Municipality Week from September 8 to 14 – How do I apply for a building permit?

Created in 1988, Municipality Week promotes municipal democracy and organization. It is an opportunity to recognize the role and work of municipalities, through the people who work in them, and the democratic life associated with them. A municipality provides services to its population, implements projects and organizes activities. It is at the heart of the daily lives of its citizens.

Are you familiar with the procedure to follow before applying to the Town for a building permit?

The Urban and Land-Use Planning Department receives between 10 and 20 inquiries a week concerning vacant land and the possibility of building on it. It is important to remember that this type of request, which is often too vague, ties up the Department’s time, because its job is not to work out the project with you, but to tell you whether it complies with current regulations, once it’s been put down on paper. And, to do this, it is imperative that the Department has ALL the required documents.

Here are the steps to remember if you want the best chance of having your permit application processed quickly:

1. Research and information guide

A new tool has just been made available to the public by the Urban Planning and Environment Department to assist anyone contemplating the construction of a main building: the Research and Information Guide (in French, to be translated in English) explains very clearly the information that must be sought before embarking on a construction project and the ensuing permit application:

• Search for property information on the Graphic Matrix available online on the Town’s website: lot number, zoning and applicable urban planning regulations;
• Consult the Town’s various Urban Planning By-laws, as applicable;
• Study the possible construction constraints that will need to be taken into account in your project, such as natural slopes, watercourses, etc. (link in the Guide);
• Verify prerequisites if in an agricultural zone (link in the Guide);
• Check that the land is not contaminated (link in the Guide).

2. Two compulsory preliminary documents

The Urban and Land-Use Planning Department will not take any action on a file if the applicant has not provided these two prior documents, as applicable:

• A power of attorney from the landowner, if the applicant is not the landowner: no information will be given without this; in addition, the landowner will be able to provide you with the certificate of location, which will inform you if there are any easements or encroachments on the land;
• A site plan of the construction project, drawn up by a land surveyor, ideally indicating natural constraints: the Urban and Land-Use Planning Department will not rule on the regulatory conformity of your project without this document!

Our recommendation: surround yourself with professionals who can guide and advise you on the feasibility and evaluation of your project. This is not the role of the Town’s Urban and Land-Use Planning Department.

3. Request for preliminary analysis of a construction project

Before submitting an application for a building permit, the Urban and Land-Use Planning Department suggests that you complete a Preliminary Project Analysis Request (in French, to be translated in English), which summarizes all the documents required and enables the Department to offer you more personalized support.

At this preliminary request stage, you can check the relevance of the documents to be provided and obtain more precise information based on the information supplied.

Please note! You will not receive confirmation of the validity and conformity of your project at this stage! You will only get an opinion, but it will be more detailed and will enable you to prepare a complete permit application.

4. Applying for a building permit

Once you have examined all aspects of your project and gathered ALL the documents required by law, you can submit your building permit application.

At the time of application, the Urban and Land-Use Planning Department has 20 working days (4 weeks) to issue a permit. However, this period will not start until the application is complete, i.e. when all the required documents have been received. From that point onwards, the Department will check the regulatory compliance of the application: if certain aspects are non-compliant (for example, permitted margins not respected), the permit will be delayed until they have been modified by the applicant. As a result, some applications can be delayed for weeks or even months, due to missing documents! It’s your responsibility to comply with the regulations.

Help us to help you!

The Urban and Land-Use Planning Department receives a considerable number of questions, the answers to which can be found on the Department’s information pages on the website. Please make sure that you have done everything you can to check for yourself, and that you have all the documents you need, before asking for the Department’s advice. Unfortunately, our resources are limited at a time when the number of permit applications has soared since the pandemic.

Remember: incomplete permit applications cannot be legally processed. Priority will always be given to complete applications, and it is your responsibility to ensure that they are complete.

Thank you for your cooperation!