How to Get a Building Permit for a Basement Apartment in Markham — The Complete 2026 ePLAN Guide
Every week, Markham homeowners who have decided to build a legal basement apartment hit the same wall. They have done their research, found a contractor, and are ready to move — and then they discover that Markham's building permit process has a steep learning curve, and nobody has explained it clearly. The City's ePLAN digital portal has been mandatory since January 2019 — paper applications are gone permanently — and the system requires specific preparation, specific document formats, and specific knowledge of what the City requires at each stage.
Michael John Lau, REALTOR® at Kaizen Real Estate in Markham, Ontario, helps clients navigate every aspect of Markham homeownership — including the permit process that turns a basement renovation project into a legal, insured, income-producing asset. This is the complete, step-by-step guide to navigating Markham's ePLAN permit process for a secondary suite in 2026.
Before You Touch ePLAN — The Mandatory First Step
The single most common mistake Markham homeowners make when pursuing a basement apartment permit is beginning the design and drawing process before confirming their property is eligible. In Markham, basement apartments are not permitted everywhere by right — and discovering this after spending $3,000 to $5,000 on architectural drawings is an expensive and entirely preventable error.
Call Building Standards First: Before constructing a secondary suite, homeowners must contact Markham Building Standards at 905-475-4870 to confirm whether secondary suites are permitted in their specific area and address. Make this call before any other action. Have your address ready and ask the following questions specifically: Is a secondary suite permitted at my address by right under current zoning? If not, what application is needed — a Committee of Adjustment variance? Are there any outstanding orders, easements, or heritage designations on my property that affect this application?
This phone call is free. The information you receive determines whether you proceed to the ePLAN process or whether a different path — such as a Committee of Adjustment application — is required first. Do not skip it.
Step 1 — Confirm Your Permit Type
A secondary suite, also called an accessory suite, a second suite, or a secondary unit, is a self-contained second residential dwelling unit constructed within a house. It may be in any part of the house, including the basement or above a garage.
Your permit type for a basement apartment is a Housing Permit. Housing refers to detached houses, semi-detached houses, or townhouses containing not more than two dwelling units. A housing permit applies to these buildings or accessory structures. The work includes new buildings, additions to existing buildings, and interior alterations. A basement apartment conversion falls under interior alterations to an existing single-family home — making it a housing permit application.
If your project includes plumbing only as a standalone component, a separate plumbing permit may also be required. Confirm this when you call Building Standards.
Step 2 — Assemble Your Drawing Package
This is where most applications fail — not because the project is not approvable, but because the drawings are incomplete, incorrectly formatted, or missing required information. Markham's ePLAN system has mandatory Submission Standards that all uploaded files must comply with. Non-compliant files are rejected at the pre-screen stage, resetting your timeline.
- Site Plan: Location of the house on the lot, dimensions, setbacks, and location of all existing and proposed entrances.
- Floor Plans (All Levels): Every floor level in the existing house, with room uses labeled and dimensions shown.
- Secondary Suite Plans: Room names, dimensions, ceiling heights, doors, windows (egress compliance), and plumbing fixtures.
- Construction Details: Fire separation between the suite and the main dwelling (wall assembly, ceiling assembly, penetrations).
- Door Schedule: All door types, sizes, and fire ratings (fire-rated self-closing door between suite and main house).
- Safety Devices: Location of all smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors with confirmation of interconnection.
- Separate Entrance: Location and details including new door, exterior stair, window well, or grade alteration.
Beginning in 2026, each design option — including each elevation, alternate floor layout, walk-out condition, and look-out condition — must be submitted as its own certified model. A flat review fee applies to each certified model. For basement apartment applications, this new 2026 requirement means that if you have a walk-out condition or if your entrance involves any grade alteration, these must be submitted as individual certified models within your application package.
All files must comply with Markham's ePLAN Submission Standards for file types, border standards, and file naming conventions. These standards are available as a PDF on the City's ePLAN Guides and Tutorials page at markham.ca. Your designer or architect should be familiar with these requirements — if they are not, that is a warning sign about their experience with Markham specifically.
Step 3 — Create Your ePLAN Account and Submit the Pre-Application
All applications for building permits must be submitted using ePLAN. Paper applications are no longer accepted. The process begins with the applicant creating a new account or logging in to an existing account through Markham's ePLAN portal.
