Designer requirements

Important Information for Building permit applicants and designers

As of January 1, 2006 designers who prepare documents to be submitted with permit applications are required under the Building Code Act and who are not Licensed Architects or Professional Engineers must:

• Be registered with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing;
• Posess Provincial qualifications;
• Provide information about their qualification and registration on the permit application form and on all design documents.

Please refer to the Designer Qualification Summary for more information.

 

Registration and Qualifications Exemptions

• Designers are not required to be registered with the Ministry if they own the building they are designing, if they are a builder governed by the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act, or if the project is an addition to or alteration of a house.
• Designers are not required to qualified by the Ministry if they are designing a house or an accessory structure they own, or if the designer is designing a house or an accessory structure they own, or if the designer is designing for another person an accessory structure that serves a house provided the structure does not exceed 50m2 in area.
• The Designer Requirement Summary in our Guide for Homeowners summarizes the requirements for designers for most common types of buildings and identifies where exemptions for registration and/or qualifications apply.  The table is for your convenience only and reference should always be made to the Regulations.
• Licensed Architects and Professional Engineers are qualified and registered by the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) and Professional Engineers of Onatario (PEO) respectively, and are not required to be registered or qualified with the Ministry.

 

Information Required

All applications for construction must include the Ministry –approved Schedule 1- Designer Information for each designer taking responsibility for a design activity regardless of any exemption from qualifications as set out in subsection  3.2.4 of Division C.  Architects and Engineers are not required to complete Schedule 1:  Designer Information form.  In addition all documents submitted as part of an Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish must include designer’s information as follows:

 

• The person’s name and signature;
• The person’s BCIN/Registration
• A statement  that the person has reviewed and is taking responsibility for the design activities; and 
• A table of contents outlining the drawings and/or specifications contained within the document.

 

Where sets of drawings or specifications prepared by each designer contain more than one page, this information is only required on the first page.