a project that falls in the category of large and complex buildings involve the following:

Necessary Building Inspections

Necessary HVAC Inspections

*Construction may be done in multiple phases. Such projects might need extra inspections. **Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning

Necessary Plumbing Inspections

*Construction may be done in phases. Such projects may require extra inspections.

Timeliness of Inspections

At least 48 hours' notice is required when booking a building inspection for your site. An inspection of a building is conducted between Monday and Friday during normal business hours. At the time of the mandatory inspection:

• Inspectors must be able to see that part of the work under inspection.
• Your stamped permit plans must be available on the inspection site for each inspection.
• Any element covered before the related inspection has been made, must be uncovered at the time of inspection. Also, the same has to be passed before the project's completion.
• You must get the information, drawings, records and a few other things printed and keep them on the project site for each inspection. Ensure that specifications and drawings must be printed full-sized and in colour. This applies to all permits after November 2012.

Electricity Inspections for Residential Buildings

Due to past incidents, several concerns have been raised in relation to fire risks and the reliability of the electrical systems in a building with identical design and equipment. As a result, comprehensive inspections of such buildings have been initiated, which involve inspecting the main electrical distribution system of each building. Residents will be informed at least 24 hours in advance that their building will be inspected. Residential building electrical inspections require that the electrical power to the concerned building be completely disconnected for at least 12 hours. During that duration, the building will have no heat, electricity, water, or elevator service. Both the City of Toronto and ESA are committed to restoring power to the building as soon as possible. And, in case of repairs, the ESA will give directions to the property owner. Also, during the entire inspection process, the safety of workers and residents is the topmost priority.