Building and Sewage System Permits | Township of Douro-Dummer

A building permit is required in the Township of Douro-Dummer for all new construction projects and renovations. This includes: additions, decks or porches, sewage systems, solid fuel heating systems, pools, and tents.

The only time a building permit may not be required is for an accessory building that is 14 square meters or less with no plumbing and that will not be used for human habitation. However, the structure and placement must still meet the requirements of the Township Consolidated Zoning By-law and the Ontario Building Code.

Before you start

Before starting any construction project, check the zoning of your property by visiting the Peterborough County Let Me Map page. This Geographic Information System (GIS) tool can help you determine whether you’ll need approvals from outside agencies—such as ORCA, MTO, or others—before submitting your building permit application.

Once you know the zoning of your property, visit the Township of Douro-Dummer Consolidated Zoning By-law to review the permitted uses for your zone. This will help you determine whether your proposed project is permitted. The By-law also outlines required setbacks and other restrictions that may affect your plans.

If your project does not meet the zoning requirements and you still wish to proceed, please contact the Planning Department for assistance.

If your project does comply with all applicable zoning regulations, your next step should be to prepare a detailed Site Plan. This Site Plan will form part of your building permit application and may also be required when seeking approvals from outside agencies.

Agency approvals

Depending on the location of your property or the scope of your project, you may need to obtain approvals from external agencies before applying for a building permit.

If required, these approvals must be uploaded as part of your building permit application.

Otonabee Region Conservation Authority

If your property is located within an area regulated by the Otonabee Region Conservation Authority, you must obtain approval for any construction that involves breaking ground. This approval may come in the form of a permit or a written confirmation (such as an email) stating that a permit is not required for your project.

As per Township policy, one of these documents is required if ORCA's regulated area touches your property, even if your proposed construction appears to fall outside the boundary on the GIS mapping system.

Trent Severn Waterways

A permit is required for any projects that connect to the Trent-Severn Waterways. This includes the construction or repair of docks, boathouses, and retaining walls.

Permits are necessary for both new builds and repairs to existing structures.

Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

Visit the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to apply for a permit if you're building:

A dock over 140 square feet in area
Any retaining wall construction in a regulated area (generally near water/natural features)

Electric Safety Authority

If your construction project includes electrical work, you'll need to get approval from the Electric Safety Authority.

Peterborough County Entrance Permits

County Roads

If your property is located on a County Road, you will need to contact the County of Peterborough Roads department for an entrance permit if:

the entrance is new, or being altered
the entrance is being changed (eg. the entrance was for an agricultural field but will now be a residential driveway)
the entrance does not already have a 911 civic address number.

Township of Douro-Dummer Entrance Permits

If your property is located on a Township Road, an Entrance Permit from the Township of Douro-Dummer Roads and Public Works Department is required if:

the entrance is new, or being altered
the entrance is being changed (eg. the entrance was for an agricultural field but will now be a residential driveway)
the entrance does not already have a 911 civic address number.

Ministry of Transportation

If your project involves work within a provincial highway corridor, you must obtain a permit through the HCMS - Highway Corridor Management System.

This includes work along Highway 28 and the unconstructed Peterborough Bypass, which runs parallel to Douro 9th Line.

Exact corridor boundaries can be viewed using the Peterborough County Let Me Map page.

Preparing your Permit Application

The next step is to gather all the required documents for your building permit application. A permit application cannot be reviewed until it is complete.

Below, you will find a drop-down list of common project types, each with a summary of the required documents, links to standard forms, and example materials to help guide you in preparing and submitting a complete permit application. Please be aware that these lists are only general in nature. Some projects may require additional or supporting documents depending on their complexity.

If your project type isn’t listed or you’re unsure of what is needed, please contact the Building Department Administrator for assistance.

Site Plan

All building permit applications must include a detailed Site Plan.

To help you understand what needs to be included, please refer to the Site Plan Guide, which outlines all required details and provides helpful examples.

Temporary Tents

Temporary tents or "event tents" require a building permit when the footprint exceeds 60 square meters. This applies to both a single tent of that size or the sum of multiple tents.

All tents must be 3 meters or more away from structures and not on sewage systems.

Tents must be in compliance with the Ontario Fire Code. Visit the Fire and Emergency Services webpage for more information.

Ensure that you submit a Cloudpermit application at least 1 week prior to your event date as an inspection of the tent is required prior to its use.

Required Tent Application Documents:

Site Plan

*Currently there is no fee for a temporary tent permit

Demolition Permit

A separate Demolition Permit is required for the removal of any structure—including a house, garage, shed, deck, or similar buildings.

