Building and Septic Permits

The Building Department of the Township of Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards is responsible for overseeing and regulating construction and renovation activities within the municipality. It ensures that all building projects comply with the Ontario Building Code, municipal bylaws, and other applicable legislation. The department handles the issuance of building permits, conducts inspections, and provides guidance to homeowners, contractors, and developers on the requirements for construction projects. Additionally, the department promotes safe, sustainable, and efficient building practices while helping maintain the community’s infrastructure and development. Residents can access permit applications, guidelines, and other resources through the Building Department’s webpage.

All building and development proposals must also comply with the Town's zoning regulations. Some of the regulations that require consideration for your proposed project may include overall lot coverage, setbacks, building height and type of zoning. Please be aware, even if your project does not require a building permit, the Township's Zoning By-law still applies. See Zoning By-Law here.

Building Permits are required for the construction of a building. Building is defined in the Ontario Building Code Act as (BCA, Section (1)):

(a) a structure occupying an area greater than ten square metres consisting of a wall, roof and floor or any of them or a structural system serving the function thereof including all plumbing, works, fixtures and service systems appurtenant thereto,

(b) a structure occupying an area of ten square metres or less that contains plumbing, including the plumbing appurtenant thereto,

(c) plumbing not located in a structure,

(c.1) a sewage system, or

(d) structures designated in the building code

Based on the requirements above, and prescribed in the Ontario Building Code, examples of projects requiring a building permit include; 

• New construction exceeding 10m2 in size. 
• Additions to existing buildings
• Construction that is under 10m2 in size but is attached to an existing building. 
• Renovations
• Decks
• Accessory buildings 
• New foundations and repairing of existing foundations
• Farm buildings
• Secondary Suites, apartments, coach houses, granny flats
• Structural work including enlargement of window/door openings
• Underpinning of an existing foundation
• Change of use of an existing building
• Finishing of a basement
• Mobile Homes
• Relocation of an existing building
• Installation or repair of a building system (plumbing, heating, etc)
• Installation of an above ground pool
• Designated Structures which include (OBC Division A, 1.3.1.1): 

(a) a retaining wall exceeding 1 000 mm in exposed height adjacent to,

(i) public property,

(ii) access to a building, or

(iii) private property to which the public is admitted,

(b) a pedestrian bridge appurtenant to a building,

(c) a crane runway,

(d) an exterior storage tank and its supporting structure that is not regulated by the Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000,

(e) signs regulated by Section 3.15. of Division B that are not structurally supported by a building,

(f) a solar collector that is mounted on a building and has a face area equal to or greater than 5 m²,

(g) a structure that supports a wind turbine generator having a rated output of more than 3 kW,

(h) a dish antenna that is mounted on a building and has a face area equal to or greater than 5 m²,

(i) an outdoor pool,

(j) an outdoor public spa, and

(k) a permanent solid nutrient storage facility with supporting walls exceeding 1 000 mm in exposed height.

A sewage system, or septic system, is deemed a structure under the Ontario Building Code Act (BCA, Section (1)). Sewage systems are defined as: 

(a) a chemical toilet, an incinerating toilet, a recirculating toilet, a self-contained portable toilet and all forms of privy, including a portable privy, an earth pit privy, a pail privy, a privy vault and a composting toilet system,

(b) a greywater system,

(c) a cesspool,

(d) a leaching bed system, or

(e) a system that requires or uses a holding tank for the retention of hauled sewage at the site where it is produced before its collection by a hauled sewage system,

where these,

(f) have a design capacity of 10,000 litres per day or less,

(g) have, in total, a design capacity of 10,000 litres per day or less, where more than one of these are located on a lot or parcel of land, and

(h) are located wholly within the boundaries of the lot or parcel of land on which is located the building or buildings they serve.

A sewage system permit is required for the following:

• Installation of a new sewage system. 
• Replacement in whole, or in part, of an existing sewage system 
• Repair of an existing sewage system 
• Installation of an outhouse 

A demolition permit is required when a Building, as prescribed in the Ontario Building Code Act is removed, or any material part thereof is removed. 

