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Permit guideHamiltonBuilding PermitsDecks & Porches

Deck and porch permits

A building permit is required for any-sized deck or porch (covered or uncovered) where it is attached to a building, and for a detached deck or porch depending on its size, its height above adjacent grade and whether it is covered.

From Hamilton’s own pages, checked Oct 2026.

  1. Check whether you need a permit

    • 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.
    • A Building Permit is required for a deck or porch that is attached to the principal dwelling.
    • A Building Permit is required for a deck or porch that is used with a swimming pool.
    • A building permit is required for any-sized deck or porch (covered or uncovered) where it is attached to a building.
    • A building permit is required for a detached uncovered deck or porch greater than 10 sq.m (≈ 108 sq ft). and more than 200 mm (≈ 7⅞ in) above adjacent grade.
    • A building permit is required for a detached covered deck or porch greater than 10 sq.m (≈ 108 sq ft). regardless of height above adjacent grade.
    • A building permit is required for a detached deck or porch (covered or uncovered) less than or equal to 10 sq.m (≈ 108 sq ft). where it is adjacent to or associated with a door to the building and more than 600 mm (≈ 1 ft 11⅝ in) above adjacent grade.
    • The replacement or installation of new guards (railings) require a building permit.
    • If you are unsure if your deck or porch requires a building permit, please contact the Building Division at 905-546-2720.
    Where a building permit is not required

    In cases where a Building Permit is not required, all porches and decks must still meet:

    • Zoning By-law requirements
    • All other applicable regulations

  2. Prepare your plans0 of 12

    You will need to submit:

    You need an account to see these 12 items.It’s free. Use Sign in at the top of the page to create one, then tick the items off on any device and print them as a checklist.

  3. Complete the forms3

    Complete and sign all required forms electronically. Fillable forms are available online.

  4. Submit your application

    Applications can now be submitted online by property owner, or agent acting on behalf of the owner.

    • Step 1: Create a City of Hamilton Account (my.hamilton.ca)
    • You will need to create an account at my.hamilton.ca/
    • Step 2: Access the Customer Portal
    • After signing in to my.hamilton.ca, select the Building Permits category to create your Customer Portal account.
    • Once you are setup on the Customer Portal, navigate to Getting Started and select Permitting & Inspections to apply, for a Building Permit and follow the steps.
    • Visit my.hamilton.ca/ and select the Building Permits category. Navigate to Getting Started and select Permitting & Inspections. Select an action and follow the steps.
    • Submit all documents in PDF format. Plans and drawings must be submitted as vector-based PDFs (not scanned copies).
    • PDF files must not be password protected or secured.
    • Complete and sign all required forms electronically. Fillable forms are available online.
    • Combine related plans or drawings into a single PDF (for example, all architectural drawings in one file and all structural drawings in another).
    • If your drawings contain multiple layers, flatten them into a single layer before submitting.
    • All drawings must be drawn to scale.
    • Remove all comments, markups, and annotations from your PDFs before submitting. Any text added as a PDF comment must be flattened into the document or removed.
    • Submit drawings and specifications in black and white. Colour renderings or photographs may be included as supporting information but cannot replace the required plans.
    • Convert electronic files (such as DWG or DOCX) directly to PDF. Please avoid printing documents and scanning them back into PDF format, as this can reduce quality.
    • Ensure all plans and drawings include the information required by the City of Hamilton Building By-law 15-058, as amended.
    • If you are resubmitting documents in response to review comments, include a version number in the file name (for example, Site Plan v2 orFloor Plan v3).
    • If you are applying for a Residential (one-2 dwelling units) or Other permit applications, you can combine all of your drawings into a single PDF for submission.

  5. Pay the fee

    Permit Fee = SI x A, where SI is the Service Index for the classification of the work proposed and A is the floor area in m2 of work involved.

    • You must pay permit fees when you submit your Building Permit application.
    • Building permit fees are payable online through the City’s application portal.
    • A building permit application is not considered accepted until full payment has been received by the City of Hamilton.
    • Permit fees shall be rounded off to the nearest full dollar.
    • Fees noted in the Schedule are subject to Harmonized Sales Tax (H.S.T.) where applicable
    • Minimum permit fee of $291 for processing and issuance of permits, except where specifically noted otherwise in this By-law.
    • Deck, balcony, open porch, stairs: $5.36 per m2 (≈ $0.50 per sq ft)

Written from Hamilton’s own pages as published on 19 October 2026. The municipality decides what a permit needs: confirm with it before you apply. Legal notice

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