Plumbing Permits in Mississauga

The entry in brief

Repairs and like-for-like replacements, such as swapping a faucet or a toilet in the same spot, generally do not need a permit. New plumbing usually does: adding a bathroom, moving fixtures, installing a backwater valve, altering drains, or extending water lines. When in doubt, ask the city's building division before you start. Gas work follows separate provincial rules.

What is going on

Plumbing rules in this province come from the Ontario Building Code, and permits in Mississauga are issued by the City's building division. The permit process exists so an inspector can see the work before it is covered, confirming slope, venting, materials and connections. Inspections usually happen at stages, such as rough-in and final.

Many applications are now made online. Requirements, fees and forms change from time to time, so check the City of Mississauga's building permit pages for the current process.

In order

1. Describe the job in one sentence: what is new, what is moving, and what is simply being replaced.
2. Check the city's guidance on which projects need a permit, or call the building division to ask.
3. If a permit is needed, gather drawings or a description of the plumbing layout. Simple jobs may need only a basic sketch.
4. Apply, pay the fee, and wait for issuance before covering any new work.
5. Call for each inspection the permit card names, and leave walls and floors open until the rough-in is passed.
6. Keep the final inspection record with your house documents.

Slips to avoid

• Closing up a wall before the rough-in inspection. You may be asked to open it again.
• Assuming a basement bathroom is "just a few pipes." It almost always needs a permit.
• Letting a contractor talk you out of a permit to save time.
• Forgetting that condominium corporations may have their own approval steps in addition to the city's.
• Mixing up Mississauga with neighbouring cities. Toronto, Brampton and Oakville each run their own permit offices.

When the ledger says phone

Call us when you are planning work that might need a permit and want a plain answer about what is involved. For simpler jobs that usually do not, such as a straight toilet installation in the same location, we can get on with it. For bigger projects, we explain the inspection stages and plan the work around them.

We keep a copy of permit numbers in the job note we leave behind, so whoever owns the house next can see what was done, when, and that it was inspected.

If your project touches the sewer lateral, it may also be a chance to check for root intrusion; see our note on tree roots and sewers.