Building Permits

Definitions

"building"

means a structure occupying an area greater than ten square metres consisting of a wall, roof and floor or any of them or a structural system serving the function thereof including all plumbing, works, fixtures and service systems appurtenant thereto;
a structure occupying an area of ten square metres or less that contains plumbing, including the plumbing appurtenant thereto,
plumbing not located in a structure,
a sewage system; or 

"construct"

means to do anything in the erection, installation, extension or material alteration or repair of a building and includes the installation of a building unit fabricated or moved from elsewhere and;

"construction"

has a corresponding meaning; ("construire", "construction", "travaux de construction")

• construct a new building
• renovate, repair or add to a building (ie. finishing a basement, replacement of brick veneer, dormers or finishing of attic space,
• additions to existing buildings, insulating of exterior walls when exterior or interior cladding is removed)
• demolish a portion of a building
• change a building’s use
• install, change or remove partitions and load-bearing walls (ie. adding or removing most walls, creating different room sizes and/or uses)
• install new or make structural alterations to windows or doors
• build a garage, balcony or deck (ie. attached or detached garages, sheds, carports, porches, sunrooms, solariums)
• excavate a basement or construct a foundation
• install or modify heating, plumbing, air conditioning systems or fireplaces (ie. furnace and ductwork replacements, new fireplaces,
• completion of roughed-in fireplaces, installation of wood-burning systems, installation of cleanouts, installation of any water backflow prevention devices)
• reconstruct a chimney (ie. replacement of masonry chimney below roofline)
• installation, repair of storm, sanitary and water service (ie. conversion from septic to sanitary sewer, plumbing and/or drains)
• installation of an in-ground or permanent pool
• decks requiring guards and railings

• replace existing, same-size doors and windows, subject to distance from property lines
• install siding on small residential buildings, subject to distance from property lines
• build a uncovered deck under two feet (0.61 metres) above grade
• build a utility shed under 161 square feet (15 square metres)
• erect a fence (except for swimming pools – outside pools require permits)
• reshingle a roof, provided there is no structural work
• install eavestroughs, provided that drainage is contained on your property
• replace or increase insulation, dry-wall or plaster
• damp-proof basements
• replace existing forced-air furnace, provided there are not structural changes
• air conditioning units or heat pumps added to existing forced-air systems
• electrical work (the Electrical Safety Authority, however must inspect electrical installations.)
• paint or decorate
• install kitchen or bathroom cupboards without plumbing
• pool heaters
• landscaping
• free-standing satellite dishes
• replace a plumbing fixture only

Beginning July 1, 2005, a number of changes in the Building Code Act, 1992 and Building Code include mandatory qualification requirements for individual building officials, designers and staff of registered code agencies and also mandatory registration requirements for design firms, septic installers and registered code agencies. Under the new legislation, designers may need to be qualified. A municipality may not issue a building permit if the designer is not appropriately qualified and/or registered. The Building Code has been further amended to recognize a parallel system to evaluate Building Code knowledge as prepared by the Ontario Association of Architects'. A standard permit application is being used across Ontario and the new permit application requires the designer’s Building Code Identification Number (BCIN or Ontario Association of Architects' BCDS) and if applicable, the BCIN for the registered firm.

Step 1: Visit the Building Department at the Municipal Office, 341 10th Street, Hanover, Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. An application for a Building Permit along with other related information will be given to you at this time.
OR
Phone the Building Department at 519.364.2780 x 1222 and an application for a Building Permit will be mailed to you.
OR
Visit us online at www.hanover.ca and complete the required application.

Step 2: Submit application…
In addition to the Ministry’s standard Permit Application, additional permit forms requiring information about the construction project such as “who” will perform the work, “what” work will be done, “where” the work will be done, “when” the work will be done, and “how” the work will be done. Scaled drawings, plans or other documentation of the proposed work will have to be submitted for review. If required, the application form may have to be accompanied by the following:

• two sets of building plans (floor plans, elevations and cross-sections and plumbing and heating, as appropriate);
• two copies of your property survey or site plan;
• if your project has a floor system or a truss roof system, Engineered Stamped Specifications will be required prior to construction commencing;
• if your property is currently not serviced with municipal sanitary sewers, then an On-Site Sanitary Sewage System Application must be completed for septic approval.

Step 3: Submit fee…
A Building Permit Fee is payable in full at the time of application by cash, debit, cheque (payable to “Town of Hanover”) by mail or in person. Please contact the Town of Hanover Building Department at 519.364.2780 x 1222 for the updated fee schedule of the Building By-Law. The minimum permit fee is currently $60.00 for residential construction and $100.00 for Commercial/Industrial/Institutional construction. The building permit will not be issued until full payment has been received. (Additional fees such as site plan control charges may apply to your project.)

The Owner, Contractor or Authorized Agent must notify the Building Department at least two full regular business days in advance of requesting an inspection.

To arrange for an inspection as required above, please contact the Building Department at 519.364.2780 x 1222.

Please remember to work safely!

