Planning and Permits

The Township of Centre Wellington values the voices of all residents and by using our Official Plan and Zoning By-law we are able to achieve social, environmental and economic objectives. We seek to find a balance of interests within the community by coordinating the development of land and ensure the Ontario Building Code is properly enforced.

Building Permits

What is a Building Permit?

A Building Permit is a license that grants legal permission to start construction, renovation or the demolition of a building project. Building Permits ensure that the proposed construction meets with standards set out in the Ontario Building Code. No matter what the specific project may be, the enforcement of codes, by-laws and standards is carried out to protect public health and safety.

Ontario Building Code Stair Changes

Changes to stair requirements under the Ontario Building Code will be effective to all permit applications deemed complete after December 31, 2021. The list of Ontario Building Code Stair Changes can be found here

Do I Need a Permit

A permit is required when you:

Construct a new residential dwelling
Construct an addition to an existing building, irrespective of size
Attach a garage, carport, shed or other roof structure of any size
Construct an accessory building, other than a shed, over 10 m2 (107 ft2)
Construct a shed that meets any of these criteria:
- over 15 m2 (161 ft2) in size
- more than one storey
- attached to another structure
- used for any purpose other than storage
- contains plumbing
Renovate
Finish the basement of a house
Create an accessory apartment in an existing dwelling
Demolish any building greater than 10 m2 (107 ft2)
Add, remove or alter a structural wall or column
Change the use of a building
Relocate a building
Replace an exterior wall or cladding
Install new plumbing or backflow prevention devices
Add or relocate plumbing fixtures
Install an underground sprinkler system connected to building plumbing
Add any new building that contains plumbing, irrespective of size
Construct decks of any shape, size or height
Build a concrete porch
Add or renovate a solarium and/or sunroom
Add a dormer
Install or change a swimming pool and its required fencing
Install any wood-burning appliance (fireplaces or woodstoves)
Convert a fireplace from gas to wood or solid fuel burning
Install solar panels or a solar hot water system
Recycle grey water to reduce water use
Re-insulate walls, ceilings or floors
Install a new furnace utilizing a new fuel source
Remove a load bearing wall, column, lintel or beam
Install a new window or door if you are increasing the width of the existing opening
Construct a retaining wall that is greater than three feet and three inches in height
Install a new private septic system, replacement tank or repairs to an existing system
Include site servicing (water or sewer lines) for all building types
Erect a tent or group of tents that are more than 60 m2 (646 ft2) in an aggregate ground area, or attached to a building, or constructed within 3 m (9' 10") of any structure
Erect a demountable stage *please see our stage permit guide for when a building permit is required*
Alterations or changes of use to industrial, commercial, institutional and multi-residential construction
Install an exterior sign

Please contact our office if your project is not listed here and we will be happy to walk you through the process.

A permit is not required when you:

Construct a detached structure, other than a shed, less than 108 ft2 measured from the outside face of walls (that do not contain plumbing)
Construct a shed that meets all of these criteria:
- under 15 m2 (161 ft2) in size
- one storey in building height
- not attached to a building or any other structure
- used only for storage purposed ancillary to a principal building on the lot
- does not have plumbing
Gas fireplace installations
Fences not enclosing a swimming pool (but must still comply with zoning regulations)
Water softener installations
Damp-proofing basements
Painting, wall papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops, and similar finish work
Door and window replacements (within the existing opening, where no structural members are changed)
Installing new shingles on existing roof
Replacing a plumbing fixture (i.e. toilet, bathtub or sink) with a new fixture in the same location
Replacing a furnace or adding air conditioning units or a heat pump
Kitchen or bathroom cupboards
Retaining walls less than 1 m in height
Sidewalks, planters and landscaping
Garden pergolas and gazebos that do not have a solid roof and are not attached to another building

Please contact our office if your project is not listed here and we will be happy to walk you through the process.

Apply for a Permit

Building permits can be applied for by emailing your application and documents, including drawings, to: email (attachment limit is 10MB total). Submissions larger than 10MB can be uploaded through 2big4email, or contact us for assistance.

