Permits

Regulated areas include the land in or near rivers, streams, ponds, wetlands, steep slopes, floodplains and the Lake Erie shoreline. To see if you are developing in a regulated area, look up the address using our Map Your Property Tool to see if it falls within the 'Regulation Limit (GRCA)' layer. If you are still unsure, email a General Inquiry Form (86KB PDF) to the Permits Inbox noting the address of interest.

The types of activities covered under 'development' include:

• altering any watercourse or wetland

• construction, reconstruction, erection or placing of a building or structure of any kind,

• any change to a building or structure that would change its use or potential use,

• increasing the size of a building or structure,

• increasing the number of dwelling units in a building,

• site grading, and

• placing or dumping material on a site, or removing material from a site.

For example, a permit would be needed for projects such as a swimming pool, septic system or a driveway in a regulated area. A permit would also be needed for a new house, a home addition or construction of a building such as a garage, large shed or barn.

Email a General Inquiry Form (86KB PDF) or general email to the Permit Inbox when you are in the early stages of planning your project.

Our staff can tell you how the regulation may affect your property. They may offer advice on how you can change your plan so it fits within the regulation. They can also tell you what documents you need to submit or if you need to carry out any studies.

If necessary, a planner or other GRCA staff member may visit your property to learn more about your project. Please inform GRCA planning staff if there is a local biosecurity protocol to be followed for any farm visit.

Every permit application should include both a site plan and a set of building drawings. In many cases, we can accept hand drawn plans for simpler projects.

Your site plan should clearly show the location and the dimensions of your structure. Including additional information will help us to better understand your proposed works. Other helpful information on your site plan can include: distances to nearby structures, distances to property lines, or distances to other features such as the sidewalk or a watercourse.

Your building drawings should show the type of structure you wish to build. These can include ready-made or pre-fabricated drawings, but foundation plans are also required.

Some types of permit applications may require additional documents, studies, or reports. As part of our permit review process, we will review your submission and provide advice. 

If you need help understanding our policies, please contact a member of our Planning and Regulations Services department or send an email directly to our Permits inbox.

Additional documents requested could include: grading plans, sediment and erosion control plans, environmental studies, floodplain studies, geotechnical reports, and/or shoreline reports. 

The cost of the permit depends on the type of project and how complex it is. For more details on permit types and fees see our Permit Fees page. These fees are also summarized in our current 2023-2024 Permit Fee Schedule (514KB PDF) 

It usually takes four to six weeks to issue a permit. Some applications may be processed sooner.

Complex applications that require a technical review with detailed engineered plans, biologist's reports or other studies will take longer. That allows multiple experts on the GRCA staff to review the studies.

If you have questions about the progress of your application, please email the Permits Inbox.

GRCA resource planners will work with you to help you develop your plans so they meet the regulation. In rare cases, an application does not meet the GRCA's policies. In these cases, a hearing may be held before the GRCA board to determine if the permit can be issued. The board follows these Hearing Guidelines (94KB PDF) when it conducts a hearing. 

When GRCA staff learn that a violation has taken place, they will discuss the situation with the landowner. The GRCA attempts to address minor infractions by working with cooperative landowners to go through the permit process or develop a plan to restore the property.

• If the GRCA issues a permit after work has already started, the fee is twice the regular fee.
• If the GRCA and the landowner cannot work out a solution, the GRCA can take legal action. The landowner may be charged and taken to court. If convicted, the court may require the landowner to pay a fine and restore the land to its original condition, at the landowner's cost. That could include removing a structure, removing fill or restoring a natural feature such as a wetland.

The GRCA permit does not replace other local permits you may need. Contact your local municipal office for information on building permits and other approvals.

You can read or download these regulations and policies:

• Ontario Regulation 41/24 - Prohibited Activities, Exemptions and Permits.
• GRCA Policies for the Administration of Ontario Regulation 41/24.
• More information is available on our Policies and Guidelines page.

If you have any questions, please contact the GRCA Planning and Regulations Services staff or email a General Inquiry Form (86KB PDF) to the Permits Inbox. 

If a permit has expired within one year, it can be renewed online through the Online Permit Application but with these additional instructions: 

• Complete steps 1-3.
• At step 3, click the box that asks if you have a permit to renew and follow prompts.
• Provide your existing permit file number and confirm that there have been no changes to your Schedule B
• If no changes have been made to your Schedule B, you do not need to upload any documents in step 4. 
• If there were changes to your Schedule B, please upload any new documents in step 4.
• The fee for permit renewal is $90 and can be paid through the Online Permit Application tool.