BEFORE YOU BUILD
Start with the municipality where the property is located. The project scope, zoning, and property conditions determine what belongs in your application.
Official resources for Grey, Bruce, and Simcoe.
01 / GREY COUNTY
Local municipalities administer zoning and building permits. County planning and Niagara Escarpment requirements may also affect a property.
02 / BRUCE COUNTY
Contact your local building department for permits. Zoning, grading, conservation requirements, and private septic can affect the proposed work.
03 / SIMCOE COUNTY
Begin with the property’s local municipality. Procedures vary: Collingwood, for example, requires a zoning certificate before a building-permit application.
GET A HEAD START
You don’t need to have every answer. Bring what you have and we’ll identify the gaps.
COMMON QUESTIONS
No. A measured drawing records existing conditions. It does not establish that past work was permitted or that a building complies with current requirements. Investigation, design, approvals, or inspections may still be needed.
BCIN stands for Building Code Identification Number. The responsible designer needs the qualifications and registration appropriate to the work, unless an exemption applies. Individual and firm registration are separate considerations. Ontario’s practitioner registration guidance ↗
Where required, Schedule 1 identifies the person taking responsibility for the design and the relevant qualifications or exemption. Use the receiving municipality’s current form. Collingwood’s current Schedule 1 ↗
The municipality makes the approval decision. We agree on the drawing scope and identify relevant requirements; zoning, applicable law, specialist design, and other approvals can affect the application. Municipal fees and third-party services are confirmed separately in the project scope.
That depends on the proposed work and the property. Structural engineering, survey, septic, HVAC, energy, or other specialist input may be needed. We identify those needs when reviewing the scope.
The applicable Ontario Building Code and other laws govern the application. Requirements can change, so use current municipal guidance and the current Ontario regulation ↗. For a general overview, read Ontario’s building-permit guide ↗.
Share your municipality and a short description of the work. We’ll use that information to start the scope conversation.
Resources reviewed September 2026. Municipal examples are starting points and do not represent procedures for every municipality in a county. Confirm current requirements with the authority responsible for your property.