Frequently Asked Questions

• Current legal site survey: When ordering a new legal site survey, ask for the topographic version which is slightly more costly than the standard survey, but is worth it.

  For more information, see Ontario Land Surveyors:
  https://www.aols.org/resources/public-resources/faqs

• Geotechnical survey: Soil studies which may be necessary for your project.

  For more information:
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geotechnical_investigation

A building permit is required for all but the most minor of improvements to your dwelling or property.

The City of Toronto provides a detailed list of application requirements on their website, as well as the cost of applying for the permit.

If possible, make contact with your Local Area Planner to enquire about your project and other projects in the area. This could help establish a valuable source of important local information.

Committee of Adjustment: Probe into the City records to locate prior decisions by the COA in your area. This may provide some insight into what is possible, however, be aware that the COA makes decisions on a case by case basis, and will definitely declare that prior decisions are not to be interpreted as “precedents” that can be easily applied to your situation.

Property Valuation and Construction: A useful way to establish a realistic, appropriate construction budget is to compare the purchase price of your home to the current market value of your home. Typically, we aim to plan improvements which are
a) Appropriate and attractive,
b) increase the comfort of your home as long as you intend to occupy it,
c) create value, and
d) which do not cause the potential sale price of your home to become priced over the current market.

Utility Locates: “Call before you dig”. This is a critical piece of advice: it’s free and it’s the law. Whether you’re building a fence or planting a vegetable garden, find out where underground utility lines are located before you start digging. Hitting a buried natural gas line can cause serious injury and expensive repairs for you and/or your contractor. It can even be fatal.

Call 1-800-400-2255 or contact Ontario One Call to locate underground utilities no less than five business days before starting digging projects of any size.

https://portal.ontarioonecall.ca

The short answer is NO, there is no protection offered to existing homeowners.

Tarion Warranty Corporation

By law, all new homes built in Ontario are provided with a warranty by the builder. Tarion’s role is to ensure that buyers of newly built homes in Ontario receive the coverage they are entitled to under their builder’s warranty.

For more information: www.tarion.com

Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA)

In February, 2021, the Home Construction Regulatory Authority was designated as the regulator of new home builders and vendors under the New Home Construction Licensing Act, 2017.

This means that the HCRA is now responsible for new home builder and vendor licensing, competency, complaints and conduct.

For more information: tarion.com/media/introducing-home-construction-regulatory-authority-and-new-changes-tarion

*Note: Only newly built homes are protected under Tarion’s warranty programs and the HCRA. Be cautious with your construction program, as there is no similar protection or authority available to individual homeowners who may experience serious issues resulting from unethical or incompetent contractors.

To ensure that your current home insurance policy remains valid and secure, it is important that your home insurance provider is updated on any material changes to your property.

Contact your insurance provider or broker to discuss what additional insurance may be needed during your renovation.

Note: During periods of active construction, you will require temporary additional specialized insurance coverage.