2026 Building Permit Fees by Municipality
A GTA comparison of residential building permit fees — Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga, Vaughan, and surrounding municipalities.
Last updated: October 2026
Building permit fees in Ontario are set independently by each municipality, so the same deck, basement, or home addition project can carry a different permit cost depending on where you build. This page compares typical residential building permit fees across Greater Toronto Area municipalities, based on our own project experience and each municipality's published fee schedule. Because municipal fee schedules are reviewed and adjusted annually, treat the figures below as a planning reference and confirm the exact current rate with your municipality's building department before budgeting.
GTA Building Permit Fee Comparison
| Municipality | Residential Permit Fee Basis | Deck Permit Fee | Basement / Second-Unit Permit Fee | Fee By-law & Official Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | Service Index × floor area: $18.56/m² new single-family dwellings & additions; $11.53/m² interior alterations (effective Jan 1, 2026) | verify with municipality | $56.33 per new residential unit, plus area-based fee; basement-finish rate: verify with municipality | Toronto Municipal Code Ch. 363 (Building Construction & Demolition); rates in Ch. 441, Fees & Charges (2026) Official fee schedule → |
| Brampton | $ per m² by occupancy: $17.80/m² custom detached, semi, townhouse (min. $2,004.10); $12.03/m² heated addition; residential minimum $326.21 | $326.21 flat fee | Basement finish: $326.21 flat fee; change of use to create a second dwelling unit: $1,186.24 flat fee | 2026 Fee Schedule (revised Feb. 2026); by-law number: verify with municipality Official fee schedule → |
| Mississauga | Service Index ($/m²) by building class; minimum $244 for Part 9 residential, $386 for other projects | verify with municipality | verify with municipality | Building By-law Schedule “B”, 2026 Classes of Permits and Fees (annual adjustment per By-law 0236-2024, s. 48) Official fee schedule → |
| Vaughan | $ per m² by occupancy class, plus flat fees for minor residential work; additions listed at $693 (under 40 m²) / $1,003 (over 40 m²) on vaughan.ca | verify with municipality | verify with municipality | Fees and Charges By-law 051-2026, Schedule “F” – Building Standards (effective Feb. 24, 2026) Official fee schedule → |
| Oakville | Based on size, type and use of the project; minimum permit fee $200; $100 pre-screening fee credited to the total | verify with municipality | verify with municipality | 2026 Building Services Rates and Fees; by-law number: verify with municipality Official fee schedule → |
| Milton | $25.13/m² new house or addition (min. $264.20) as listed on milton.ca; effective year not stated: verify with municipality | $163.11 flat fee (unenclosed deck) as listed on milton.ca; effective year not stated: verify with municipality | Finished basement $6.55/m²; attached secondary dwelling unit $9.58/m² (min. $264.20); effective year not stated: verify with municipality | Fee by-law number and year: verify with municipality Official fee schedule → |
| Markham | $21.03/m² single detached dwelling; $23.57/m² infill residential dwelling | verify with municipality | Secondary suite: $21.03/m² | Building By-law 2024-206, Schedule “A” (applications submitted after Dec. 31, 2024) Official fee schedule → |
| Richmond Hill | $27.37/m² detached, semi-detached, duplex and additions; $10.40/m² alterations; minimum residential fee $210.12 | verify with municipality | Finished basement: $6.56/m²; second-unit rate: verify with municipality | Building By-law 19-24, Schedule “A”, Section (3) Official fee schedule → |
| Newmarket | Schedule “A” fee table (area-based and flat fees by permit class) | Flat fee per dwelling unit; amount: verify with municipality | Accessory dwelling unit within existing space: flat fee per unit; amount: verify with municipality | By-law 2025-92, amending Schedule “A” of Building By-law 2015-58 (effective Jan. 1, 2026) Official fee schedule → |
| Caledon | Service Index × total floor area | verify with municipality | verify with municipality | Town of Caledon 2026 Fees By-law (User Fees By-law); by-law number: verify with municipality Official fee schedule → |
| Hamilton | Calculated by formula from Table 1, Classes of Permits and Fees | verify with municipality | verify with municipality | Building By-law 15-058, Schedule “A”; current amending by-law: verify with municipality Official fee schedule → |
| London | Per Schedule “A” of the Building By-law; minimum fee $260.37 (Part 9), $557.91 (Part 3) | verify with municipality | verify with municipality | Building By-law B-7, Schedule “A” Official fee schedule → |
| Barrie | $17.38/m² new construction and additions, Part 9 residential (includes basement) | verify with municipality | verify with municipality | Fees By-law 2026-006, Schedule “K” (effective May 1, 2026) Official fee schedule → |
| Stouffville | Per square foot of gross floor area, by permit class | verify with municipality | verify with municipality | Fees and Charges By-law 2025-079-FI (2026 rates), as amended by By-law 2026-002-FI Official fee schedule → |
Every figure above is taken from the municipality's own published fee by-law or fee schedule, linked in the last column. Where a figure could not be confirmed from an official source, the cell reads "verify with municipality" — we do not estimate. Rates are adjusted annually; always confirm the current fee with the municipality's building department before budgeting.
How to Use This Table
The "Residential Permit Fee Basis" column shows how each municipality calculates its fee — in most of the GTA, a rate per square metre of floor area set by occupancy type. The deck and basement/second-unit columns show the published fee for those two common homeowner permits where the municipality lists one. The last column names the fee by-law and links to the official schedule so you can confirm the current rate. These are municipal permit fees only — they do not include development charges or the cost of permit drawings, which is a separate professional fee paid to your designer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Each municipality in Ontario sets its own building permit fee schedule under the Ontario Building Code Act. Fees are typically based on construction value, square footage, or a flat rate set by municipal council, so the same project can cost different amounts depending on where it's built.
No. Municipal permit fees are paid to the city to process and review your application. Design and drawing fees are paid separately to your BCIN-qualified designer to prepare the permit drawings. Both are part of your total project cost.
Most Ontario municipalities review and adjust their building permit fee schedules annually, often as part of their budget process. Always confirm the current fee schedule directly with the municipality before budgeting for a project.