*NEW* You can now apply for a building permit online through our CityView Web Portal. Please visit the CityView Portal FAQ page for answers to common questions.

Permit applications will not be considered complete until payment has been made. Payment details and confirmed permit fees will be communicated to you once your application has been received. Payment can be made in person at the Civic Centre, or over the phone by credit card.

Please refer the permit forms and guides and permit requirements tabs below for information on:

application requirements
drawing requirements
designer requirements

Permits and Forms

Permit Application Forms:

Building Permit Application – Mandatory for every building application
Schedule 1: Designer Information
Schedule 2: Sewage System Installer Information
Energy Efficiency Design Summary & Guide
Lot Grading Acknowledgment Form – Required for decks, accessory buildings and pools in newer subdivisions
Sign Permit Application
Demolition Approval Form
Site Alternation Permit Application

Permit Guides & Information

Permit Requirements

Application Requirements:

The following electronic documents are required for permit submission. All electronic documents and drawings must be in PDF format.

Application form
One set of drawings (see permit guides and below for drawing requirements)
Site plan for entire property
Schedule 1 - design information form
Energy efficiency design summary (EEDS) form
Sewage system design (if applicable)
Schedule 2 - sewage system installer information form (if applicable)
Any other forms that pertain to your project

Drawing Requirements:

The following drawings and information may be required to accompany application for permits:

Site plan/Lot grading plan
Foundation plan
Floor plans/Framing plans
Roof plans
Building elevations
Sections and details
Truss layout drawings (if applicable)
Pre-engineered floor joist layout drawings (if applicable)

All drawings must be fully dimensioned and drawn to scale. They must include all sizes and types of construction materials to be used and their respective locations, finishes to all walls, ceilings and floors, and all existing and proposed fire separations. Please refer to our permit guides for more information.

Designer Requirements:

All submitted documents must be prepared by either the owner, or prepared and reviewed by a qualified designer, architect, professional engineer or a combination. Some drawings must be designed by a professional engineer when the design falls outside of the prescriptive requirements of the Building Code.

The Building Code requires qualified, registered designers, who review and take responsibility for design activities, to include the following information on documents submitted for permit:

The name and building code identification number (BCIN) of the registered firm.
A statement that the qualified person has reviewed and taken responsibility for the design activities.
The name and BCIN of the qualified person.
The signature of the qualified person.

Fees

All permit fees are calculated based on Schedule "A" By-Law No. 2022-42.

Notice:

Please be advised that, in accordance with requirements of the Township of Centre Wellington Building By-Law #2005 – 044, permit fees will be due and payable upon submission of application.

Fees calculated on initial application may require adjustment prior to the issuance of the Building Permit. You will be advised of any adjustment or additional fees owing on notification that the Building Permit is ready for issuance.

Development Charges

Development charges are one-time fees charged by the Township on new properties to help offset the cost of specified services as outlined in the Development Charges Act.

The following development charges are effective January 1, 2025. More information can be found here.

Residential:

	Single-Detached & Semi-Detached Dwelling	Apartments with 2 or more bedrooms	Apartments – Bachelor and 1 bedroom	Other multiples	Special Care/Special Dwelling
Township Wide Fees	$22,006	$11,914	$10,131	$17,154	$7,826
Urban Area Service Fees	$13,997	$7,576	$6,441	$10,909	$4,976
Total	$36,003	$19,490	$16,572	$28,063	$12,802

Non-Residential:

Township Wide Charges	Urban Area Service Charge	Total Charges
$6.70	$5.01	$11.71 per square foot of gross floor area

Development charges are controlled through the Township's Development Charges By-Law and are based on our Development Charges background study and update.

Construction may be subject to Wellington County development charges

(Wellington County DC Rates 2025)

Inspections

Every permit issued by the Township of Centre Wellington has a list of required inspections. It is the property owner's responsibility to ensure inspection requests are booked a minimum of 24 hours before the required inspection time.

