By Savino Construction · Published September 12, 2026 · No prices in the guides; every number comes from a site walk. Anything in [brackets] is confirmed before launch.
Step one: the zoning check
Every Toronto lot sits in a zone with a height limit, setbacks, lot coverage and a floor space index. Before a drawing is final, the design is checked against those numbers. If it fits, the application goes straight to Toronto Building. If it does not, the design either changes or goes to the Committee of Adjustment for a minor variance.
Savino Construction runs the zoning check before design starts, because a house drawn to the client's wish list and then squeezed into the by-law afterward is a house designed twice.
Step two: the reviews that come before the permit
Depending on the lot, one or more of these happens before Toronto Building can issue the permit.
- Committee of Adjustment. A public hearing on the variances, with neighbour notice. Adds months. [Kam confirms typical time from application to hearing.]
- Ravine and Natural Feature Protection. Lots near a ravine need the City's ravine review and the conservation authority's permit.
- Heritage. A listed or designated house, or a house in a heritage conservation district, needs a heritage review of anything visible from the street.
- Tree protection. A protected tree on the lot or next door needs a permit before removal or work inside its root zone.
- Demolition control. A tear-down of a residential building goes through the City's demolition process, which looks at what replaces it.
Step three: the building permit itself
The application goes in with engineered drawings, the zoning certificate and the reviews above. Toronto Building examines it against the Ontario Building Code and the zoning by-law and issues the permit or a list of comments to address. Responding to comments is normal; a clean application with the drawings complete is the fastest path through it.
Once issued, the permit sets inspection stages: footings, framing, insulation, plumbing, occupancy. Each one is a visit from the City inspector before the next stage is closed in.
Who files, and what you can do to shorten it
Savino Construction prepares the drawings and files the application, tracks it through review, and answers the comments. What shortens the wait: a design inside the zoning envelope, a complete set of drawings on the first submission, the survey and the tree and ravine information gathered before the application goes in. What lengthens it: a design that needs variances, and drawings that go in before the engineer has finished.