For a facility manager, pulling a permit isn’t just a paperwork step tacked onto the start of a project. It’s one more responsibility layered onto a role that already doesn’t pause for anything , and it’s made harder by the fact that the ICI permit process works differently than the residential process most people are more familiar with. Here’s a practical walkthrough of how it actually unfolds.

Step 1: Confirm What Actually Triggers a Permit

Under Ontario’s Building Code Act, a permit is generally required for structural work, additions, changes in a building’s use, and most mechanical, electrical, or plumbing work above a basic threshold. Routine maintenance and repair that doesn’t touch structural elements or regulated systems typically doesn’t require one. Getting this distinction right at the outset avoids two expensive mistakes: applying for a permit you didn’t need, or , far worse , proceeding without one you did.

Step 2: Talk to the Municipality Before You Apply

It’s worth a conversation with the local building department before submitting a formal application. Staff can flag what drawings and documentation they’ll expect and whether additional approvals apply to your project. This step is easy to skip, and it’s often exactly where avoidable delays get built into the timeline.

Step 3: Assemble the Application Package

A typical ICI application includes architectural and engineering drawings, a site plan, and zoning confirmation. For ICI projects specifically, fire code compliance and AODA accessibility documentation are also usually required , requirements that don’t come up on a residential permit. Structural drawings need to be prepared by a licensed engineer; incomplete or non-compliant documentation is consistently the leading cause of permit rejection and resubmission cycles.

Step 4: Submit and Navigate the Review Process

Once submitted, municipal review timelines vary by project complexity , generally in the range of roughly 10 business days for simpler applications, extending to around 30 days for more complex buildings. Comment-and-resubmission cycles are a normal part of the process rather than a sign something went wrong, but each cycle adds time, which is why a complete, well-prepared submission matters more than almost anything else in this process.

Step 5: Post the Permit and Prepare for Inspections

Once issued, the permit needs to be posted on-site, and the project moves into a schedule of mandatory inspections at prescribed stages of construction. Inspections generally require 24 to 48 hours’ advance notice. One detail facility managers should confirm early: who is actually named as the permit holder responsible for booking inspections. It’s often the contractor, but the facility manager needs to know exactly who that is on their project , if nobody is clearly responsible for booking an inspection, it simply doesn’t happen.

Managing Inspections in an Occupied Building

This is where ICI projects diverge sharply from the vacant-site process most permit guides assume. Facility managers are rarely working on an empty lot , they’re coordinating inspections inside a building that’s still operating, with staff, tenants, or the public present. That means scheduling inspection windows around business hours, giving advance notice to anyone affected, and maintaining safe, unobstructed access for the inspector without disrupting the building’s day-to-day operations. None of this is complicated in isolation, but it adds a layer of coordination that a straightforward new-build project doesn’t have to think about.

What Happens If an Inspection Fails or a Permit Is Violated

A failed inspection isn’t treated as a dispute , it’s corrected and rebooked, sometimes with a re-inspection fee attached. The more serious risk is proceeding without a required permit or ignoring a stop-work order, which under the Building Code Act can carry significant penalty exposure, in addition to forced work stoppage and potential requirements to undo completed work. Fees, timelines, and penalty amounts vary by municipality and project classification, so it’s worth confirming the specifics for your jurisdiction rather than assuming they match a neighbouring municipality.

The Bottom Line

The ICI permit and inspection process is manageable step-by-step, but it’s easiest to get right with a team that runs through it regularly rather than a facility manager encountering it for the first time on top of an already full workload.

For property owners and facility managers working through this process, GEN-PRO is a general contractor Ontario facility teams have relied on since 1998, with direct, hands-on experience managing permits and inspections across ICI contracting projects throughout the province.