• Width of Road Allowance
• Name of Street
• Frontage of Lot on the Street
• Depth of Lot
• If irregular shape, all dimensions
• Location of Sewer Line or Septic System
• Location of Waterline or Well
• Location of any underground services (Hydro, Gas, Cable, Telephone, etc.)
• Location of Existing Buildings in relation to all Lot lines, including neighboring properties
• Dimensions and Locations of Proposed Building or Addition
• Location of Driveway
• North to be indicated
• Location of Existing Swimming Pools, ponds, lakes and rivers and any other pertinent topographical features (swamps, steep slopes, etc.)
• Drawings to be done to scale, with the scale indicated, if Metric or Imperial
• On-site Sanitary Sewage Systems:
• Details of Proposed Sewage system including size, design and location of septic tank and leaching bed components. Distance from all buildings, well or waterline (include adjacent property location and type of water service).
• Length of Absorption Trench (Maximum 30m)
• Distance to Surface Water (Minimum 15m)

Signs

• Location of sign on Property
• Minimum clear Height and Maximum Height of Sign
• Location and Size of other signs on Property and within vicinity of Property

• Scale
• Use of rooms and spaces
• Dimensions
• Extent of new construction including new work within existing building
• Size, type and location of exterior and interior walls and partitions
• Widths, locations and lintel sizes of all openings
• Location, dimensions and direction of stairs
• Sectional arrows
• References to detailed drawings
• Material specifications or notes
• Heating details and calculations

• Scale
• Extent of new and existing construction
• Vertical dimensions of walls, windows and doors
• Grade level
• Exterior wall cladding, finishes and flashing
• Overhang dimensions
• Roof shape, slope and finish
• Rainwater leader and eavestrough

• Scale
• Details of footings, foundations, walls, floors and the roof
• Distance from grade to floor and underside of footing
• Attic and crawl space ventilation

The applicant for a demolition permit shall retain a professional engineer to undertake the general review of the project during demolition, if,

• the building exceeds 3 storeys in building height or 600 m² in building area
• the building structure includes pre-tensioned or post-tensioned members
• it is proposed that the demolition will extend below the level of the footings of any adjacent building and occur within the angle of
• repose of the soil, drawn from the bottom of such footings
• explosives or a laser are to be used during the course of demolition

The Building Department is responsible for issuing Sign Permits regulating permanent and portable signs and other advertising devices, and awnings or marquees which project over a street. Sign Permits ensure that sign structures within the Town of Hanover meet the standards set out in the Ontario Building Code, the Zoning By-Law and Sign By-Law for the Town of Hanover and other applicable legislation.

No temporary or permanent sign, announcement, advertisement, sandwich board sign, notice, portable sign, bicycle stand, vending machine, weigh scales, newsstand, dodgers, hand bill, or similar device for whatever purpose shall be permitted to project over or extend across or be placed upon any public highway, or in any manner be located on any curb, boulevard, sidewalk, tree, hydrant, lamp or utility pole, parking meter or bridge pier, or any other structure within the limits of any street within the Town of Hanover, without the written permission of the Town of Hanover.

You do not need a sign permit for:

• signs or other advertising devices posted on the interior surface of any window or glass door in any building
• any sign or other advertising device erected in the interior of any building
• municipal addresses mounted on buildings or on free-standing signs on any lot
• signs installed by the Town of Hanover for the control of traffic and parking; or for street names and direction
• signs permitted by an Elections Act or municipal election signs
• temporary signs placed by Funeral Directors for organized parking, before, during and after a funeral

How to apply for a sign permit
If required, the Ministry’s Standard Permit Application and the “Sign Permit” form may have to be accompanied by the following:

• construction value for the sign
• structural details of the sign and its installation
• contractor’s/installer’s name and address, and
• a site plan or an Ontario Land Surveyor’s plan of survey reflecting all buildings situate on the property and indicative of proposed sign installation

To obtain additional information or if you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Building Department.

In accordance with the Town of Hanover Fence By-Law No. 1762-90, an in-ground or permanent swimming pool must be enclosed by a fence not less than 1.5 metres (4’ 11”) in height; all horizontal members must be 1.1 m (3’ 7”) apart and on the pool side of the fence; and, each gate must be equipped with a lock and kept secured when the pool is not in use.

Apply for a building permit online:  

The Town of Hanover uses cloud-based software Cloudpermit so you can complete the entire building permit process online on any mobile device. With Cloudpermit, you can:  

• Apply for building permits at any time, from anywhere 
• Check the status of your building permit or building inspection (when your application status changes, you’ll automatically receive an email letting you know) 
• Schedule or cancel building inspections 
• Communicate with your building department with time-stamped messages 
• Pay for your building permit (in person, by mail or online options accepted) 
• Request and submit changes to an existing building permit  

How to get started:  

To start, create your Cloudpermit account by visiting cloudpermit.com/login. Cloudpermit currently supports Firefox, Google, and Safari browsers. Once registered, you can apply for building permits and track their progress online. 

How-to videos and support materials: 
 
Cloudpermit has a variety of resources to help you – check out Cloudpermit Support for instructions on the basics and watch the instructional videos below to learn how to use the software (watch more here):  

• 'Cloudpermit - How to Submit a Building Permit Application' - video 
• 'How to Send a Message on Cloudpermit' - video 
• 'How to Request Inspections' - video 

Let us know if you have any questions – we’re happy to help.  

Boilerplate:  

Cloudpermit is a SaaS (software-as-a-service) company that provides local governments with cloud-based software solutions for community development. Cloudpermit was founded over ten years ago and delivers online land management processes to local governments across North America and Europe. Cloudpermit is committed to efficient, user-friendly, and accessible software solutions that benefit building and planning departments, development communities, and the public. Please visit cloudpermit.com for additional information.