Site Plan Approval & Coordination
Site-plan drawing and consultant coordination for developments subject to municipal site plan control. We organize the building/site design around access, servicing, grading, landscaping and the municipality’s site-specific review.
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.
Common site-plan approval questions
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.
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.
What to send for a quote
- 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
Related planning / permit services
Pre-Consultation · Zoning By-law Amendment / Rezoning · Official Plan Amendment Coordination · Zoning Review
828 Design Inc. — BCIN building design & permit services. Planning/permit content reviewed against current Ontario legislation and municipal workflows: August 2026. Requirements are confirmed for the actual property, municipality and written project scope. Qualifications & responsibility →
Working through a site-plan approval?
Send the survey, proposed development and municipal comments/pre-consultation material. We can identify the drawing and consultant coordination needed for the next submission.