Permits 101 — Montreal vs. West Island vs. Pointe-Claire

A homeowner in Beaconsfield called us last spring, frustrated. He'd been told by a neighbour that his kitchen renovation didn't need a permit because nothing was structural. He was almost right — Beaconsfield doesn't require a permit for a like-for-like kitchen replacement with no plumbing relocation. Except his new island moved the sink 8 feet to the right, which is a plumbing relocation, which triggered a permit, which he'd skipped, which his property inspector found at resale four years later. He paid the original $340 permit fee plus a $1,200 penalty plus the cost of opening a finished ceiling to verify the work. Permits are cheap. Skipping them is expensive.

This is the practical Montreal-area permit landscape — what triggers a permit, what the fees look like, and how long each city actually takes.

When you definitely need a permit

Regardless of municipality, these scopes trigger a permit:

• Moving any plumbing rough-in beyond the existing wall cavity
• Modifying electrical service or adding new circuits beyond the existing panel capacity
• Removing or modifying any load-bearing wall
• Excavating a basement to lower the slab
• Changing exterior windows or doors (in most municipalities)
• Building a deck taller than 24 inches above grade or larger than 30 sqm
• Adding a swimming pool, hot tub, or any permanent outdoor structure
• Any change visible from a public street in a heritage-protected zone

When you usually don't

You can generally renovate without a permit if all of the following are true: nothing structural, no plumbing relocations, electrical work limited to like-for-like fixture changes, no exterior visible changes. Cosmetic refreshes — paint, flooring, cabinetry on existing footprint, bath fixtures replaced in the same location — almost never need a permit.

City-by-city: how long and how much

Ville de Montréal

• Online permit portal (the city has finally migrated most permits online in 2025)
• Issuance timeline: 4–8 weeks for residential renovation permits, longer for borough-specific reviews
• Typical residential renovation permit fee: $250–$900 depending on declared scope value
• Quirks: Each borough — Plateau, Outremont, Côte-des-Neiges–NDG, Ville-Marie, etc. — has its own review office. Plateau and Ville-Marie are the slowest because of heritage overlay; Saint-Laurent and Anjou are among the fastest. Submission requires architectural drawings sealed by an OAQ-registered architect for any work over $200,000.

Westmount

• Counter-only submissions (yes, you must show up in person on Sherbrooke Street West)
• Issuance timeline: 3–6 weeks, but front-end review by a Westmount inspector before you can even submit
• Permit fee: higher than Montreal — $400–$1,500 range
• Quirks: Westmount has its own building code overlay. Heritage approval may be required for any exterior modification, even on non-classified buildings. Front-yard fence height and material are policed.

Pointe-Claire

• Submission: online via the Pointe-Claire permit portal
• Issuance timeline: 2–4 weeks, the fastest in the West Island
• Permit fee: roughly $5 per $1,000 of declared work value, minimum $150
• Quirks: Pointe-Claire requires a soil and grading plan for any rear-yard work that affects drainage. Pool permits include a mandatory enclosure inspection.

Dollard-des-Ormeaux

• Submission: online; physical drawings still required for any structural work
• Issuance timeline: 3–5 weeks
• Permit fee: about $5 per $1,000 of declared value, minimum $200
• Quirks: DDO is strict on tree preservation. Any mature tree within 5 metres of the renovation footprint needs a separate tree protection plan. Removing one requires arborist sign-off and a replacement plan.

Beaconsfield

• Submission: online, with significantly more documentation up front than other West Island cities
• Issuance timeline: 3–6 weeks for residential, longer if the property is on the waterfront
• Permit fee: $200–$1,200 depending on scope
• Quirks: Waterfront properties (most lots south of Lakeshore) face additional shoreline-protection rules. Setback variances are slow.

Kirkland & Pierrefonds-Roxboro

Both are fast — typically 2–4 weeks — and use scope-based fee structures around $5 per $1,000 of declared value. Kirkland is strict on driveway widths and front-yard parking. Pierrefonds-Roxboro is strict on rear-yard accessory buildings.

Documents every municipality wants

For any meaningful renovation:

1. Detailed plans — floor plan with dimensions, elevations if the exterior changes
2. Structural notes — sealed engineer drawings for any load-bearing modification
3. Plumbing rough-in plan — fixtures, drain runs, vent stacks
4. Electrical service summary — panel capacity, new circuits
5. Contractor's RBQ licence and CCQ certificate
6. Site plan for additions or exterior changes
7. Heritage review submission if applicable

What Revohouse handles

For every Revohouse project across Montreal and the West Island, we prepare and submit the permit package in-house. Our project managers are on a first-name basis with most of the permit officers in Pointe-Claire, DDO, Beaconsfield, and Kirkland. That doesn't speed up the review (the city sets that), but it shortens the "back-and-forth on missing documents" loop from weeks to days.

The hidden cost of skipping permits

Three real consequences we've seen:

1. Resale. Property inspectors flag unpermitted work. The deal either dies or your sale price drops by 5–10× the cost of the original permit.
2. Insurance. Home insurance can decline a claim related to unpermitted work — including a fire that started in unpermitted electrical work elsewhere in the house.
3. Re-do. Cities can order unpermitted work opened up for inspection. Tearing into a finished wall to verify a junction box you built three years ago is the most expensive way to renovate.

FAQ

How early should I apply for a permit?

For a project starting in spring, apply in January. The 4–6 week best-case timeline drifts in March–May when the city is busiest.

Does Revohouse mark up permit fees?

No. We pass permit fees through at cost on every itemized quote.

What if my project is borderline — do I really need a permit?

Call the municipality and describe the scope. They'll tell you. Every Montreal-area city has a phone line specifically for this question, and the answer is binding if you keep a record of the call.

Can a renovation start while the permit is pending?

Demolition and interior prep — sometimes, depending on municipality. Structural and rough-in work — never. Starting too early is the easiest way to get a stop-work order.