The Township of Tiny cannot confirm whether a vacant lot is “buildable”. The reason for this is due to the many site specific circumstances for each lot and that the development of land deals with various departments and regulations. It is the responsibility of the owner and/or prospective purchaser to ensure they understand all regulations that would apply to building on the lot in question.
Building on a Vacant Lot
Is the property “buildable”?
To determine how a property is zoned please visit our Interactive Zoning Map. Please note, when searching a vacant lot, a Tax Assessment Roll Number will be required.
The zone standards for any proposed development must conform to the Zoning By-law at the time of building permit submission. Please consult the Zoning By-law webpage to determine permitted uses, setbacks, lot coverage, and building heights.
Please contact the Township Planning Department with any questions.
The Township of Tiny does not have any municipal sanitary sewers systems, therefore every property is serviced by an individual on-site sewage system (often referred to as a septic system or holding tank). It is critical for development to determine if the property is capable of being serviced by an individual on-site sewage system, including, but is not limited to, ensuring all minimum clearance distances are met.
The Township cannot confirm if a lot can be serviced by an individual on-site sewage (septic) system. Confirmation can be provided by a licensed sewage system designer, installer (contractor) or Engineer. Please be advised that we are also unable to provide any referrals to designers, installers or Engineers in the area.
Any new individual on-site sewage system must comply with the requirements of the Ontario Building Code (OBC). Specifically, Division B, Part 8 of the OBC. Some of these requirements can also be found in this On-site Sewage System Design Information (PDF) sheet.
Additional information and our individual on-site sewage system applications can be found on the Sewage System Department webpage.
The Township of Tiny owns and operates 16 Municipal drinking water systems in specific areas of the Township. All other properties are serviced by private wells. To inquire about Municipal water, please visit the Township Water Department webpage. For information on private wells, please visit the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks webpage.
Although most soil types can provide a base for your footings/slab on grade you should be aware of the water table elevation on your lot. A high-water table can limit the type of footing/foundation system that can be used and can create additional concerns in regards to soil bearing capacity and water displacement. To determine the soil type and water table level a test pit may be required along with services of a soils/geotechnical engineer.
How do I apply for permits?
Once you have satisfied yourself that the lot is “buildable”, you are ready to start the permit application process.
A qualified designer can help you with design and building plans. Residential designers must be qualified and registered with a Provincial B.C.I. Number or be a certified Engineer or Architect within the province of Ontario. Although a B.C.I.N. qualified designer can produce plans for you they are restricted to Part 9 of the Ontario Building Code meaning that any Part 4 design such as point loads, heavy timber, tall walls, slab on grade in most circumstances etc. must be prepared by a Professional Engineer.
A Lot Grading Plan may be required for your Building Permit application submission which must be designed by a qualified person as noted in our Lot Grading Plan Procedure (Professional Engineer or Certified Engineering Technologist). For more information on this please visit the Lot Grading webpage.
Permits are required for all structures as defined in the Ontario Building Code Act, Ontario Building Code and Township By-laws.
- Building Permit application packages and corresponding requirement checklists can be found on the Building Permit Applications webpage.
- Septic Permit application packages and corresponding requirement checklists can be found on the Septic Permit Applications webpage.
- Entrance Permit applications, information and department contacts can be found on the Entrance Permit Applications webpage.
- Water Connect Request forms (if applicable), information and department contacts can be found on the Water Connections and Accounts webpage.
Development Charges are applicable on all undeveloped lots. For further information, please refer to the Development Charges webpage.
Lot Grading Deposit is required at the time of Building Permit application submission to ensure the Township receives a satisfactory Lot Grading Plan Certificate indicating satisfactory completion of the grading and drainage works at the end of the project. This deposit is required to be paid by the Owner of the property. Upon receipt of the Lot Grading Plan Certificate by the Chief Building Official and provided all criteria of this Procedure have been met and the occupancy of the building has been granted, the Owner shall apply in writing for the release of the Lot Grading Deposit, without interest. For more information on this please visit the Lot Grading webpage.
Building Permit costs are calculated at the time of application. Consult the Township's current Fee By-law for more information.
Sewage System Permit costs can be found on the Sewage System webpage.
Other additional fees such as an Entrance Permit application fee and Municipal Water connection fee may apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Factory Built Homes
Factory built homes are permitted provided they meet CSA Z240.2.1 or CSA A277 standards.Container Home
Container homes would require engineering for structural reasons and can create additional difficulties in meeting Ontario Building Code requirements in regards to air barrier systems, energy efficiency and required room sizes.Zoning By-law
The zone standards for any proposed development must conform to the Zoning By-law at the time of building permit submission. Please consult the Zoning By-law webpage to determine permitted uses, setbacks, lot coverage, and building heights.A Minor Variance Application is a tool that can be used by landowners when the requirements of the Zoning By-law cannot be met for one reason or another. Minor variances are reviewed and decided upon by the Committee of Adjustment, a Committee appointed by Council for this purpose. An application may be approved, approved with conditions, or denied. Ultimately, all decisions are at the discretion of the Committee.
The Committee of Adjustment considers the merits of an application based on four tests:
- That the variance conforms to the Township Official Plan;
- That the variance conforms to the general intent and purpose of the Township Zoning By-law;
- That the variance is desirable for the appropriate development and use of the land; and
- That the variance is minor in nature.
Each minor variance is considered on a site-by-site basis, and every application is unique. The process for a simple minor variance application typically takes two to three months. This process includes a 20-day appeal period, which begins after the decision of the Committee has been made. Like other Planning Act applications, minor variance decisions can be appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT).
There is no Conservation Authority jurisdiction within the Township limits.
The Township has no tree cutting by-law, however we recommend that you confirm ownership boundaries before any trees are cut.
The County of Simcoe has a Forest Conservation By-law which applies to properties that are larger than 1.0 hectares. For more information please visit Simcoe County's Forest Conservation By-law webpage.
The Township does not keep an inventory of previously completed surveys.
If a survey has been completed on a property, it may be available to purchase through Land Survey Records Inc., otherwise you will have to contact an Ontario Land Surveyor to have a new one completed at your cost.
Please be advised, if your property is waterfront, an older survey may not include the 178 metre contour line. The Zoning By-law includes setback requirements from the flood hazard limit associated with Georgian Bay. This limit is established at the 178.0 metre elevation. An up-to-date survey may be required.