Please contact building staff to book an inspection by email or by calling 519-846-9691 ext.907. You will need to make a reference to the permit number and property address when requesting your inspection. Please note the Township does not review or inspect electrical work – contact the Electrical Safety Authority at 1-877-421-2228 for electrical permits.

Call Before You Dig

If you are planning to dig, build or excavate it is important you locate all of your utility lines first. In fact, under Ontario Regulations it is the law.

To have municipal infrastructure located please contact Ontario One Call at 1-800-400-2255 to register your locate request. Call at least one week before you plan to dig to be sure you get the locate information by the time you need it.

Monthly Permit Information

April 2025 Permit Activity; last month’s building permit information.

Annual Building Division Reports

2024 Annual Building Division Report - last year's building activity

Planning and Zoning

Resources

For Zoning Resources, click here.

For a list of Current Planning Applications, click here.

Development Pre-consultation

Planning staff encourage pre-consultation with staff prior to the submission of a formal application for the following planning applications:

a) Official Plan Amendment

b) Zoning By-law Amendment

c) Draft Plan of Subdivision

d) Draft Plan of Condominium

e) Site Plan

Please contact the Township Planning and Development Services team by email or 519-846-9691 to discuss pre-consultation requirements.

Application Form:

Pre-consultation Request Application Form

Two-Phase Pre-consultation Fees:

Phase 1 - $3328

Phase 2 - $4510

**Depending on the scope of the pre-consultation request, an application deposit may be required.

Design and Infrastructure Standards

The below design guidelines and development standards will inform potential applicants of the Township's expectations with regard to the functional and aesthetic aspects of new development. Please note these are working documents and may be updated from time to time as needed.

Development Manual

Urban Design Guidelines

Urban Design Manual - Private Realm

Official Plan

The official plan of the Township of Centre Wellington, is a policy document that sets out the Township's vision on how land should be used.

Where does the Official Plan apply?

The Township of Centre Wellington's Official Plan only applies to the Elora and Fergus Urban Centres, including Salem and Belwood. All other areas of the Township are governed by the County of Wellington's Official Plan.

Official Plan Amendment

What is it?

A change to the Township's official plan
Changes may be needed because of new circumstances in the community or because of requests made by property owners
The Planning Act requires a comprehensive review of an approved official plan to be completed every five years from the date the plan came into effect to ensure conformity with provincial plans and policies

How is an amendment made?

By submitting an application to council, a person or public body may request that an official plan be amended
Council may refuse to accept an application that fails to provide sufficient information or material as prescribed by Minister's regulation and/or set down in the municipal official plan.
It is highly recommended that if you plan to submit an application for an official plan amendment to consult with the Township prior to submitting the application.

Official Plan:

Township Official Plan - Text Only - Office Consolidation December, 2024

Official Plan Schedules:

Schedule A-1 - Land Use
Schedule A-2 - Belwood Land Use
Schedule A-3 - North West Fergus

Schedule A-4 - South Fergus

Schedule B - Servicing
Schedule C - Groundwater
Schedule C-2 - Groundwater Belwood

Official Plan Amendments:

Name
OPA 1 Loblaws Bylaw No 2007-051
OPA 2 Cty of Wellington Affordable Housing Bylaw No 2008-059
OPA 3 Anchor Reform Church Bylaw No 2009-042
OPA 4 Sheldon Creek Bylaw No 2009-069
OPA 5 Growth Plan Conformity Bylaw No 2010-042
OPA 6 Little Folks Bylaw No 2012-089
OPA 7 North West Fergus Secondary Plan Bylaw No 2015-016
OPA 8 Two Zone Floodplain Bylaw No 2017-06
OPA 9 Grand River Agricultural Society Bylaw No 2017-08
OPA 10 Elora Central Business District Bylaw No 2020-27
OPA 11 970 Gartshore Street & 101 Gregson Court Bylaw No 2023-62
OPA 12 350 Wellington Road 7 Bylaw No 2023-72
OPA 13 6542 & 6560 Gerrie Road Bylaw No 2023-83
OPA 14 South Fergus Secondary Plan Bylaw No 2024-27
OPA 15 19 East Mill Street Bylaw No 2024-31
OPA 16 22 Park Road Bylaw No 2024-56

Severances

A land severance is the authorized separation of a piece of land to form one or more new lot(s) or new parcel(s) of land. This is commonly known as a "consent" under the Planning Act.