For reference, the definition of a Building is defined as (BCA, Section (1)):

(a) a structure occupying an area greater than ten square metres consisting of a wall, roof and floor or any of them or a structural system serving the function thereof including all plumbing, works, fixtures and service systems appurtenant thereto,

(b) a structure occupying an area of ten square metres or less that contains plumbing, including the plumbing appurtenant thereto,

(c) plumbing not located in a structure,

(c.1) a sewage system, or

(d) structures designated in the building code; 

A building permit is not required for a shed 15m2 in size or less. Sheds not requiring permits are defined under the Ontario Building Code, Division C, 1.3.1.1.(6) as:

(6) A shed is exempt from the requirement to obtain a permit under section 8 of the Act and is exempt from compliance with this Code, provided that the shed,

(a) is not more than 15 m² in gross area,

(b) is not more than one storey in building height,

(c) is not attached to a building or any other structure,

(d) is used only for storage purposes ancillary to a principal building on the lot, and

(e) does not have plumbing.

Building permits are required for sea containers 

The Ontario Building Code has only changed the minimum size of construction requiring permits to sheds. Gazebos, decks, additions and other accessory buildings must still adhere to the 10m2 building permit requirement. 

The Township of Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards does not currently have a fence by-law. Therefore, no permits are required from the Municipality to construct a fence.  

If however, the fence is constructed in an unsafe manner, and is deemed a health and safety concern, the fence may be in contravention of the Property Standards By-Law and subject to enforcement. 

Fences constructed on shared property lines may be subject to the regulations of the Line Fences Act. 

https://www.ontario.ca/page/line-fences-act

To apply for a building permit, the following is required:

• Building, septic or demolition permit application
• Site plan of the lot with the location of the proposed construction/demolition
• Fully completed construction drawings, including all applicable structural, mechanical designs, shop drawings, engineering, etc. 
• Energy Efficiency Design Summary for new or additions to residential projects
• Authorized agent form if you are acting on behalf of the homeowner

Contact the Chief Building Official for any further documentation that may be required for your specific project. 

The Ontario Building Code prescribes the time periods within which a permit is to be issued or refused by virtue of Div C, Section 1.3.1.3.

If an application is deemed to be fully completed, meaning, all plans and documents required by the Chief Building Official are included and approved, residential permits (including accessory structures) are typically issued within 10 working days starting the day after the application is submitted, and exclusive of weekends and holidays. 

Typically designs are completed by a licensed BCIN holder, engineer or architect 

Sewage systems can be designed by a sewage system installer, so long as they are also a licensed BCIN designer for On-Site Sewage Systems 

Homeowners may supply their own designs for their residential properties. However, it is important to note that these drawings are only accepted if they include all the required information needed to issue the building permit. Homeowner designs are required to contain the same information as a design supplied by a BCIN registered designer.  

If you suspect someone is constructing without a building permit, you may file a complaint to the building department using the following form. 

Complaints must be submitted in writing with the complainant’s signature and contact information. Complaints shall include all details of the complaint including parties involved, location of incidents, date of incident and any other applicable supplemental documentation. 

All complaints are anonymous unless where required in the court of law. Should the matter proceed to court, you may be required to provide evidence as a witness, at which time your name and filed complaint may become public information.

Complaints must be filled out using the prescribed forms below and can be submitted by mail, in person, or by email. Incomplete or missing information may result in delays. Copies of forms can be found at the front desk of the municipal office at 1 John Street, Killaloe, ON.

An individual who is charged and found guilty of an offence under the Building Code Act, 1992, such as building without a permit, can be fined up to $50,000 for a first offence and up to $100,000 for subsequent offences. For a corporation, a first offence could result in a maximum fine of $500,000 and $1,500,000 for subsequent infractions. Failure to comply with an order from the municipal building department is also an offence under the Building Code Act, 1992.

Additionally, in addition to supplying all pertinent design information required on a typical building permit project, the Chief Building Official may also require the work to be inspected and approved by a Professional Engineer of Ontario or equivalent. 

Building Permit Fees

The erection of a new outdoor toilet, or the relocation of an existing outdoor toilet requires a Building Permit at no charge, regardless of the cost the building.