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Development Services Department

Building Permit & Inspection Services

Basement Renovation Guide

For Residential Dwellings

This document is a guide for home owners and does not cover all possible conditions. The
illustrations are not intended to limit the ways by which compliance with Bylaw and Code
requirements can be achieved. Details and requirements may vary depending on site and building
conditions. Additional information may be required during the review of the building permit
application. Refer to Zoning Bylaw and Ontario Building Code for accuracy. You may engage a
qualified designer to prepare permit plans.
Note: Notwithstanding an approved building permit, the issuance of the permit does not constitute
approval under the City’s Residential Rental Unit Licensing By-law # 20-2008, as amended, and the
Ontario Fire Code.
H:/forms/handouts/
Basement Renovation
Guidebldg050 Revised
January 15, 2015
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General Requirements
A Building Permit is required for alterations to existing basements except for:
Replacement of floor finishes (carpet, tile hardwood, etc.)
• Installation of cabinetry where no plumbing alterations will occur.
• Replacement of a window within the existing rough stud opening.

Note: A finished basement must comply with the building code and zoning requirements. For more
information, contact The City of Oshawa’s Building Department at 905-436-5658.

General Zoning Restrictions:

• The entire building must be used as a “single housekeeping establishment” with internal
access throughout the entire building.
• There is to be no secondary cooking facilities within the building.

Application Requirements:
• Application and Schedule 1 Designers Information forms and two copies of the plans listed
below. (Owners Authorization will be required if applicant is different from property owner).
• Survey or site plan of the property showing dimensions of all existing buildings and structures,
including dimensions to all property lines. Any addition or enlargement of windows is to be
plotted on the ‘Site Plan’. (See attached sample ‘Site Plan’ on page 4).
• Construction drawings including the floor plans of all levels outlining existing layout and room
uses, a detailed floor plan of the proposed layout, structural details if applicable, wall section
and a legend with construction notes. The attached sample drawings and details may be
used, provided all dimensions and information are shown on the ‘Floor Plan’ (page 6)
• Permit fee, payable at time of application may be made by cheque (payable to “The City of
Oshawa”), cash, debit, Visa, MasterCard or American Express.

General Building Code Requirements:

• Provide a minimum ceiling height of 6’-11”, which is allowed to be reduced to 6’5” underneath
beams and ducts.
• Doors to rooms without dedicated return air inlets, shall be undercut by minimum ¾”.
• Each bedroom requires natural light equal to 5% of the room’s floor area
• No windows are permitted in walls closer than 4’-0” to the property line, unless protected with a
fire resistance rating of 45 minutes.
• The principal exhaust fan in a house containing 5 bedrooms or less shall comply with O.B.C.
Table 9.32.3.4.A. If the number of bedrooms exceeds 5, a review of the house’s existing
mechanical ventilation system by a qualified designer is required to determine if the system is
sufficient to handle the additional loads.
• A smoke alarm is required in each bedroom and each area/hallway serving bedrooms.
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Step by Step Instructions

1. Site Plan
Refer to the sample ‘Site Plan’ (page 4) and create your own or modify a copy of your original
survey. Include all the dimensions and information as shown on the sample ‘Site Plan’.

2. Legend and Notes

Refer to the ‘Legend and Notes’ (page 5). Create your own, add to, or modify the samples to
provide the full scope of construction information for your project.

3. Existing Floor Plans

Refer to the ‘Existing Floor Plans’ (page 6). Create your own using the sample as a guide or
provide original builders plans outlining the following information;
• The unaltered portion of the building may be shown in a simplified manner
• Show each floor level with all existing walls, doors, windows, cabinetry and room uses

4. Floor Plan
Refer to the proposed sample basement ‘Floor Plan’ (page 7). Create your own using the
sample as a guide and show all information listed below and as noted on the sample “Floor
Plan”:
• Use and dimensions to be noted of each room or space including stair locations
• Location of new door or window openings, including their size and any proposed wood
and/or steel lintels
• Location, size, material and grade of wood beams or proposed steel, used to replace
existing load-bearing partitions and the supporting foundation;
• Proposed and/or existing supply and return air diffuser locations
• Location, size, and design of all new window wells, showing how trapped water is to be
drained

5. Elevations
An elevation drawing is required when a new window or door opening is proposed. Refer to the
sample ‘Elevations’ (page 8). Create your own using the sample as a guide to show any
alterations to any of the openings. Detail the elevation where a window or door area has been
added or removed showing total wall area from ground to underside of soffit and all the sizes of
the new and existing windows in the wall.

