Site Plan Drawings for Building Permits
The service is matched to the actual project, municipality and information available before detailed permit documentation is finalized.
What does this service need to solve?
A site plan is a scaled drawing that shows the proposed project in relation to the property and other relevant site features. Depending on the project and municipality, site plans can be required for additions, new houses, garages, decks, garden suites, commercial work and other building-permit applications.
Planning and permit work starts by identifying the correct approval path. Zoning, applicable law, municipality-specific submission requirements and the proposed construction need to be separated before drawings or applications are taken too far.
What changes the scope of Site Plan Drawings for Building Permits?
The same project name can require different drawings and approvals on different properties. These four checks help define the real permit problem before the set is developed too far.
Property zoning
The applicable by-law, permitted use and site-specific standards should be identified first.
Correct approval path
A building permit, zoning review, minor variance, rezoning, site plan or other approval may be separate.
Application evidence
Survey information, existing approvals, municipal comments and supporting reports can affect the submission.
Municipal process
Forms, portals, applicable-law requirements and review comments differ by municipality and application type.
What the project package may need to communicate
The exact documents depend on the property, building, proposed work, municipality and professional scope. A coordinated set should explain the work clearly enough for the applicable review.
Property & survey information
Use reliable property information as the basis for zoning and site-related drawings.
Existing & proposed conditions
Show the physical development or use that the application asks the municipality to review.
Zoning statistics
Organize relevant setbacks, coverage, height, parking or other standards where applicable.
Planning drawings
Prepare site plans, floor plans, elevations or diagrams appropriate to the application type.
Application coordination
Organize forms, owner information and municipal submission material included in the service scope.
Comment / revision tracking
Respond to municipal drawing comments where included, while separating new or expanded scope.
A site plan drawing is not automatically a legal survey. It uses reliable property information to show the relationship between the proposed work, lot lines, setbacks, buildings and other site features required for the permit or planning application.
Site Plan Drawings for Building Permits: project-specific permit considerations
What a site plan drawing can show
The exact information varies by project and municipality. A site plan drawing can include:
- property lines and lot dimensions based on available reliable source information
- existing and proposed buildings or structures with overall dimensions
- setback dimensions to property lines and relevant adjacent construction
- driveways, parking, decks, sheds, detached garages and other site features where applicable
- zoning statistics such as lot area, building area or coverage where required for the permit review
- grade, servicing, landscape or other information when required by the project and accepted scope
Site plan drawing versus a legal survey
A site plan is not automatically a legal survey. Municipal permit guides can require site information to be referenced to a current survey, particularly where legal boundaries, setbacks, easements or other property information matter. 828 Design prepares the permit/site drawing from the available source information within the agreed scope; legal surveying remains with an Ontario Land Surveyor where required.
Projects that commonly need site information
Home Addition Site Plan
Site plan information for rear, side and second-storey addition permit packages, coordinated with setbacks, coverage and the proposed building design.
View addition permit service →Custom Home Site Plan
Property and proposed-building information for new house and custom home permit design, coordinated with zoning and the rest of the drawing package.
View custom home service →Garage & Accessory Structure Site Plan
Site placement, setbacks and related property information for detached garages, sheds and accessory structures where a permit is required.
View garage permit service →Garden Suite Site Plan
Site plan information for qualifying garden suite projects, including building location, access, setbacks and other site-sensitive requirements.
View garden suite service →Site plan drawings are different from formal Site Plan Approval
A homeowner may need a site plan as one drawing in a building-permit package without being subject to the formal planning process called Site Plan Approval or Site Plan Control. Larger or development-oriented projects can have a separate municipal site-plan approval process involving additional studies, consultants and site requirements. If that is your project, see Site Plan Approval & Municipal Coordination.
Coordinate the site plan with the permit drawings
The proposed dimensions and building location shown on the site plan should agree with the floor plans, elevations, zoning statistics and other permit documents. When the site design changes, related drawings may also need to be revised so the municipality receives one coordinated proposal.
How the permit drawing service moves forward
A clear sequence helps separate feasibility, design, documentation and municipal review without implying that any approval result is guaranteed.
Property / Project Review
Review the address, proposed work or use, available drawings and the main zoning/permit questions.
Existing Information
Confirm the measurements, survey/base-building information, photographs or consultant inputs needed for the accepted scope.
Permit Documentation
Prepare and coordinate the drawings and supporting information included in the written service agreement.
Submission / Review
Support the agreed municipal submission or comments process; added revisions and new requirements are handled as separate scope where applicable.
What to send for a project review or quote
Good starting information helps identify the correct service and avoids guessing about the building or property.
- property address and municipality
- survey or available property/site information
- existing drawings, if available
- description and approximate size/location of the proposed work
- photos of the property and relevant structures
- municipal comments or zoning information already received
The issued permit is the construction reference.
Contractors and owners remain responsible for construction, site safety, inspections and building in accordance with the issued permit documents. Material field changes should be reviewed before they are constructed because revised drawings, engineering or municipal approval may be required.
Connect the project to the right permit services
Use descriptive related-service links to move from the broad project question to the specific zoning, drawing or technical service that applies.
Zoning Review & Compliance Check
Property-specific review of zoning provisions that can affect use, setbacks, lot coverage, height, parking and project feasibility.
View related service →
Site Plan Approval & Municipal Coordination
Drawing and coordination support for projects subject to municipal site-plan or related development review.
View related service →
Conservation Authority Permit Coordination
Drawing and coordination support where a conservation authority review or permit may apply to the property.
View related service →
Minor Variance & Committee of Adjustment Drawings
Drawing and application support where a proposal may need relief from one or more zoning provisions.
View related service →Site Plan Drawings for Building Permits questions
Short answers first, with project-specific limits stated clearly.
What information should I send before a planning or permit review?
Send the property address, proposed work or use, survey/property information if available, existing approvals and any municipal comments, orders or application correspondence.
Is a zoning review the same as a building permit?
No. Zoning, planning and building-permit review are different approval layers. A project may need one or several processes depending on the proposal and property.
Can municipal comments expand the required scope?
Yes. A municipality or other approval authority can request revisions, additional documents or separate professional information. Added work is handled according to the written service agreement.
Does planning support guarantee a minor variance, rezoning or permit approval?
No. 828 Design can prepare drawings and coordinate the agreed application support, but the municipality, Committee or other approval authority makes the decision.
What does a site plan for a building permit usually show?
A site plan commonly identifies the property, existing and proposed buildings or structures, setbacks, dimensions, access and other site information needed to understand where the proposed work is located. The exact information depends on the municipality and project.
Do I need a legal survey before a site plan can be prepared?
Not every project is the same, but reliable property information is important. Where legal boundaries, easements or survey-controlled information must be confirmed, an Ontario Land Surveyor remains responsible for the legal survey information.
Can zoning setbacks and lot coverage change the proposed site plan?
Yes. Required yards, lot coverage, height, parking, building location and other zoning provisions can affect where a proposed addition, garage, deck, suite or new building can be placed on the property.
Are grading, drainage and servicing drawings automatically included with a site plan?
No. A building-permit site plan and a grading, drainage or servicing plan are not automatically the same service. Municipal requirements and the project scope determine whether separate technical plans or independent engineering or survey information are required.
Request a permit drawing quote
Send the property or unit address and a short description of what exists and what you want to change. We will identify the information needed to review the requested scope.