Burlington deck permits · Reformity Inc.Deck Permit Drawings in Burlington
Usually, yes. Burlington requires a building permit for a deck attached to a house or other structure, a detached deck over 10 m² (108 sq ft), any deck over 600 mm (2 ft) above grade and any covered deck, and the zoning review (Pre-Building Approval) comes first.
We prepare and submit your permit drawings to the City of Burlington, then build to the approved plan.
Do you need a permit?
Deck permit rules in Burlington.
Burlington checks a deck's zoning before the building permit, and the limits depend on which of its two zoning by-laws covers your lot. Under Residential Zoning By-law 09-2026, a deck up to 1.2 m high stays 1.8 m from the rear lot line and 0.6 m from interior side lot lines, a taller one needs 4.5 m at the rear, and decks 0.6 m or higher keep 14 m from a lot line on the QEW, 403 or 407. Above the first storey, decks off a wall facing an interior side or rear yard are allowed in the LN1 to LN7 zones only in Alton and Orchard.
Checked against the City of Burlington's own by-laws and pages in November 2026. Rules change, so we confirm them for your address before we draw.
When you need a permit
A permit is required before construction if the deck is attached to a house or other structure, is detached and over 10 m² (108 sq ft), stands more than 600 mm (2 ft) above grade, or has a roof. Unsure? Call 905-335-7731.
City of Burlington: decks, porches and patiosSetbacks under By-law 09-2026
Platform up to 1.2 m high: 1.5 m from front and exterior side lot lines, 0.6 m from interior side, 1.8 m from rear. Over 1.2 m, up to the first storey: 1.5 m front and exterior side, the principal building setback from interior side lot lines, and 4.5 m from rear.
Residential Zoning By-law 09-2026, s.5.4 (Oct 2026 consolidation, PDF)Setbacks under By-law 2020
Decks over 60 cm can't go in a front yard. Up to 1.2 m high: 3 m from a street line, 1.8 m rear, 1.2 m side. Over 1.2 m and up to 15 m²: 4.5 m street and rear, 1.8 m side; over 15 m² (30 m² max): 6 m, 6 m and 3 m. Decks can cover up to 50% of their yard.
Zoning By-law 2020, Part 1, Table 1.2.1 (May 2026, PDF)Highway, creek and pipeline lots
Under By-law 09-2026, decks 0.6 m or higher count as structures. Structures keep 14 m from a lot line abutting Highway 403, 407 or the QEW, 7.7 m from a TransCanada pipeline right-of-way, and usually 7.5 m from creek-block (O2/O3) zones (15 m or 3 m in some cases).
Residential Zoning By-law 09-2026, office consolidation Oct 2026: Part 4 and ss.5.43–5.46 (PDF)Zoning review comes first
File a Pre-Building Approval Application with Community Planning (emailed to zoning@burlington.ca) before the building permit. Approval can take up to 4 to 6 weeks; for a deck, the City lets you apply for the building permit before the zoning certificate is issued.
City of Burlington: Pre-Building Approval Application
What the city asks for
The Burlington application.
Issued by: City of Burlington Building Department (building permit), after the Community Planning Department's Pre-Building Approval zoning review. We put the package together, submit it and keep you posted.
Documents
- Pre-Building Approval Application with the deck zoning checklist, plus the forestry and grading checklists where they apply
- OLS survey (an existing one may be accepted for a deck)
- Zoning drawings: site plan with setbacks (plus lot coverage under 09-2026, or the deemed street width under 2020), platform plan with area, four elevations with platform height
- Provincial Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish, with designer schedules and BCIN
- Permit site plan: deck location, dimensions and setbacks to property lines
- Plan view: footing sizes and spacing, joists, beams, stair framing and decking
- Sections/elevations: house, beam, post and below-grade footing connections, and guards
- Guards other than SB-7 wood guards: engineered, sealed assembly and connection details with a test report; BMEC approval or a Minister's Ruling for innovative products such as composite decking or helical piles
How it goes
- 1We measure the yard, confirm which zoning by-law covers your lot, and check setbacks, easements and any Conservation Halton, NEC, highway or pipeline limits.
- 2We draw the zoning set (site plan, platform plan, elevations with platform height) and file the Pre-Building Approval Application.
- 3We prepare the permit drawings to the City's deck checklist: site plan, framing plan, sections, footing and guard details.
- 4We email the package to buildingpermits@burlington.ca as vector PDFs; the City replies with the fee, due within two days, and reviews a complete application within 10 business days.
- 5With the permit card posted and approved drawings on site, we book each inspection directly with the assigned inspector on 48 hours' notice.
- Processing time
- Building permit: plan review within 10 business days of a complete application, then the permit is issued or a status report lists what's missing. Pre-Building Approval (zoning): up to 4–6 weeks at current volumes.
- Inspections
- The permit card names your inspector, and you receive a checklist of required inspections; book each directly with 48 hours' notice and don't cover work until that stage is reviewed. A final inspection closes the permit, and the checklist issued with your permit sets which stages are inspected.
Deck drawing — framing plan — Framing plan, section through the deck and elevation. Illustrative sample sheet. Click to enlarge.
Deck drawing — elevations & details
Permit drawings included
We prepare and submit your permit drawings.
A site plan with setbacks, a framing plan, a section through the deck, and footing, guard and stair details, drawn to the City of Burlington's checklist and submitted with your application.
- Dimensions to your lot lines
- Materials, sizes and spacing
- Footing and base sections
- Code notes for the inspector
Decking · real projects
Recent decking jobs across the GTA.
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Burlington deck permit FAQ
Quick answers.
Not if it meets every condition on the City's exemption list: detached, less than 10 m² (108 sq ft), less than 60 cm above grade measured from the top of the adjacent walking surface, not covered, and serving a house. A deck attached to the house needs a permit at any size. If you're unsure, the Building Department at 905-335-7731 can confirm.
Yes. On lots under By-law 09-2026, privacy screens are allowed on any porch, deck or balcony up to 1.8 m above its floor. Under Zoning By-law 2020: at most 2.5 m above grade and 1.8 m above the platform, on two sides only, 9 m from the street, 1 m from side and 1.5 m from rear lot lines, and 12 m combined length per unit.
Yes, with extra paperwork. The City says innovative materials such as composite decking or aluminum guards may not be recognized by the Ontario Building Code; for those products you need a CCMC approval and Minister's Ruling, or a BMEC approval, and a copy of the report goes in with the application. Steel, aluminum and glass railings need an engineered design, and any guard other than an SB-7 wood guard needs sealed assembly and connection details plus a test report.
Send the form on this page or call 437-241-6287. We reply within one business day, visit to measure, prepare the drawings for the City of Burlington, submit the application and give you a fixed written price for the work.
Let us handle the Burlington permit.
We measure, draw it to the City of Burlington's rules, submit the application and build to the approved plan. One business-day reply.
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