Which builds need it?
The City: Hamilton is designated as a site plan control area. You will need final site plan approval before applying for a building permit for major building renovations, additions or for new construction related to these land use types: Industrial, Institutional, Commercial, Multiple residential and Agricultural greenhouses.
(City of Hamilton, Site Plan Approval, read November 5, 2026) The City's applicable law checklist marks a site plan application as required For non-residential applications
or Applications greater than 10 residential units
(City of Hamilton, Applicable Law Checklist, read November 5, 2026).
What does the City review?
How the whole site works, not the inside of the building. The City lists building design, the effect on neighbouring uses, where the buildings sit, overall site design, landscaping, pedestrian movement and barrier-free design, Grading, drainage and storm water management
, and parking, loading and vehicle access (City of Hamilton, Site Plan Approval, read November 5, 2026).
| Build | Site plan approval before the permit? |
|---|---|
| Commercial, industrial or institutional: major renovation, addition or new building | Yes |
| Multiple residential: more than 10 units | Yes |
| Agricultural greenhouses | Yes |
| A house, an addition to it, or an ADU | Not on the City's list |
How does it start?
With the zoning, then the drawings. The City's page points applicants to the Official Plan, the zoning by-law and a Zoning Compliance Review, its green building and urban design standards, and its engineering standards for servicing and stormwater. The Zoning Compliance Review in support of a site plan is $260 in 2026 (City of Hamilton, Planning Division Fees 2026, read November 5, 2026). A commercial site plan needs an architect or engineer's drawings; see who may draw the permit drawings.
Where does the building permit come in?
After. Final site plan approval comes first, then the building permit application, then its review against the Building Code and, for many commercial buildings, the Ontario Fire Code. The permit fee for commercial work is by floor area; retail finished space is $20.05 a square metre in the City's schedule, as what a building permit costs explains for houses. How JDT Construction Inc. runs a commercial job is on the commercial page.