The most common frustration we hear from investors isn’t about cost. It’s about time. And most of that frustration comes from expectations set by someone who quoted the legislated review period as if it were the whole process.
This post gives you the real picture, based on what we see on our own projects across the GTA, Hamilton and Southern Ontario.
First, Understand the “Official” Timeline
The Ontario Building Code sets review periods for complete permit applications:
| Building type | Legislated review period |
|---|---|
| House (no unit stacked above another) | 10 business days |
| Small building (other Part 9, e.g. most stacked triplex/fourplex conversions) | 15 business days |
| Large building (Part 3) | 20 business days |
| Complex building | 30 business days |
Three things investors need to know about these numbers:
- The clock starts only when the application is deemed complete. Missing forms, schedules or reports mean the clock hasn’t started.
- The clock covers the first review only. Once the examiner issues comments, those timeframes no longer apply to your file.
- It’s 15 business days — not 15 days of design. Everything before submission sits outside that number.
Timeline A: Typical Triplex or Fourplex Conversion (GTA / Hamilton)
- Initial call and proposal — 1 to 3 days. We review the address, zoning and your goals, and send a written scope.
- Site visit and building scan — usually within 1 to 2 weeks of signing, depending on tenant access.
- Existing (as-built) drawings — 1 to 2 weeks.
- Zoning review and feasibility — about 1 week. If a minor variance is needed, add 3 to 6 months here.
- Proposed layouts and client approval — 2 to 3 weeks. This depends heavily on how quickly you sign off.
- Consultants: structural, HVAC, energy efficiency — 2 to 4 weeks, running alongside the design.
- Permit drawings finalized and submitted — about 1 week.
- Intake and completeness check — a few days to 2 weeks, depending on the municipality.
- First review and comments — legislated 15 business days; in practice, 3 to 8 weeks.
- Revisions and resubmission — 2 to 6 weeks per round. Most projects need 1 to 2 rounds.
- Fees paid and permit issued — about 1 to 2 weeks.
Realistic total: about 3 to 6 months from site visit to permit, without a minor variance. Add 3 to 6 months if one is needed.
Timeline B: Typical Commercial-to-Residential Conversion
- Initial call and feasibility discussion — 1 week.
- Site visit and building scan — 1 to 2 weeks. Larger buildings may need more than one visit.
- Existing drawings — 2 to 4 weeks.
- Zoning, use permissions and code strategy — 2 to 4 weeks. Part 3 analysis, exiting, fire separations, sprinkler and fire alarm requirements.
- Planning approvals, if needed — this is the big variable:
- Minor variance: 3 to 6 months
- Zoning by-law amendment: often 9 to 18 months
- Site plan approval: often 6 to 18 months
- Record of Site Condition, where a change to residential triggers one: can add 6 to 12+ months
- Design development and client approval — 4 to 8 weeks.
- Full consultant team — structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, fire alarm and energy: 6 to 12 weeks.
- Permit submission and completeness check — 1 to 2 weeks.
- First review and comments — legislated 20 business days for most Part 3 buildings; in practice, 6 to 12 weeks.
- Revisions and resubmission — 4 to 8 weeks per round. Two or three rounds are common.
- Permit issued — sometimes in stages (for example, a demolition or interior partial permit first).
Realistic total: about 6 to 12 months with no planning approvals. Often 12 to 24+ months when planning approvals are needed.
Why Some Cities Are Slower Than Others
- Volume. Large municipalities receive thousands of applications. Your file waits in a queue.
- Staffing. Examiner shortages and turnover slow everything down.
- Internal circulation. Some cities send files to zoning, engineering, fire and others before or during building review.
- Local policies. Some municipalities require extra documents at intake that others don’t.
We’ve worked with dozens of Southern Ontario municipalities, so we build these differences into the timeline we give you upfront.
What Slows Projects Down (That You Control)
- Taking weeks to approve layouts
- Changing the unit count or layout after consultants have started
- Delaying tenant access for the site visit
- Not paying consultant retainers on time
- Starting work before the permit is issued (which can trigger an order and stall everything)
How Rojas Empire of Design Keeps Timelines Tight
- A realistic timeline at the start, based on your municipality and building type.
- Consultants engaged early and coordinated so drawings go in complete.
- Complete submissions, so the review clock starts on day one.
- Fast, clear responses to examiner comments, to keep resubmission rounds to a minimum.
Final Thoughts
Nobody can make a slow city fast. What you can do is avoid adding your own delays, submit a complete package the first time and plan your financing and tenant timelines around realistic numbers.
Want a timeline for your specific project? Send us the address and what you’re planning. We’ll map it out step by step.
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