6. Wall Section
Refer to the ‘Wall Section’ samples on (page 9) and the Egress Window section (page 10).
Create your own or use the samples as part of your submission. Add proposed ceiling height
information to complete the section.

7. Plumbing
The name of a licensed plumber and his/her certificate of qualification number are to be
provided for new or alterations to plumbing. Plumbing drawings prepared by a qualified
designer or homeowner including sizes, connections and materials may be provided in lieu of a
licensed plumber.
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1. Site Plan – Refer to the sample ‘Site Plan’ below and create your own or modify a copy of your
original survey. Include all the dimensions and information as shown on the sample below.

24’ 6”

min 6.0m
length

123 Anywhere Street Scale: 1’=____”

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2. Legend and Notes - Create your own, add to or modify the samples below to provide the full
scope of construction information for your project.

Legend Samples Legend Description

Existing Walls

New Partitions or finished walls

-----------------------------------------
Partitions to be removed
-----------------------------------------
Smoke alarm

Carbon Monoxide Alarm

Supply Air Outlet

Return Air Inlet

3-way switch

Fan vented to exterior with insulated duct

Construction Notes: (include on drawings)

Exterior Walls
• See section drawing attached (sample on page 9 can be submitted)

Interior Walls
• New 2 in. x 4 in. wood studs @ 16 in. O.C. separated from concrete with sill gasket
• New ½ in. drywall on both sides
• Optional sound insulation

Ceiling
• Existing size & spacing of joists
• Resilient channel and 2 layers of 5/8 in. drywall
• Provide ceiling height under beams and under ducts in each room and at stairs (measure from
leading edge of stairs to ceiling)

Floor finish

Furnace and other equipment

• Clearances around furnaces and hot water appliances are as per manufacturer’s specifications
and/or the Gas Code.
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3. Existing Floor Plans – Draw simple existing layout plans of all levels or provide a copy of the
original builder’s plans. See examples below.

garage

Existing Basement Layout Existing Main Floor Layout

Existing Second Floor Layout

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4. Floor Plan – Provide a detailed plan of your new basement layout. See example below.

Scale: 1’=____”
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5. Elevations – Provide a fully dimensioned elevation drawing outlining all of the openings and their
dimensions. Summarize the areas as indicated in the sample chart below.

West Elevation

Openings Calculations Summary

Building Face Area (21.5x32.33)+(20.33x13) = 960 square feet
2(3x4)+2(3.5x4)+(4.5x4)+(2.5x1.33)+(2.5x2.5) = 80
Window Area
square feet
Door Area (N/A) = 0 square feet
Include distance from property line 14 feet 7 inches
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6. Wall Section – Create your own or use the samples as part of your submission. Add the
proposed ceiling height information to complete the section. Strike out the side you do not want to
use on your project.

R12 Type Wall R22 Type Wall (Optional)

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6. Egress Window Requirements

• A basement containing bedrooms will require direct access to outdoors for escape in case of
fire. This may be provided through a basement walk-out door or an egress window. The
Egress window shall have an unobstructed open portion having a minimum area of 3.8 ft2 with
no dimension less than 15” and is operable without the use of tools.
• When open, all window components must be self-supporting.
• Egress window wells require a minimum clearance of 22” (550mm) in front of the window. (see
attached drawing). Note: Window wells must not encroach onto adjacent properties.

Foundation walls with new openings wider than 3’-11”mm or walls having openings more than 25% of
its length shall be considered laterally unsupported and may require an Engineer’s review.
Certain types of basement renovations that involve excavations may require approval from the City of
Oshawa’s Engineering Services Branch in conjunction with the Site Alteration By-law 85-2006.