Peterborough Building Permit for a Renovation: Which Office Issues Yours

The short answer

A Peterborough building permit comes from the City of Peterborough if your home is inside the city. If it is in a township, the County of Peterborough says the local township issues it. The City and the five townships covered below each have their own application route, fees and list of what needs a permit, and the lists don't agree. Call the right office before you hire anyone or start work.

Which office issues your permit

Start by confirming which municipality your address is in. Peterborough County's planning page says building permits "are issued and processed by the local Township" (County of Peterborough), while the City of Peterborough runs its own Building Services division.

The table shows how each office says you apply, based on its own website as of October 27, 2026. The City's portal and Cloudpermit, the online permit system four of the townships use, work best on a laptop or desktop computer, according to the City, Douro-Dummer and Otonabee-South Monaghan.

This table shows who issues permits, not where Gilbert Brothers works; the FAQ has the service area. The County has eight local municipalities: seven townships and the Municipality of Trent Lakes (County of Peterborough). This page covers five of the townships. For any other, call its own office.

What each office says needs a permit

Each office publishes its own plain-language list, and on small jobs the lists differ. The table below shows what each office's page says about work common in kitchen and bathroom renovations. A listing is not a ruling on your project; the building office decides that.

Compare the plumbing rows. Asphodel-Norwood and Cavan Monaghan list replacing a fixture as work that does not need a building permit. The City lists "installing or renovating plumbing" as work that does, and Otonabee-South Monaghan's 2025 permit guide lists "all plumbing installations." So the published answer for the same bathroom can differ from one municipality to the next. Whether a township allows a second unit at all is a zoning question, covered in suite rules in the townships around Peterborough. Confirm with the building office before you start.

Taking out or moving a wall

The City's list includes "installing, changing or removing partitions and load-bearing walls." Cavan Monaghan lists adding or removing walls to change room size or use, and Asphodel-Norwood lists structural changes.

The City's checklist for a complete application also asks for structural engineering sheets, stamped and signed by a professional engineer, "if applicable." Whether a particular wall needs them is for the building office and an engineer to say. This page gives no instructions for structural work.

Plumbing, electrical and gas

• Plumbing. The City says plumbing permits are required for "any new plumbing, or modifications to an existing plumbing system." Its basement guide says that if a plumber is hired, they must be licensed with the City of Peterborough. That is the City's rule. For a township, ask its building office what it requires.
• Electrical. The Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) says almost all electrical work is reported to it by a notification of work. It also says a building permit "isn't the same as filing an electrical notification" and "You may need both." Homeowners "have the option to DIY electrical work in their home but must file a notification of work with ESA," and if you hire someone for electrical work in your home, "by law, it must be a Licensed Electrical Contractor" (ESA).
• Gas. The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) says furnaces and fuel-fired appliances must be installed and serviced by TSSA-registered contractors who employ certified and trained gas technicians (TSSA, March 2024).

Who applies, who draws and who closes the permit

Ontario's guide for homeowners says it is your responsibility to get building permits. If you want the contractor to get them for you, it says to spell that out in the contract and not to let construction begin until you have seen them (Ontario.ca).

The City says the owner on title may prepare the drawings. If the owner does not, a designer with at least a BCIN House qualification (BCIN is the Building Code Identification Number), an architect or an engineer must. When someone other than the owner applies, the City asks for an Authorization to Act as Agent form.

Selwyn and Otonabee-South Monaghan both ask for 48 hours' notice. Selwyn's page says the property owner must make sure inspections are completed and the permit is closed. Cavan Monaghan says the owner, or someone the owner authorizes, must make sure the scheduled inspections are requested.

What the permit costs: a worked example

Each office sets its own fees. Here are two of the 2026 schedules. The City's 2026 table lists residential alterations without an identifiable gross area at $34.00 per $1,000 of construction value plus a $62.50 administrative fee, with a $235 minimum. Douro-Dummer's Schedule A, effective January 1, 2026, lists a residential renovation at $14.50 per $1,000, with a $225 minimum.

Say the construction value on the application is $30,000. That is a hypothetical, not a quote for any job.

