Building permits — Sarnia, Ontario

Do I need a building permit? What does it cost?

In the City of Sarnia, Ontario, building permit rules are set by Building By-Law (By-Law 48 of 2006, consolidated) and 1 other bylaw, verified 2026-08-29. Permit required for: construction, demolition, or change of use of buildings. Exemptions: Repair or alteration of existing building not exceeding $1,000.00, unless structural timbers cut, stairways/exits altered, or masonry cut away. Permit fees: based on the estimated cost of construction.

Building By-Law (By-Law 48 of 2006, consolidated) adopted bylaw
permit required for construction, demolition, or change of use of buildings Classes of permits required for construction, demolition, or change of use
exemptions Repair or alteration of existing building not exceeding $1,000.00, unless structural timbers cut, stairways/exits altered, or masonry cut away. s. 4(7)
fee basis based on the estimated cost of construction s. 10(2)
fees location current City of Sarnia Fees for Service By-Law s. 10(1)
authority Chief Building Official s. 4(1)
scout note

Adopted City of Sarnia Building By-Law under the Building Code Act, 1992 respecting permits for construction, demolition and change of use, inspections and related matters. Base By-Law 48 of 2006, consolidated copy as amended through By-Law 117 of 2020. (Category corrected from zoning_land_use: regulates building permits, not zoning/land use; no 'building' category in chunk so 'other'. URL corrected from civicweb folder listing to the direct document PDF.)

Building By-Law No. 48 of 2006 (Consolidated, incl. amendment 117 of 2020) adopted bylaw
permit required for construction, demolition, or change of use of buildings Classes of permits required for construction, demolition, or change of use
exemptions Repair or alteration of existing building not exceeding $1,000.00, unless structural timbers cut, stairways/exits altered, or masonry cut away. s. 4(7)
fee basis based on the estimated cost of construction s. 10(2)
fees location current City of Sarnia Fees for Service By-Law s. 10(1)
authority Chief Building Official s. 4(1)
scout note

Governs building permit applications for construction, demolition, change of use and permit transfers under the Building Code Act, including application requirements, permit conditions and inspections.

Machine-readable: building-permits.json · Official website: https://www.sarnia.ca · Last verified 2026-08-29 · Building permits across Ontario · Building permits in other municipalities