Site Plan Requirements in Canada | Boundaries, Setbacks & Existing Structures

If you are applying for a building permit in Canada, your municipality may ask for a site plan before it can review the project properly. A site plan shows the property from above and explains how the proposed work fits on the lot. For many homeowners, the most important site plan requirements are simple: show the boundaries, show the setbacks, and show the existing structures.

A clear site plan helps reviewers understand what is already on the property, what you want to build, and whether the proposed work respects property lines, zoning rules, access, drainage, easements, and other site conditions.

siteplans.ca prepares professional site plans for Canadian homeowners, builders, designers, and property professionals. Whether you are planning a deck, shed, garage, pool, addition, porch, carport, basement entrance, driveway change, or other residential project, a clean site plan can help make the building permit package easier to review.

What Is a Site Plan?

A site plan is a scaled drawing that shows the layout of your property. It usually includes the lot lines, existing buildings, proposed work, setbacks, driveway, walkways, easements, utilities, landscaping, and other features that matter for permit review.

For building permits, a site plan helps the municipality check whether the proposed work fits on the property and follows the local rules. It also helps reviewers understand how the project relates to neighbouring lots, streets, lanes, services, and existing structures.

A typical Canadian building permit site plan may show:

property boundaries and lot dimensions;
municipal address and legal description where required;
existing house and accessory structures;
proposed addition, deck, garage, shed, pool, porch, or other work;
front, rear, interior side, and exterior side yard setbacks;
driveway, parking, walkway, and access layout;
easements, rights-of-way, or restrictive covenants where known;
utilities and service locations where relevant;
grading and drainage information where required;
north arrow, scale, labels, dimensions, and notes.

The image above shows the kind of layout reviewers often need to see. It includes property lines, lot dimensions, an existing house, a proposed addition, setback labels, driveway access, landscaping, open space, north arrow, and a checklist of common site plan items.

Why Boundaries, Setbacks, and Existing Structures Matter

Boundaries, setbacks, and existing structures are the core of a permit site plan because they answer three basic review questions:

Where is the property?
Where is the proposed work located?
How close is everything to the property lines and existing buildings?

City of Toronto’s homeowner building permit guide says a 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 coverage. [1]

City of Edmonton’s house permit application requirements list site plan details such as municipal address, legal description, north arrow, scale, property lines, property dimensions, streets and lanes, easements, rights-of-way, restrictive covenants, site depth, site width, and setbacks from proposed buildings. [2]

City of Calgary’s drawing standards say plans should include existing structures and spaces plus new construction, with labels and dimensions for buildings and spaces. [3]

City of Ottawa says a site plan must identify the existing house, other existing structures such as garages, sheds, and decks, and proposed additions or new structures. [4]

Requirement 1: Property Boundaries

Property boundaries, also called lot lines or property lines, show the legal outline of the parcel. These lines are the foundation of the site plan. Without them, the reviewer cannot properly check setbacks, lot coverage, access, easements, or the location of proposed work.

A site plan should usually show:

front lot line;
rear lot line;
side lot lines;
lot width;
lot depth;
street frontage;
lane frontage where applicable;
corner lot conditions where applicable;
property line dimensions where available.

Boundaries are especially important when the project is close to the edge of the property. If you are building near a side yard, rear yard, easement, fence, lane, or shared property line, the municipality may need a more accurate drawing or a current survey.

Where Boundary Information Comes From

Boundary information can come from several sources, depending on what is available and what the municipality requires.

Common sources include:

survey plan;
Real Property Report;
parcel fabric or municipal mapping;
property records;
title or plan documents;
homeowner measurements;
builder or designer notes;
previous permit drawings.

A basic site plan can often be prepared using available property information, but it is not the same as a legal boundary survey. If the exact boundary location is uncertain, or if the proposed work is very close to a property line, a licensed survey may be required.

Requirement 2: Lot Dimensions

Lot dimensions help reviewers understand the size and shape of the property. A rectangular lot is usually easier to draw and review. Irregular lots, corner lots, pie-shaped lots, and lots with lanes or easements may require more detail.

Important lot dimensions may include:

frontage width;
rear lot width;
left side lot depth;
right side lot depth;
lot area;
angled boundary dimensions;
curved frontage or cul-de-sac dimensions;
street and lane names.

Lot dimensions also help with zoning checks such as minimum lot width, lot coverage, landscaped area, parking layout, and building placement.

Requirement 3: Existing Structures

Existing structures show what is already on the property before the new work begins. This is one of the most common items missing from weak permit plans.

