Site Plan Approval & Municipal Coordination
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?
Site plan control is a Planning Act tool municipalities use for site-specific development matters such as building location, access, walkways, parking, landscaping, drainage and related works. It is separate from the building permit. If you only need a site plan drawing as part of a building-permit package, see Site Plan Drawings for Building Permits .
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 Approval & Municipal Coordination?
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.
Site Plan Approval & Municipal Coordination: project-specific permit considerations
What 828 Design can prepare and coordinate
Depending on the project and consultant team:
- site/building plans within 828 Design’s scope
- building footprint, entrances, access and site-layout coordination
- drawing coordination with civil, grading, servicing and stormwater information
- coordination with landscape, lighting, transportation or other supporting plans where required
- municipal comment tracking and drawing revisions within our design role
- transition from approved site-plan information into the building-permit set
What should be organized before a site-plan submission
A site plan application is usually multidisciplinary.
- current zoning and whether planning amendments are also required
- property survey and legal/site boundaries
- access, parking/loading and pedestrian circulation
- grading, drainage, stormwater and servicing strategy
- landscape/tree and exterior-site requirements
- required professional consultants and municipality-specific submission studies
Site plan approval is not an interior-design review
Ontario’s Planning Act focuses site plan control on site and exterior-development matters rather than ordinary interior design. The exact matters and submission requirements depend on the municipality, the site’s designation and the proposed development.
2026 professional-design change
Ontario Regulation 10/26 now prescribes professional engineering for the purposes of section 41(3.5.1) of the Planning Act. Where the site-plan process requires professional engineering or another regulated professional, that provider must take responsibility for their own work; 828 Design coordinates rather than assuming that responsibility.
Keep the permit drawings consistent with the approved site plan
Building location, entrances, grading interfaces and other site features should remain coordinated. Material changes after site plan approval may require further municipal review before the building permit or construction proceeds.
Site servicing can be a separate engineering workstream
Where the municipality requires a technical servicing plan or servicing/stormwater engineering, use our Site Servicing Plan Coordination pathway. Required professional engineering design, calculations, reports and seals remain with the responsible independent licensed engineer or engineering firm.
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
- current survey/topographic/site information
- proposed development/site concept
- zoning/planning approvals already obtained or underway
- municipal pre-consultation or site-plan comments if available
- list of civil, landscape, transportation and other consultants already retained
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 →
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 →
Building Permit Application & Submission Support
Preparation and coordination of the agreed permit package and municipal submission process where included.
View related service →
Order To Comply & Unpermitted Work Permit Drawings
Permit drawings and documentation support for building-related Orders to Comply and existing work completed without the required permit.
View related service →Site Plan Approval & Municipal Coordination questions
Short answers first, with project-specific limits stated clearly.
Is site plan approval the same as a building permit?
No. Site plan control addresses site-development matters; the building permit separately reviews construction under the Building Code and applicable law.
Does every project require site plan approval?
No. It applies only where the municipality’s site plan control framework and the proposed development trigger the process.
Can 828 Design prepare the entire site-plan submission alone?
Many applications require civil, grading, landscape, transportation, photometric, arborist or other specialist materials. We coordinate the building/site drawings within our scope and integrate the consultant team.
Is pre-consultation mandatory?
Current Planning Act wording requires municipalities to permit applicants to consult before site plan submissions. Local workflow should be confirmed; we do not describe consultation as universally mandatory across Ontario.
Can site-plan comments change the building design?
Yes. Access, servicing, grading, landscaping and municipal site requirements can force building/site revisions.
Can I apply for the building permit before site-plan approval is finished?
Some workstreams can proceed in parallel, but unresolved applicable-law/site-plan matters can prevent permit issuance. The sequence should be planned for the actual project.
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.
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.