# Does a commercial unit in Hamilton need a building permit?

> Which store, clinic, office and restaurant work in Hamilton needs a building permit, when a new use needs one, and who has to draw the plans.

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- Section: Home > Planning guides > Commercial unit permits in Hamilton
- Business: Cruzz Construction, Hamilton, ON, Canada (serves Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, Ancaster, Dundas, Stoney Creek, Waterdown, Mississauga, Toronto)
- Phone: (289) 308-6563 | Email: info@cruzzconstruction.com
- Page updated: 2026-11-06

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Planning guide

Usually, yes. The City of Hamilton requires a building permit to add, remove or change interior walls, build a washroom, change plumbing, sprinklers, exit lights or the storefront, and to change a unit from one business use to another, such as an office into a restaurant. Painting, flooring and minor millwork do not need one. Cruzz Construction, a Hamilton general contractor, builds commercial fit-outs under these permits.

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## Which fit-out work needs a building permit in Hamilton?

The City's [building permit page for small businesses](https://www.hamilton.ca/build-invest-grow/starting-small-business/permits-inspections/building-permits-small-businesses) lists removing, adding or modifying interior walls; installing or modifying plumbing; building a washroom or a barrier-free washroom; installing or modifying sprinklers; exit signs and emergency lighting; rebuilding or changing the storefront window; a commercial cooking exhaust; a grease interceptor or backflow preventer; a commercial sign; and adding or changing a ramp or a deck. Most store, clinic and office fit-outs include several of these, so most need a permit.

## What is a change of use permit?

The City calls it simply a building permit for a unit that changes from one use to another, or that modifies or adds a use. Its examples are a clothing store becoming a hair salon, a coffee counter added to an art store, and an office turned into a restaurant. A new tenant should ask about the use before signing a lease, because the new use can bring washrooms, fire separations or exits the old one did not need.

## What work does not need a permit?

The same page lists painting, floor tiling or carpeting, minor millwork and cabinetry, re-roofing with the same materials, and replacing existing plumbing and electrical fixtures. Electrical work is reported to the Electrical Safety Authority on its own track; it is not part of the City permit.

## Who has to draw the plans for a store or restaurant?

For a retail store or restaurant, the City asks for a designer with Building Code Identification Number qualifications for smaller buildings, up to 600 square metres of gross floor area and three storeys, or a Professional Engineer or architect for large buildings and for restaurants seating more than 30 people. A restaurant's grease interceptor and commercial cooking exhaust need a Professional Engineer. The drawings show compliance with the [Ontario Building Code](https://www.ontario.ca/document/2024-building-code-compendium).

## What should be checked before applying?

The City lists a [zoning verification](https://www.hamilton.ca/build-invest-grow/starting-small-business/one-stop-business/zoning-verification-report-application) where it applies, site plan approval for new buildings, and encroachment approval for anything that reaches onto City property. The application carries floor plans, elevations, cross sections, mechanical, structural and electrical plans, and a plot plan or survey, and the fee is paid in full when it is submitted. Once the permit is issued, the permit holder books the inspections at the stages the Building Code sets.

## How does the permit fit a fit-out schedule?

The permit sits between the drawings and the first trade on site, so its date drives the turnover date. Our pages on [retail fit-outs](https://cruzzconstruction.com/commercial/retail-fit-outs/) and [tenant improvements](https://cruzzconstruction.com/commercial/tenant-improvements/) show where it lands, [the barrier-free guide](https://cruzzconstruction.com/guides/barrier-free/) covers when access and washrooms must be upgraded, and the [handover guide](https://cruzzconstruction.com/guides/commercial-handover/) covers the end of the job. Outside Hamilton, the [area pages](https://cruzzconstruction.com/areas/) link each city's own rules. This guide is free to use and quote with credit to Cruzz Construction.

**Commercial unit work in Hamilton and whether it needs a building permit (City of Hamilton list, read 2026-11-05)**

| Work | Building permit | Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| New, moved or removed interior walls | Yes | Includes fire separations and rated doors. |
| A washroom or barrier-free washroom | Yes | New or extra washrooms belong in the application. |
| Sprinklers, exit signs, emergency lighting | Yes | Installing or modifying any of them. |
| Storefront window or a commercial sign | Yes | Both are on the City list. |
| Office to restaurant, store to salon | Yes | A change of use is a building permit. |
| Paint, flooring, minor millwork | No | Cosmetic work. |
| Replacing existing plumbing or electrical fixtures | No | Like for like only. |

Published by Cruzz Construction, Hamilton. Updated November 6, 2026. Free to share and quote, with a link back to this page.

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