Most renovation projects require a City of Ottawa building permit but often homeowner and contractors assume non-is needed.
A few weeks ago I was contacted by a panicked homeowner who had went forward with a renovation and didn’t get an Ottawa building permit . This homeowner did the responsible decision by hiring a Designer and a Structural Engineer but was misled by his Engineer who told him that none of the walls being removed were structural so no building permit was required. This is a gray area with most municipalities because some smaller towns have a more lenient or “don’t want to be bothered” kind of approach to renovations. Cities like Ottawa however see renovations in a different light. The City of Ottawa website clearly stipulates that a building permit is required when removing or adding walls. The city’s angle for this is to ensure that the structure of your house has not been compromised but also ensures that other components like heating vents, cold air return vents, plumbing vents and any other infrastructure that can be found in your walls remain conforming. I often see and hear of older homes having ventilation issues due to not having a cold air return on the second floor. Newer homes have multiple return vents on the second floor because it ensures proper air circulation in your home. When renovating, it’s important to do the work properly and getting a building permit will ensure that the minimum standards of the Ontario Building Code are being met.
Getting back to my story – the homeowner went through with the demolition and most of the framing when the contractor noticed that the ceiling joists were being held up by the demolished walls. This is a common structural issue encountered in older home renovations and most likely it would have been questioned and caught during the building permit application . I was asked to acquire a building permitso that the concerned homeowner can be assured his renovation is being done legitimately.
I was involved at the perfect time where I was able to ensure that none of the work contradicted any building code practices and this resulted in smooth going inspections keeping the renovation progression on schedule. Most renovations actually require building permits but if you are unsure I would encourage you to contact the city of Ottawa Building Code Services at 3-1-1 and inquire. The city of Ottawa website also lists projects that require a building permit. The risks of renovating without an Ottawa building permit are much greater than renovating with a permit.
Ottawa Building Permits provides a full service solution for homeowners and contractors for the building application process. Our service includes an onsite visit to measure to specific locations. We then gather all the information required by your municipality to ensure the application process gets processed as planned. We then submit and pay for the application to the city and once approved, drop it off to the specified location.
Protect your interests and contact Ottawa Building Permits today!
A few weeks ago I was contacted by a panicked homeowner who had went forward with a renovation and didn’t get an Ottawa building permit . This homeowner did the responsible decision by hiring a Designer and a Structural Engineer but was misled by his Engineer who told him that none of the walls being removed were structural so no building permit was required. This is a gray area with most municipalities because some smaller towns have a more lenient or “don’t want to be bothered” kind of approach to renovations. Cities like Ottawa however see renovations in a different light. The City of Ottawa website clearly stipulates that a building permit is required when removing or adding walls. The city’s angle for this is to ensure that the structure of your house has not been compromised but also ensures that other components like heating vents, cold air return vents, plumbing vents and any other infrastructure that can be found in your walls remain conforming. I often see and hear of older homes having ventilation issues due to not having a cold air return on the second floor. Newer homes have multiple return vents on the second floor because it ensures proper air circulation in your home. When renovating, it’s important to do the work properly and getting a building permit will ensure that the minimum standards of the Ontario Building Code are being met.
Getting back to my story – the homeowner went through with the demolition and most of the framing when the contractor noticed that the ceiling joists were being held up by the demolished walls. This is a common structural issue encountered in older home renovations and most likely it would have been questioned and caught during the building permit application . I was asked to acquire a building permitso that the concerned homeowner can be assured his renovation is being done legitimately.
I was involved at the perfect time where I was able to ensure that none of the work contradicted any building code practices and this resulted in smooth going inspections keeping the renovation progression on schedule. Most renovations actually require building permits but if you are unsure I would encourage you to contact the city of Ottawa Building Code Services at 3-1-1 and inquire. The city of Ottawa website also lists projects that require a building permit. The risks of renovating without an Ottawa building permit are much greater than renovating with a permit.
Ottawa Building Permits provides a full service solution for homeowners and contractors for the building application process. Our service includes an onsite visit to measure to specific locations. We then gather all the information required by your municipality to ensure the application process gets processed as planned. We then submit and pay for the application to the city and once approved, drop it off to the specified location.
Protect your interests and contact Ottawa Building Permits today!