Porches and Decks

A deck or porch is an exterior structure that may or may not be attached to a building, with or without a roof, and may include guards (railings) as required by the Ontario Building Code.

Generally, a Building Permit is required for a deck or porch that is attached to the principal dwelling or used in conjunction with an on-ground or above-ground swimming pool. A Building Permit may NOT be required if a deck is located in a rear yard and is not attached to the principal dwelling and does not exceed 10 square metres (108 square feet) in area and is less than 24” above grade.

Note: In cases where a Building Permit is not required, all porches and decks must still meet Zoning By-law requirements and all other applicable regulations.

Apply for a Building Permit

When building a deck or porch, you will need to complete:

Application to Construct or Demolish(PDF, 146.95 KB)

You will also need to submit:

• A Site Plan that shows your existing house and the size and location of the proposed porch or deck. The Site Plan must also include:
  • Title, scale, north arrow, and property dimensions
  • Street name and municipal address number
  • Setbacks to all property lines for the existing dwelling and the proposed deck or porch
  • Any right-of-ways and/or easements
  • Location and size of all accessory buildings, garages, sheds and pools including hot tubs
  • Front yard landscaping, such as a driveway or sidewalks (if applicable)
• Detailed construction drawings indicating:
  • Size/dimensions of proposed porch/deck in relation to existing structure, height from grade to top of slab, decking, railing and/or roof where applicable
  • Construction of stairs, guards and handrails; include stair width, stringer size, rise, run, guard spacing, height, materials and attachment details
  • Roof framing (if applicable): include materials, size, grade and spacing of rafters, showing support details at all bearing points
  • Footing, foundation or pier construction details; include size, space, depth and compressive strength of concrete
  • For wood frame deck construction: indicate size, grade, direction, spacing and span of joists and beams. View sample wood frame deck drawing(PDF, 45.31 KB)
  • For concrete porch construction: indicate concrete compressive strength; thickness of slab; size and spacing of any rebar present, and means of support. View sample concrete porch drawing(PDF, 508 KB)
• Building Permit Fee

To ensure your application is complete refer to the:

Residential Decks/Porches Checklist(PDF, 528.77 KB)