Home Renovations

Home renovations must be planned in advance…

… both indoors and out!

To undertake home renovations, whether indoors or outdoors, you must first consult the municipality and, in most cases, obtain a building permit or a certificate of authorization issued by the Urban Planning Department. A permit or certificate is required for most renovation work, including:

• Installing a fence
• Installing a pool (in-ground or above-ground)
• Installing a hot tub
• Installing a heat pump
• Installing a garden shed
• Installing a temporary structure
• Installing a sign
• Replacing a fireplace or wood-burning appliance
• Excavating the ground
• Expanding or redoing a parking area
• Building a balcony
• Building a patio
• Expanding, modifying, or constructing a building
• Moving, repairing, or demolishing a structure

Learn about the applicable regulations

The provisions applicable to home renovations are found in the following by-laws that make up the Town’s planning by-laws:

• Zoning By-law No. 90-58
• Building By-law No. 90-60
• Permit and certificate By-law No. 90-61
• By-law URB-2 on Site Planning and Architectural Integration

The By-law, in a nutshell

The following text is a brief summary of the key regulatory requirements for home renovations in Kirkland. The details below are for information purposes only and are not to be construed as legally binding.

The Urban Planning Department that is responsible for ensuring compliance with the planning by-law can help you better understand its requirements.

Zoning, subdivision, construction

Planning by-laws apply to all home renovation projects in the Town’s territory, whether for zoning, subdivision, construction or SPAIP. There are many provisions that are applicable and ignoring them at the beginning of a new project could prove quite costly. The Urban Planning Department can help you in this matter. Do not hesitate to call on their expertise.

Site Planning and Architectural Integration Program (SPAIP)

By-law URB-2 on Site Planning and Architectural Integration in residential, commercial and industrial zones helps provide better consistency throughout the various residential, commercial and industrial areas, by ensuring that all new constructions or major modifications to existing buildings blend well with the neighbourhood.

Issuance of a building permit for home renovations is subject to By-law No. URB-2 on SPAIP, when the project includes an extension where the additional floor area added to that of the existing building exceeds 25% of the average floor area of neighbouring residential buildings.

The Urban Planning Department staff can assist you with this issue and help you understand the different steps in the SPAIP approval procedure.

Applying for a permit

A building permit application form is available at the Urban Planning Desk at Town Hall or can be downloaded by clicking here.

In the case of a building permit for modifying an existing dwelling, the request must be accompanied by the following documents:

• A copy of the property’s certificate of location;
• Two copies of the detailed construction plans signed and sealed by an architectural technologist, an architect or an engineer, depending on the project;
• Samples showing the exact colour and texture of the exterior materials that will be used;
• Pictures - in the case of an extension or modification affecting the look of the building;
• Any other document ie. texts, maps, plans, architectural sketches, scale models, visual simulations, drawings or audio-visual material, which the applicant may deem appropriate in support for the request.

Processing Period

A permit for a new construction typically takes 3 to 6 weeks to process. However, where it is required that the request be submitted to the Planning

Advisory Committee for recommendation, the process will generally take 6 to 8 weeks as the Municipal Council must rule on the Committee’s recommendation and the building permit may only be issued once the Council resolution authorizes its delivery.

Applicable Fees

Building permit fees are payable at the time of application and are based on the estimated construction cost, as per the following rate:

• $8.00 per $1,000

If issuing the permit requires the approval of a Site Planning and Architectural Integration Plan (SPAIP), additional fees of $250 will be added to the cost of the permit for reviewing and processing the application. These fees are also payable at the time of application.

Demolition of an existing building

When the construction planned requires the demolition of an existing building, a demolition authorization must first be obtained in the form of a certificate issued in accordance with By-law No. 2007-54 on the demolition of buildings. This by-law is applicable to the demolition of all residential, commercial and industrial buildings throughout the Kirkland territory.