Toronto Permit Revisions: What to Do When the City Sends Comments

Receiving comments from the City of Toronto Building Department means your permit application needs revisions before approval. This is normal. Most first-time submissions get comments, and responding correctly determines whether you wait weeks or months for your permit. The key is understanding exactly what the examiner wants, addressing every single comment, and resubmitting complete revised drawings with a clear response letter. Skip any comment or submit incomplete revisions, and you start the review cycle over again.

Why Toronto Building Sends Comments

Toronto Building assigns your application to plan examiners who review drawings against the Ontario Building Code, Toronto zoning bylaws, and any applicable standards like the Toronto Green Standard. These examiners check structural adequacy, fire safety, accessibility requirements, energy compliance, and zoning conformity. When something is missing, unclear, or non-compliant, they document it as a comment requiring your response.

Comments fall into several categories. Zoning comments address setbacks, lot coverage, height, and permitted uses. Architectural comments cover building code compliance for exits, guards, fire separations, and accessibility. Structural comments request engineering details, load calculations, or connection specifications. HVAC comments deal with mechanical systems and energy efficiency. You might receive comments from one discipline or several, depending on your project scope and the completeness of your original submission.

Reading and Interpreting Examiner Comments

Toronto Building sends comments through the Application Status portal or by email to the applicant of record. Each comment includes a reference number, the discipline it relates to, and a description of what needs to be addressed. Some comments are straightforward requests for missing information. Others cite specific code sections and require you to demonstrate compliance.

Before you start revising, read every comment carefully and identify what each one actually asks for. A comment saying "provide guard details at deck" means you need to show guard height, post spacing, infill specifications, and connection details on your drawings. A comment citing "OBC 9.10.14" is telling you to review that specific fire separation requirement and show how your design meets it. If any comment is unclear, contact the examiner directly for clarification before spending time on revisions that might miss the mark.

Common Comment Types and What They Mean

• "Provide calculations" means submit engineering or energy calculations, often requiring a professional engineer's seal
• "Clarify on drawings" means the information exists but is unclear, so add notes, dimensions, or callouts
• "Does not comply with [code section]" means your design violates a requirement and must be redesigned or justified with an alternative solution
• "Show on all affected drawings" means update every sheet where this element appears, not just one
• "Confirm with Zoning" means you need to resolve a zoning issue, possibly requiring a variance application

Preparing Your Revision Package

A proper revision package includes updated drawings, any new calculations or reports requested, and a response letter that addresses every comment individually. The response letter is critical. It tells the examiner exactly where to find your response on the revised drawings and confirms you understood what was being asked.

Format your response letter as a table or numbered list matching the City's comment numbers. For each comment, state the comment number, summarize what was requested, and describe how you addressed it. Include specific drawing sheet numbers and detail references. For example: "Comment A-3: Guard details requested. Response: Guard details added to Sheet A-4, Detail 7, showing 42-inch height, maximum 4-inch sphere spacing, and post anchorage to deck framing."

Drawing Revision Best Practices

Update your title block revision number and date on every sheet you modify. Use revision clouds or triangles to highlight changed areas so examiners can quickly locate your responses. Keep a revision history on the title block or a separate revision log sheet. If you change something that affects multiple drawings, update all of them. Inconsistencies between sheets generate new comments and restart your review timeline.

When adding notes or specifications, be specific. Instead of "guard to code," write "guard: 42 inches high, 2x4 top rail, 2x2 pickets at 3.5 inches on center, posts at 6 feet on center anchored with Simpson HD5A ties." Specificity prevents follow-up questions and demonstrates you understand the requirements.

Resubmitting Through the Toronto Building Portal

Submit your revisions through the same Application Status portal where you received the comments. Upload revised drawings as PDFs, attach your response letter, and include any new supporting documents like engineer's letters or energy compliance reports. Name files clearly so examiners can identify what they are reviewing.

After resubmission, your application goes back into the review queue. Review times vary based on current workload at Toronto Building, but expect at least two to four weeks for residential projects and longer for complex commercial work. If you addressed all comments completely, you should receive approval or a permit ready notice. If comments remain unresolved or your revisions created new issues, you will receive another round of comments.

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The fastest path to permit approval is a complete first resubmission. Every incomplete response adds weeks to your project timeline.

When Comments Require More Than Drawing Changes

Some comments cannot be resolved with drawing revisions alone. Zoning non-compliance might require a Committee of Adjustment application for a minor variance, which adds months to your timeline. Structural concerns might require a professional engineer to provide sealed calculations or a site-specific design. Heritage properties in designated areas might need Heritage Planning approval before Toronto Building can continue its review.

If your project triggers these additional requirements, address them promptly. Your permit application typically stays open while you resolve parallel approvals, but extended delays can result in your application being closed. Communicate with your assigned examiner about expected timelines for resolving complex issues.

Working with Professionals on Revisions

If your original drawings were prepared by an architect, designer, or engineer, they should handle the revisions. They understand the original design intent and can make changes that maintain structural and code compliance. At PermitsHub, we prepare revision packages for projects we originally drew and can also take over revision responses for drawings prepared elsewhere when clients need help getting stuck applications across the finish line.

For comments requiring professional seals, such as structural engineering or HVAC design, you need a licensed professional to review and stamp those specific documents. Ontario law requires engineers and architects to take responsibility for work within their professional scope. Submitting unsealed documents when seals are required will generate additional comments.

Avoiding Multiple Revision Rounds

The most common reason for multiple revision rounds is incomplete responses. Applicants address some comments but miss others, or they provide partial information that prompts follow-up questions. Before resubmitting, review your response letter against the original comment list and confirm every item has a specific, documented response.

Another cause is creating new code violations while fixing old ones. Moving a window to address egress might create a new setback violation. Adding insulation to meet energy requirements might reduce ceiling heights below code minimums. Review your revisions holistically to ensure changes in one area do not create problems elsewhere.

• Check every comment off your list with a specific drawing or document reference
• Have someone else review your response letter for completeness
• Verify revised drawings are internally consistent across all sheets
• Confirm any new calculations match the revised design shown on drawings
• Double-check that professional seals and signatures are included where required

What Happens After Approval

Once all comments are resolved and your drawings are approved, Toronto Building issues a permit ready notice. You pay the remaining permit fees, and the City releases your building permit. Keep your approved stamped drawings on site during construction, as inspectors will reference them. If you need to make changes during construction that differ from approved drawings, you will need to submit a revision to your active permit, which goes through another review cycle.