Existing structures may include:

main house;
attached garage;
detached garage;
shed or accessory building;
deck;
porch;
carport;
pool or hot tub;
patio or hard surface area;
retaining wall;
fence or gate;
walkway, stairs, or landing;
driveway and parking area.

Municipal reviewers need to know what already exists so they can understand the full site layout. For example, a proposed garage may comply with rear yard setbacks, but the reviewer may also need to see how it relates to the existing house, driveway, lane, deck, shed, and property lines.

Label Existing Structures Clearly

Do not make the reviewer guess what is existing and what is proposed. Use simple labels such as:

Existing House;
Existing Garage;
Existing Shed;
Existing Deck;
Existing Driveway;
Existing Fence;
Proposed Addition;
Proposed Garage;
Proposed Deck.

Clear labels reduce confusion and help prevent correction requests.

Requirement 4: Proposed Work

The proposed work should be shown with a clear footprint, dimensions, and label. This is the part of the plan that explains what you want permission to build.

Proposed work may include:

home addition;
new house;
garage;
shed;
deck;
porch;
pool;
carport;
basement entrance;
driveway widening;
secondary suite entrance;
garden suite or laneway house;
retaining wall;
patio cover or covered outdoor area.

The proposed work should be easy to spot on the drawing. Many site plans use a different hatch, outline, colour, or label to separate proposed work from existing structures.

Requirement 5: Setbacks

Setbacks are the distances between buildings or structures and the property lines. They are one of the first things municipal reviewers check because local zoning rules often control how close a project can be to the front, rear, and side lot lines.

A site plan may need to show:

front yard setback;
rear yard setback;
interior side yard setback;
exterior side yard setback on corner lots;
distance from proposed work to the existing house;
distance from proposed work to other structures;
distance from proposed work to an easement;
distance from proposed work to a lane or right-of-way.

For example, if you are building a shed in the backyard, the site plan should show how far the shed is from the rear lot line, side lot line, house, garage, deck, and any easement or lane that affects the property.

Front Yard Setbacks

The front yard setback is the distance from the front property line to the building or proposed structure. This matters for additions, porches, garages, carports, driveway changes, and some landscaping or entrance projects.

A site plan should clearly show the front yard and measure the distance from the front lot line to the relevant structure.

Rear Yard Setbacks

The rear yard setback is the distance from the rear property line to the proposed work. This is important for garages, sheds, decks, additions, pools, garden suites, and rear-lane projects.

Rear yard setbacks are often checked together with access, lot coverage, drainage, and privacy concerns.

Interior Side Yard Setbacks

An interior side yard is the side yard between your property and a neighbouring private property. Interior side yard setbacks matter for additions, side entrances, carports, decks, sheds, garages, and basement entrances.

If the proposed work is near the side boundary, the setback should be shown clearly on the plan.

Exterior Side Yard Setbacks

An exterior side yard usually applies to a corner lot where one side of the property faces a street. These setbacks can be different from interior side yard setbacks because the side yard has street exposure.

Corner lots may also need extra attention for driveways, sightlines, fences, porches, trees, and public sidewalks.

Requirement 6: Dimensions of Existing and Proposed Work

A site plan should not only show where structures are located. It should also show how large they are.

Useful dimensions include:

length and width of the proposed work;
overall house footprint dimensions;
garage or shed dimensions;
deck or porch dimensions;
driveway width and length;
distance between buildings;
distance from structures to lot lines;
lot dimensions and site area where required.

Dimensions help reviewers confirm whether the proposed work matches the application and whether the structure fits within the zoning rules.

Requirement 7: Driveway and Access

Driveways and access points are important because they affect parking, vehicle movement, garage access, lot coverage, drainage, and public right-of-way issues.

A site plan may show:

existing driveway;
proposed driveway changes;
vehicle access point;
garage or carport access;
rear lane access;
parking space location;
walkways and entrances;
curb cut or driveway apron where relevant.

If you are widening a driveway, adding a garage, creating a carport, or changing vehicle access, driveway details should be clear.

Requirement 8: Easements and Rights-of-Way

Easements and rights-of-way are areas where someone else may have a legal right to use part of the property. They can affect where you build and where you must keep access clear.

A site plan should show known:

utility easements;
drainage easements;
sewer easements;
stormwater easements;
access easements;
shared driveways;
laneway rights-of-way;
restrictive covenants where relevant.

Do not ignore easements. A shed, garage, addition, pool, or deck may be delayed if it is shown inside an easement that must remain clear.

Requirement 9: North Arrow and Scale

A north arrow helps reviewers orient the property. A scale helps them understand size and distance. These are basic drawing requirements, but they are easy to forget on homeowner sketches.