Specific polices and requirements for land severance have been identified in our Official Plan. In addition to the division of land, rights-of-way, easements and any change to your existing property boundaries, such as a lot line adjustment, also require land severance approval.

If several severances are intended in the same area, a plan of subdivision may be more appropriate.

Official approval is required to ensure that:

Land severances are considered within an established community planning framework
New lots and new land uses do not to conflict with the overall future planning goals and policies of the community
Consideration is given to the effects of the division of land on the site, on the neighbours and on the community as a whole

Once a severance has been approved, the new land parcels may be sold or resold without further approval. The only exception is if the County of Wellington has specified that this should not occur without further approval.

Who authorizes land severances?

The County of Wellington's Land Division Committee has the authority to grant severances/consents.

Applications:

Severance Application Form

Lot Line Adjustment Application Form

MDS1 - Farm Data Sheet (if required)

For more information or to apply please contact:

County of Wellington
Deb Turchet, Administration & Development Planning and Development Department Phone: 519-837-2600 x2160
Fax: 519-823-1694

Site Plan

Site plan control is established under Section 41 of the Ontario Planning Act. The Township has designated the entire Township as a Site Plan Control Area including the following:

Residential Developments with more than 10 units
Commercial Developments
Industrial Developments
Agricultural buildings and structures (except farm help houses, trailers and garden suites)
All individual trailer site improvements within a trailer camp or equivalent
Buildings and structures for flood control or conservation purposes

Council has delegated its approval authority for Site Plan Applications to Township staff.

Why do I need to make a Site Plan Application?

Site plan applications are processed by the Planning and Development Department to ensure:

Compliance with the Township Official Plan, zoning by-laws, urban design guidelines, and other related development standards
Safe, functional and orderly development having high standards of design and efficiency of land uses and servicing

The Site Plan Application Process

A BUILDING PERMIT CANNOT BE APPLIED FOR UNTIL FINAL SITE PLAN APPROVAL HAS BEEN GRANTED

Here is a description of the Site Plan Review Process:

Applicant is encouraged to pre-consult with the Planning and Development Department to discuss their preliminary site plan
Planning and Development provides feedback through the pre-consultation process.
Applicant submits complete Site Plan Application to Planning and Development
Planning and Development circulates the complete Site Plan Application to relevant Township departments and outside agencies with a request for comments and conditions
Staff and consultants review the application during a Development Review Committee meeting
Comments and conditions from the Township Planning and Development Department and outside agencies are received by the Planning Development
Comments are communicated to the Applicant
If necessary, revised plans are submitted by the Applicant to Planning and Development who re-circulate the plans to all relevant Township departments and outside agencies for review
Planning and Development issues Final Site Plan Approval and registers a Site Plan Agreement on title
Application can be made for a building permit
All site works are completed by Applicant and inspected by Township Staff

Deposit Agreement

A Deposit Agreement is required for each planning application. To find the appropriate deposit amount, please refer to the Planning Fee Schedule. The deposit monies are held for payment to external agencies and consultants where necessary.

Fees

The following has been taken from the Township of Centre Wellington's Fees and Charges By-Law. Please note that these figures and details are supplied as a convenience to you and are subject to change. Before commencing with any projects please verify costs and conditions with the Planning Division.

