Basement Renovations

General Information

You do not need a building permit for the following:

Note: A finished basement must comply with the Ontario Building Code and Oshawa's Zoning By-Law.

For complaints about construction without a building permit, please call 905-436-3311 x 2290 or email [email protected]

You must have a minimum ceiling height of 6 ft 11 in. You can reduce the ceiling height to 6 ft 5 in underneath your beams and ducts.
Doors must have a gap under them for rooms without return air ductwork.
Each bedroom needs natural light. The total window area must be 5% of the room's floor area.
Windows in walls that are closer than 4 ft to the property line require a fire rating protection of 45 minutes.
The main exhaust fan in a house with not more than five bedrooms must comply with the Ontario Building Code. If there are more than five bedrooms, you need a qualified designer to determine if your mechanical system is sufficient.
There must be a smoke alarm in each bedroom and in each hallway leading to the bedrooms.

The entire building shall be a "single housekeeping establishment" with inside access throughout the entire building.
There are no extra cooking facilities in the building.