A permit-ready site plan should usually include:

north arrow;
drawing scale;
scale bar if helpful;
date of preparation;
property address;
title or project description;
clear legend and notes.

A site plan without a north arrow, scale, or clear dimensions may be returned for correction because reviewers cannot easily verify the layout.

Requirement 10: Grading and Drainage Information

Not every project needs a detailed grading plan, but some projects do need drainage or grade information. This is especially true for additions, new houses, garages, pools, retaining walls, driveway changes, and sites with slope or stormwater concerns.

A site plan may need to show:

existing grade direction;
proposed grade direction;
surface drainage arrows;
downspout direction;
swales or drainage paths;
retaining walls;
finished floor elevation where required;
stormwater connection points where known.

Drainage details help show that the proposed work will not create water problems for the house, neighbouring properties, sidewalks, lanes, or public drainage systems.

Requirement 11: Lot Coverage and Open Space

Some municipalities check lot coverage, landscaped area, or open space as part of the permit review. Lot coverage usually refers to how much of the property is covered by buildings or roofed structures.

A site plan may include:

lot area;
existing building coverage;
proposed new coverage;
total proposed lot coverage;
landscaped area;
hard surface area;
private open space where relevant.

This is especially useful for home additions, garages, carports, sheds, porches, covered decks, and other structures that add roofed area.

Common Site Plan Mistakes

Many permit delays happen because the site plan is missing information or does not clearly show the relationship between the proposed work and the property.

Common mistakes include:

missing property line dimensions;
not showing the full lot;
not labelling existing structures;
not labelling proposed work;
missing front, side, or rear setbacks;
not showing driveway access;
forgetting easements or rights-of-way;
not including north arrow or scale;
not showing structure dimensions;
not showing grading or drainage when required;
using a rough sketch that is hard to measure;
submitting a plan that does not match the floor plans or project description.

Site Plan Checklist for Canadian Building Permits

Before submitting your site plan, check whether the drawing clearly shows the items reviewers usually look for.

Property address included.
North arrow shown.
Scale or clear dimensions included.
Property boundaries shown.
Lot dimensions included where available.
Existing house shown and labelled.
Existing garage, shed, deck, porch, pool, driveway, and other structures shown where applicable.
Proposed work clearly labelled.
Proposed work dimensions shown.
Front, rear, and side yard setbacks shown.
Distances between structures shown where needed.
Driveway and access shown.
Easements and rights-of-way shown where known.
Utilities and services shown where relevant.
Grading and drainage direction shown where required.
Lot coverage or site coverage shown where required.
Legend and notes included.
Plan matches the other permit drawings.

When a Basic Site Plan May Not Be Enough

A basic site plan is helpful for many residential permit applications, but some projects require additional documents.

You may need more than a basic site plan if:

the project is very close to a property line;
the property boundary is uncertain;
a current survey is required;
the site has a major slope;
the project changes drainage;
the proposed work is inside or near an easement;
lot grading approval is required;
the project involves structural work;
the municipality requests elevations, floor plans, sections, or engineering;
the project involves a new house, major addition, secondary suite, garden suite, or laneway house.

Ottawa’s setback guidance notes that buildings located within 300 mm of a minimum zoning setback or property line may require an Ontario Land Surveyor’s survey to establish the location of the existing building on the property. [5] This is a good reminder that the closer a project gets to a boundary, the more accurate the information may need to be.

How siteplans.ca Helps

siteplans.ca helps homeowners, builders, designers, and property professionals prepare clear site plans for Canadian building permit applications.

Our site plans can help show:

property boundaries and lot dimensions;
existing house and structures;
proposed work;
setback dimensions;
driveway and access layout;
easements and rights-of-way where known;
utilities and services where available;
basic grading and drainage context where needed;
north arrow, scale, labels, legend, and site notes.

To prepare your plan, we usually need the property address, project type, proposed work dimensions, approximate project location, photos, sketches, survey or Real Property Report if available, and any municipal correction comments you already have.

Helpful siteplans.ca Guides

If you are preparing a building permit application, these related guides may also help:

Bottom Line

Site plan requirements in Canada vary by municipality, but the core items are usually the same. A building permit site plan should clearly show property boundaries, lot dimensions, existing structures, proposed work, setbacks, driveway access, easements, utilities, and any grading or drainage details required for the project.

The stronger your site plan is, the easier it is for reviewers to understand the proposal. Clear boundaries, accurate setbacks, and properly labelled existing structures can help reduce correction requests and keep your permit application moving.

If you need a professional site plan for a Canadian building permit, siteplans.ca can help prepare a clear, permit-ready drawing for your project.

Site Plan Requirements in Canada: Boundaries, Setbacks, and Existing Structures