Who files the Notice of Project?
The constructor: the person who undertakes the project for the owner, as the Occupational Health and Safety Act defines it. On a fit-out run by a general contractor, that is the general contractor. Section 23 of the Act requires the constructor to give the notice where the regulations call for one.
Which projects need one?
Any project expected to cost more than $50,000 in labour and materials, plus projects that meet another trigger in section 6 of O. Reg. 213/91, Construction Projects. Those include erecting or structurally altering a building more than two storeys or 7.5 metres high, demolishing a building at least four metres high with at least 30 square metres of floor, and trenches a person can enter beyond set lengths and depths.
When and how is it filed?
Before work begins. The constructor completes the approved form and files it at the nearest Ministry office or submits it electronically on an Ontario government website. If the work will take no more than 14 days, the regulation lets the constructor give the information to an inspector by fax or phone instead. The completed notice is posted at the project or kept there for an inspector.
Why should an owner or tenant care?
Because most commercial fit-outs cross $50,000, so the notice is part of starting on time. Ask the contractor to confirm it was filed. The landlord's contractor documents usually sit alongside it, including the WSIB clearance.
Where does this fit in a fit-out?
At the start, after the permit and before the first day on site. See commercial general contracting for who handles what, and the handover checklist for the end of the job. This guide is free to use and quote with credit to Cruzz Construction.
| Trigger | Threshold in O. Reg. 213/91 | Typical fit-out? |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of labour and materials | Expected to exceed $50,000. | Often. |
| Building height | Erection or structural alteration of a building over two storeys or 7.5 metres. | Sometimes, for structural changes. |
| Demolition | A building at least 4 metres high with at least 30 square metres of floor. | Rarely; interior demolition is not a building demolition. |
| Trenches | Over 300 metres long, or over 1.2 metres deep and over 30 metres long. | Rarely. |