Over 12 years of owning our East End Toronto house, I have done permits wrong twice and right three times. Here is what I learned, because the internet is full of wrong information about what requires a permit.
Mistake 1 — The unpermitted basement bathroom (2016):
We had a plumber add a bathroom rough-in and a drywall contractor finish a 3-piece bathroom in the basement. No permit. Everything looked good. In 2023 when we listed the house for sale, our real estate lawyer flagged the basement bathroom as potentially unpermitted during title review. Our home inspector found the rough-in was not to code — the drain slope was wrong on the toilet (less than 1/4" per foot). The buyer demanded we get a retroactive permit. This required opening the floor to expose and correct the drain, getting the plumbing inspector in, re-patching, then re-finishing. Cost: $4,800 and a 2-week delay on closing.
Lesson: Bathroom rough-ins ALWAYS need permits. The drain will be inspected and if it is wrong, it is a nightmare to fix after the fact.
Mistake 2 — Thinking the kitchen renovation did not need a permit (2018):
We replaced cabinets, countertops, and added a new island with a sink. I asked a contractor friend who said “if you’re not moving walls, you don’t need a permit.” Wrong. Adding a sink to the island required a plumbing permit. Adding two circuits for the island outlets required an ESA permit. We had neither. Both are still unpermitted.
What actually does NOT need a permit in Toronto:
Painting, wallpaper, flooring (no structural), cabinet replacement with no plumbing or electrical changes, window replacement same-size opening, roofing replacement (like-for-like, no structural). That is basically the complete list for actual permit-free work.
What DOES need a permit that surprises people: Hot tub (any hot tub), fence over 2.0m in rear yard, any deck attached to the house, attic conversion to living space, any electrical circuit addition.
Call the city before you start — Toronto’s permit office gives free pre-application guidance.