The building office decides which line of its table your job falls under, and both schedules list separate plumbing fees, so ask whether your job adds one. This page gives no fee for the other four offices. Selwyn, Cavan Monaghan and Asphodel-Norwood point to fees by-laws. Otonabee-South Monaghan's page was still announcing, on October 27, a September 28, 2026 council report proposing changes to its fee structure, and it showed no outcome. Ask each office for its current schedule.

Starting before the permit is issued

The Building Code Act says no person shall construct or demolish a building "unless a permit has been issued therefor by the chief building official," and it defines "construct" to include material alteration or repair of a building. A person convicted of an offence under the Act is liable to a fine of not more than $50,000 for a first offence, and the maximum is higher for a corporation (Building Code Act, 1992, sections 1, 8 and 36, current to October 22, 2026). That is a ceiling set by law, not a prediction of what any office does.

The City's basement guide says fines may be issued "if the Chief Building Official chooses to," and that work that has started is often required to be undone, which may be costly. Its 2026 table lists a $252 charge for construction commenced without a permit. Douro-Dummer's Schedule A doubles the permit fee, including for site preparation or excavation.

Ontario's 2024 Building Code is Ontario Regulation (O. Reg.) 163/24. The Ministry's compendium, as of October 27, 2026, reflected amendments up to and including O. Reg. 242/26 (July 22, 2026). O. Reg. 325/26 changed the date of the Ontario amendments document that the Code adopts, from July 17, 2026 to October 1, 2026, and came into force when it was filed on October 2, 2026. The Code is amended periodically, so confirm the current wording with the building office.

Permits that sit beside the building permit

• Heritage. The City says a heritage permit is required for certain alterations on an individually designated property or one in a Heritage Conservation District, and its list includes "replacement of or alterations to existing windows and doors, or the openings for windows and doors." The City's Heritage Preservation Office handles that application, separate from the Building Division. Where a building permit is also needed, the City says it "can only be issued after a Heritage Permit Application has been approved," and that the heritage process "may take several months" (City heritage permits). Ask both the building division and the heritage staff whether your property is designated. For a township address, ask its building office whether a heritage permit applies.
• Conservation authority. Douro-Dummer says that if the Otonabee Region Conservation Authority's regulated area touches your property, it needs an ORCA permit or written confirmation that none is required, "even if your proposed construction appears to fall outside the boundary."
• Driveway entrances. Douro-Dummer and Otonabee-South Monaghan each require an entrance permit for a new driveway entrance, and the City regulates curb cuts. For the outdoor case, see the driveway section of concrete removal in Peterborough.
• Basements. See finishing a basement in Peterborough.

Rules differ by property and change. Confirm with the City or your township's building office before you start.

The order to do it in

1. Confirm your municipality and call its office

   Use the first table. Say what is moving: walls, plumbing, openings. Ask whether the job needs a permit.

2. Ask what else applies

   Ask about zoning, heritage status, the conservation authority and, if the job includes electrical work, the Electrical Safety Authority.

3. Decide who draws and who applies

   Settle it before work starts and write it into the contract.

4. Apply, then book inspections

   Use the route in the first table. Give 48 hours' notice where the office asks for it, and confirm the permit is closed at the end.

If you are planning a full-room renovation, Gilbert Brothers gives a free estimate at your home. Send a few details through the contact page. The renovations, kitchen renovations, bathroom renovations and main floor renovations pages describe the service.

Frequently asked questions

Does Peterborough County issue my building permit?+

Its planning page says building permits are issued and processed by the local township.

Do I need a permit to replace kitchen cabinets?+

The City, Otonabee-South Monaghan and Cavan Monaghan each list replacing kitchen or bathroom cupboards without plumbing as work that does not need a building permit. Douro-Dummer's page says a building permit is required for all new construction projects and renovations, and Selwyn's lists any material alteration to an existing structure. If the job moves or adds plumbing, the pages that list cupboards point the other way. Confirm with the building office before you start.

Does a building permit cover the electrician?+

The Electrical Safety Authority says a building permit is not the same as an electrical notification, and that you may need both.

Can my contractor get the permit for me?+

Ontario's guide says getting permits is your responsibility. If you want the contractor to do it, it says the contract should spell that out.