Entrance Permit and Civic Address

You will also need to have an approved entrance permit and civic address in order to be issued a building permit. If the project is a new build and you do not have an existing entrance, fill out the application form and email a diagram of your entrance location for our roads department (roads@meaford.ca) to schedule a site visit and submit an application for your civic address to be issued. You will also need to pay the entrance permit and civic addressing fees at the Development Services Office located at 15 Trowbridge St W.

Click here for Entrance Permit Application Form 

 Lot Grading and Third Party

Your Grading and Drainage Plan will be reviewed by our third-party engineer to determine whether the proposed plan will negatively affect the neighbouring properties or municipal boulevard. Our third-party engineer will communicate with the applicants engineer until a desired grading and drainage plan is agreed upon through the use of a checklist. Submitted lot grading plans must include contact information (email address, phone number, etc. of designer.)

Building permit applications are not deemed to be complete until third party approved reviews have been submitted. 

• Grading By-Law 058-2010 and Grading By-law Amendment 085-2011

 Existing On-Site Sewage Evaluation

If your property utilizes an on-site sewage system (septic system) and you intend to use the existing septic system for your new project, your application must be accompanied by an approved septic system evaluation form. This is a desktop evaluation performed by the Building Services Department. These are a few items that may trigger a septic system evaluation.

• New Dwelling

• Addition to an existing building that is 15% or greater than the existing area of the dwelling

• Addition of fixtures to existing building

 Demolition Release Form

If you need to obtain a demolition permit, you will need to provide a demolition release form with the signatures of all applicable parties that are required to be communicated prior to the issuance of a permit. Included in the application the applicant must provide details where the debris will be removed to and how the site will be altered to be deemed safe once the debris is removed.

• Click here to view the Demolition Release Form

By-laws

If your project is subject to any of the following By-laws, please review to ensure compliance.  

• Building By-law 015-2012
  

• Swimming Pool Enclosure By-law 96-2009

• Zoning By-law

Other

Heritage Conservation District

• If your property falls within the Heritage Conservation District, you may require a Heritage Conservation Permit from the Municipality to complete your project. If you have any questions, please e-mail heritage@meaford.ca to learn more about Heritage Conservation Permits and guidelines.

 Grey Sauble Conservation Authority

• Many properties within the Municipality of Meaford are - or have a portion of land - designated as environmentally protected (EP) or as regulated lands. Prior to a permit being issued from the Municipality of Meaford's Building Department, those lands designated as EP or regulated lands must first have a development permit or an exemption from the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority. Please contact Grey Sauble Conservation Authority for more details.

Niagara Escarpment Commission

• Many properties within the Municipality of Meaford are under the Niagara Escarpment Commission's regulations. Prior to the Municipality of Meaford's Building Department being able to issue a permit on those lands designated as NEC, a development permit or an exemption from the Niagara Escarpment Commission is required. Please contact the NEC for more information.  

County of Grey

• Those properties which abut a county road must first receive an entrance permit from the County of Grey or have a legally existing entrance prior to the issuance of a building permit from the Municipality of Meaford. For more information on County entrance permits and requirements, please contact the County of Grey. 

Ministry of Transportation Ontario

• Those properties which abut a provincial highway must first receive an entrance permit from the Ministry of Transportation or have a legally existing entrance prior to the issuance of a building permit from the Municipality of Meaford.
• Those properties which abut a provincial highway or are within 600 feet of a highway must either receive a land use permit or an exemption from the MTO prior to the issuance of a building permit from the Municipality of Meaford. Please contact the MTO for more information. 

Ministry of Natural Resources

• Some situations require approval from the Ministry of Natural Resources prior to any development happening on certain land areas. To learn more on MNR approval and requirements, please contact the number listed above.  

Cloudpermit is an online permit application website (not an app) that allows the applicant to track their entire project, from submission of their application to the completion of the project. 

Cloudpermit is designed to better help homeowners, contractors and consultants submit their building permit application. Providing them the ease and comfort of tracking their application while communicating with Building Services staff anywhere they want. 

• Invite all parties involved in your project (contractors, consultants, trades, designers etc.) and communicate with anyone who is invited to the project through the message system. The messaging system will also notify all parties through email when there is a new message.
• Uploading attachments can be done by searching through your files and selecting the pdf or simply dragging the pdf into the drop box in Cloudpermit. Any revised drawings or documentation can be uploaded straight into the location of the previous submission, specifying it as the newest version. All original pdf’s submitted will be saved as a previous version.
• Issued permits can be downloaded right from your application page once the application has been approved by the CBO.
• Inspections can be booked easily through your application page once the permit has been issued. Inspection reports have never been easier to understand, with the ability to upload and view photos of deficiencies or documentation that are required to pass an inspection. 

When you have reached the payment part of your online application, we have set up the following options to serve you best:

1. Mail your payment via cheque to the 15 Trowbridge Street West, Meaford Ontario, Canada N4L 1V4. Please indicate "Building Services" on the envelope and include your name, address and roll number in your submission.
2. After hours, you can drop off your cheque and information to our drop box located at 21 Trowbridge Street W, Meaford.
3. Visit us in person and make your payment using cheque, debit or cash. The Development Services Office is located at 15 Trowbridge Street West, open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
4. Require some extra support? We have set up a self-serve kiosk at the front desk of the Development Services Office with a staff member there to walk you through the system and answer your questions.  

Click here to watch the instructional video on how to submit a building permit with Cloudpermit.

• Create a building permit application 
• Invite parties to an application
• Upload attachments to an application
• Sign off and submit a building permit application 
• Booking inspections 
• View inspection reports

A final inspection is required for all projects but may be completed during the same time as another inspection if no other work is outstanding. The project is not complete until all required documentation has been received and all inspections have passed. Please note that all deposits taken upon issuance of the permit will be returned once a final inspection has been passed and all applicable departments have provided confirmation with our Finance Department.  

For additional support, please visit Cloudpermit - Support

Building Permit Fees

Please refer to the 2025 Fees and Charges for up to date fees.

Payment Options:

• By Mail: Send a cheque to 15 Trowbridge St. W, Meaford, ON, N4L 1V4, labeled “Building Services,” with your name, address, and roll number.
• Drop Box: Leave your cheque at 21 Trowbridge St. W after hours.
• In Person: Pay by cheque, debit, or cash at the Development Services Office (15 Trowbridge St. W, Mon-Fri, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.).
• Need Help? A self-serve kiosk with staff assistance is available at the Development Services Office.

Important Notes:

• Building fees must be paid in full before permit issuance.
• 2023 payments or invoices may require recalculations for 2024 rate updates before permit issuance.

Development Charges 

Certain development projects in Meaford may require Development Charges, including:

• Constructing a new building
• Expanding an existing building to add residential units or increase non-residential floor area
• Redeveloping a property or changing its use through interior alterations

 Development Charges for the County of Grey apply only to new residential development.

Important Note:
2023 payments or invoices may require recalculations for 2024 rate updates before permit issuance. A revised invoice will be issued, and updated payment must be received before the permit is released.