Do not remove a structure without first obtaining this permit, especially if you plan to rebuild. Without a proper zoning review during the application stage, there is no guarantee that you will be permitted to reconstruct what you’ve removed.

Required Demolition Application Documents:

Site Plan – indicate which structure is to be removed.

Indicate in the description of the permit whether or not the structure is being replaced.

Sewage System Permit

A separate Sewage System permit is required for all new and replacement sewage systems.

Site Plan – inclusive of tank and weeping bed location
Agency Approvals if applicable
Authorization to Act as Agent (if applying on behalf of the property owner)
Sewage System Calculations – all pages completed
Schedule 1 - Designer Information
Schedule 2 - Sewage System Installer Information

Test pit dug to minimum 1.5m depth (once dug, call the Building Department to schedule a Test Hole Inspection 705-652-8391 ext 211)

Dwelling

This includes: Single detached dwelling, additional dwelling unit, 3 season dwelling/cottage, and additions or renovations to dwellings, etc.

Site Plan
Agency Approvals if applicable
Authorization to Act as Agent (if applying on behalf of the property owner)
Detailed Drawing & Truss Layout (please click the link to view an example showing the level of detail required in drawings for this permit type)
Energy Efficient Design Summary (EEDS)
- EEDS (Performance)
- EEDS (Prescriptive)
Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning details (HVAC)
Schedule 1 - Designer Information

Accessory Structures

This includes: Garage, agricultural storage, shed, bunkie, deck/porch, etc.

Site Plan
Agency Approvals if applicable
Authorization to Act as Agent (if applying on behalf of the property owner)
Detailed Drawing (Accessory Structures) & Truss Layout if applicable (please click the link to view an example showing the level of detail required in drawings for each permit type)
Schedule 1 - Designer Information

Apply for a building permit

Apply through Cloudpermit

Permit applications must be completed online through Cloudpermit.

Each permit application, including sewage system applications, requires its own separate Cloudpermit Workspace. Please ensure that all of the required documents are uploaded to the workspace.

Cloudpermit is not mobile phone friendly. To ensure ease of access login using a laptop or desktop computer. Below are links to online resources to help guide you through the application process.

Cloudpermit Applicant User Guide

How to create a Cloudpermit account.

How to videos for Cloudpermit including how to submit a building permit application.

If you are not able to apply for a building permit online due to accessibility reasons, please see if someone can help you submit the application. Often, contractors or designers will do this on behalf of the property owner.

Please contact the Building Department Administrator if you are unable to submit your application through Cloudpermit.

Fees & Development Charges

Fees

Fees vary depending on the type and scope of the project and a complete list can be found within the 2024-31 Building By-law. If you begin construction, including site preparation or excavation, before issuance of a permit, the appropriate fee is doubled as per the 2024-31 Building By-law.

Except for sewage systems and specialty permits, fees are calculated based on construction value, which is the total cost for a project including materials and labour at fair market value.

For 2024, the following construction project permits cost $14.50 for every $1,000 of construction value:

Dwelling
Cottage (island/WAO)
Commercial
Industrial
Institutional
Boathouse
Garage
Shed
Deck (open or enclosed)
Residential addition or renovation
ICI addition or renovation

Agricultural building permits, for bona fide farm uses, cost 25% of the regular permit cost, so $3.63 for every $1,000 of construction value.

Development Charges

A Development Charge is a fee that the Township collects when a new Primary Dwelling is constructed on a vacant property. This is invoiced separately from the permit fee invoice and will be set by the Building Official after all of the application reviews are completed, just prior to permit issuance.

You can find more information on Development Charges, including current rates, in the Planning and Development section of our website.

Payments

After you submit a building permit application, the Administrator will review it to determine if it meets the requirements of a complete application. If it does, the Administrator will set the permit fee invoice on Cloudpermit.

You can make payments:

in person at the Township Office by cash, debit, cheque, or credit card
by mailing a cheque to: P.O. Box 92, 894 South Street, Warsaw, ON K0L 3A0 - please indicate your permit number in the memo of the cheque
or online by through our Online Payment Portal

All credit card payments will be subject to a 2.5% processing fee.

Online Payments

Payments can only be made online using a credit card.

Have your Cloudpermit Invoice available.

You will require this information:

Property Address
Owner's name
Phone number
Email address
Cloudpermit application number (eg. DD-2020-0101)
Payment amount as shown on your invoice.

Pay for your building permit online

Pay for Your Building Permit Online

Inspections

Once your building or sewage permit has been issued you will need to have the project inspected at various points throughout the construction. Please visit our separate Inspections page to learn more.