Do You Need a Survey or Site Plan for a Canadian Permit?

If you are applying for a building permit in Canada, you may be asked for a survey, a site plan, a plot plan, or sometimes a Real Property Report. These terms can be confusing because they all relate to the property layout, but they do not mean the same thing.

For many homeowner permit projects, a clear site plan is enough to show the proposed work. For other projects, especially those close to property lines or involving legal boundary questions, a current survey may be required.

This guide explains the difference between a survey and a site plan, when each one is usually needed, and how to decide what to prepare for your Canadian permit application.

siteplans.ca prepares professional site plans for Canadian homeowners, builders, designers, and property professionals. If your municipality asks for a site plan, plot plan, or permit drawing, we can help prepare a clear layout showing the property, existing structures, proposed work, setbacks, driveway, easements, and other site details.

Quick Answer

For many residential permit applications, you usually need a site plan. A site plan shows the property from above and explains where the proposed work will go.

You may need a survey when exact legal boundary information is required, the project is close to a property line, the municipality specifically asks for a survey, or the property has boundary, easement, encroachment, sale, financing, or legal issues.

In simple terms:

• Site plan: best for showing proposed work for permit review.
• Survey: best for legal boundary accuracy and existing property confirmation.
• Both: useful when a survey is used as the base and the proposed work is added for permit review.

What the Image Shows

The image above compares a survey plan and a site plan for a Canadian permit. The survey side focuses on legal property information, accurate boundaries, existing buildings, measurements, and surveyor-prepared details. The site plan side focuses on permit review: proposed work, setbacks, existing structures, driveway access, landscaping, notes, and a clear layout for the municipality.

The image also shows when a survey is usually required and when a site plan is usually enough. This is the key decision homeowners need to make before submitting a permit package.

What Is a Site Plan?

A site plan is a drawing that shows the layout of a property from above. It helps the municipality understand what already exists on the lot and where the proposed work will be located.

A permit site plan may show:

• property lines and lot dimensions;
• existing house and structures;
• proposed addition, deck, shed, garage, pool, porch, carport, or other work;
• front, side, and rear yard setbacks;
• driveway, parking, and access;
• walkways, entrances, decks, patios, and hard surfaces;
• easements and rights-of-way where known;
• utilities and services where relevant;
• grading or drainage direction where required;
• north arrow, scale, legend, labels, and notes.

City of Toronto’s residential permit guidance says a survey or site plan should show property lines, lot area, rights-of-way or easements, existing and proposed buildings, overall dimensions, setback dimensions, and zoning information such as lot area, building area, coverage, and grade elevations. [1]

What Is a Survey?

A survey is a more formal property document prepared by a licensed land surveyor. It is used when accurate legal boundary information is needed. Depending on the province, project, and purpose, a survey may show property boundaries, buildings, structures, easements, encroachments, rights-of-way, survey monuments, and other measured property details.

A survey may show:

• legal property boundaries;
• bearings and distances;
• survey monuments or markers;
• existing house location;
• garage, shed, deck, fence, or other structures;
• registered easements or encumbrances;
• rights-of-way;
• encroachments where identified;
• surveyor notes and certification;
• legal plan or title-related information.

The Association of Ontario Land Surveyors explains that a Surveyor’s Real Property Report is prepared to illustrate the location of buildings or structures relative to the boundaries of a unit of land and may also show physical features and registered encumbrances such as easements. [2]

Site Plan vs Survey: Main Difference

The main difference is the purpose.

A site plan is usually prepared for permit review. It explains the proposed project and how it fits on the property.

A survey is prepared to confirm accurate property information. It is used when boundary location, legal accuracy, existing structure location, easements, encroachments, or title-related details matter.

Question	Site Plan	Survey
Main purpose	Permit and zoning review	Legal boundary and property accuracy
Shows proposed work?	Usually yes	Not always
Prepared by	Designer, drafting service, homeowner, builder, or consultant	Licensed land surveyor
Used for permits?	Yes, often	Sometimes, especially when exact boundary information is required
Used for legal boundary confirmation?	No	Yes
Typical cost and time	Usually faster and lower cost	Usually more detailed, more expensive, and takes longer

When a Site Plan Is Usually Enough

A site plan is often enough when the municipality mainly needs to understand the proposed work and its relationship to property lines, existing structures, setbacks, access, and easements.

A site plan may be enough for many:

• deck permits;
• shed permits;
• garage permits;
• pool permits;
• carport permits;
• porch permits;
• driveway widening permits;
• basement entrance permits;
• small additions and renovations;
• retaining wall permits;
• accessory building permits.

City of Edmonton says a site plan for a home addition may be drawn on a Real Property Report, plot plan, or graph paper, and it must show the entire existing property so staff can understand where the proposed addition will be located. [3]

This means the municipality may not always require a new survey. For some projects, it may accept a clear site plan based on available property information, especially when the proposal is not close to a property line and no legal boundary issue is involved.

When a Survey Is Usually Required

A survey is more likely to be needed when exact boundary confirmation matters. This often happens when the proposed work is close to property lines, the lot is irregular, the boundary is unclear, or the municipality specifically requests a survey.

A survey may be required or strongly recommended when:

• the project is very close to a property line;
• the municipality specifically asks for a current survey;
• the boundary location is uncertain;
• there is a fence, driveway, shed, garage, deck, or building encroachment concern;
• there is a boundary dispute with a neighbour;
• the property is being sold, financed, or refinanced;
• a lawyer, lender, buyer, or municipality requires survey documentation;
• the project affects an easement, right-of-way, or restrictive covenant