The following is a list development applications and associated fees:

Planning Application Type

Fee

Part Lot Control Exemption By-law

$1,447.00 – Base Fee $101.00 per unit

Official Plan Amendment

$32,118 *

Combined Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments

$39,950*

Zoning By-Law Amendments

· General Amendment

· Minor Amendment (Note 1)

$16,847 *

$8,423 *

Site Plan Control

· Multiple Residential/Industrial

· Commercial/Institutional

· On Farm Diversified Use

$11,674 *

$1,527 *

Amendment to Site Plan & Site Plan Agreements

· Minor – Less than 50% expansion to gross floor area

· Major – Greater than 50% expansion to gross floor area

$1,527 *

$2,069 *

Request to Prepare Development Agreement (Note 3)

$5,354 *

Subdivision Draft Approval

Request to prepare Subdivision Agreement

Clearance of Subdivision Draft Approval

$45,380*

$41,050*

$2,455

Condo - Standard/Common Element - Draft Approval

Request to prepare Condo Agreement Standard/Common Element

Clearance of Condo Draft Approval

$4,347*

$8,038*

$955

Condo - Vacant Land - Draft Approval

Request to prepare Condo Agreement Vacant Land

Clearance of Condo Draft Approval

$10,119*

$8,038*

$955

Clearance of Severance Conditions

$1,008

Pre-Consultation Fee

· Mandatory - Stage 1

· Mandatory - Stage 2

$3,328 *

$4,510 *

Cash-in-lieu of Parkland (Severance Applications)

· Residential Urban

· Residential Rural

Cash in lieu of Parking

$3,802

$1,906

$9,568 (per space)

Zoning Enquiry Letter

$114

Providing Names for Severance Applications

$58

Committee of Adjustment

· All Applications

· Sign or Fence Variance

$3,259

$4,311

* These fees are subject to a deposit.
Please contact Chantalle Pellizzari by email or 519-846-9691 x241 for more information.

Planning Application Forms

Planning Forms

Site Plan

Site Plan Application Form
Site Plan Application Guidelines

Official Plan/Zoning Amendment

Official Plan Amendment Application Form
Official Plan Amendment Application Guidelines
Zoning Amendment Application Form
Zoning Amendment Application Guidelines

Subdivision/Condominium Review

Review of Subdivision - Draft Plan
Review of Subdivision - Agreement
Review of Condominium - Draft Plan
Review of Condominium - Agreement
Clearance of Draft Approval Conditions - Subdivision
Clearance of Draft Approval Condition - Condominium

Land Division Applications (County of Wellington)

Lot Line Adjustment Application Form
Consent Application Form
MDS Sheet
Part Lot Control Exemption Form
Clearance of Conditions (Township) - Severance

Committee of Adjustment

Minor Variance Application Form
Minor Variance - Guidelines
Fence Variance Application Form
Sign Variance Application Form

Applications, Licenses and Permits

Building and Demolition

Infrastructure Services

Liquor License

Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

Sign Permits

Vendor Licensing - Food Vehicles

Township By-Law 1999-59 is a By-Law for the licensing, regulating and governing of outdoor vendors in the Township of Centre Wellington.

Food Vehicle – Food Vehicle License Application

A Food Vehicle means a chip wagon, food truck, mobile barbeque facility, refreshment vehicle or refrigerated bicycle cart. No person shall operate or permit the operation of any food vehicle within the Township of Centre Wellington without license to do so.

Vehicle	Fees
Chip Wagon/Food Truck	$250.00 each wagon/truck
Mobile Barbeque	$250.00 each barbeque
Refreshment Vehicle	$100.00 each vehicle
Refrigerated Bicycle Cart	$50.00 each cart

Vendor Licensing - Transient Traders

Transient Traders – Transient Trader License Application

A Transient Trader means any person who offers goods, wares or merchandise for sale in any manner in the Township. No person shall operate as a transient trader within the Township of Centre Wellington without a license to do so.

Type	Fees
Transient Trader – Annual	$300.00
Transient Trader – Daily	$25.00
Community Event	$300.00

Building Division - General Inquiries
1 MacDonald Square, Elora,
Ontario, Canada, N0B 1S0
Phone: 519.846.9691 x907
Email Us

Planning Division - General Inquiries
1 MacDonald Square, Elora,
Ontario, Canada, N0B 1S0
Phone: 519.846.9691 x289
Email Us