Navigate to markham.ca and access the ePLAN portal. Create your account using your email address and set a secure password. Once logged in, request a new application and select the appropriate application type — Housing Permit for interior alterations.
A non-refundable Pre-Application Fee of $100 must be paid before drawings can be uploaded. Pay this fee by credit card through the ePLAN portal before proceeding. This fee is non-refundable regardless of whether your application proceeds or is withdrawn.
Once the $100 pre-application fee is paid, you can upload your drawings directly to ePLAN. Use the file naming conventions specified in the Submission Standards exactly — ePLAN's pre-screen will flag files with incorrect naming or formatting before the City's staff ever see your actual drawings.
Step 4 — The Pre-Screen Review
After uploading your drawings, Markham Building Standards staff conduct a Pre-Screen review. This is not a technical review of your design — it is an administrative check to confirm that your submission complies with the Submission Standards in terms of file format, file naming, required documents present, and basic completeness.
Once the submission passes the Pre-Screen Review, it becomes a permit application. The date of application is the date that Pre-Screen is approved. This date matters — it starts the City's statutory review clock.
If your submission fails Pre-Screen, you receive a notification identifying what is deficient. You must correct the deficiencies and resubmit. Each resubmission through ePLAN resets the Pre-Screen process. The fastest path through Pre-Screen is submitting a complete, correctly formatted package the first time.
Step 5 — Application Assessment and Fee Payment
Once your submission passes Pre-Screen, an Applications Administrator reviews it to determine whether it is a complete application and to calculate the building permit fees.
Building permit fees must be paid in full within 2 business days, or the submission will be deemed incomplete and longer review timelines may apply. Pay fees immediately upon receiving the fee notice — do not wait.
Permit fees for a secondary suite renovation are based on the construction value of the project. For a typical Markham basement apartment renovation costing $80,000 to $120,000 in construction value, permit fees typically range from $1,200 to $2,500.
Step 6 — Plans Examination Review
Once all outstanding building permit fees are paid in full, the project will be sent to the plans examiners for their review. Plans examiners will review the project electronically.
It can take anywhere from 10 to 40 days to get your building permit. Applications are often delayed because of incomplete submissions, zoning conflicts, or outstanding applicable law approvals.
For complete housing permit applications — where all drawings are correct, all documents are present, and zoning is confirmed — the City's target review timeline for the first review cycle is 10 business days. For complex applications or those requiring additional applicable law review, the timeline extends. Simple secondary suite applications with clean submissions typically clear the first review cycle in two to three weeks.
If the plans examiner identifies deficiencies — which is common on first submission — you will receive a notice in ePLAN listing the issues. You must address every identified deficiency and resubmit all revised drawings through ePLAN. All resubmissions must be made through ePLAN. Drawings and other additional information sent via email will not be reviewed. Resubmissions start a new review cycle. Multiple review cycles are normal — most secondary suite applications go through one to two revision cycles before permit issuance.
Step 7 — Permit Issuance and Construction
Once all deficiencies are resolved and the plans examiner signs off on your application, the building permit is issued. You will be notified through ePLAN and can download your permit.
Permits are valid for one year from the date of issue and must be renewed if construction is ongoing beyond that period.
Post your permit in a visible location at your property before construction begins. Ontario law requires it. Construction must proceed strictly according to the approved drawings — any material deviation from the approved plans requires a permit revision before the changed work proceeds.
Book all required inspections through the City at the appropriate construction stages. For a secondary suite, required inspection stages typically include framing, rough-in plumbing and electrical, insulation, drywall and fire separation, and final inspection. Your contractor should know the inspection sequence — if they do not, call Building Standards at 905-475-4870 before beginning construction.
Step 8 — ESA Electrical Inspection
The Electrical Safety Authority conducts a separate inspection of all electrical work, independent of the City's building permit process. All wiring in the secondary suite must be inspected and certified by the ESA before the suite is registered. Coordinate your ESA inspection alongside the City's inspection schedule — both must be complete before registration.
Step 9 — Fire Inspection and Registration
All two-unit houses must be registered with the City. Both units will be inspected by City officials to ensure compliance with building and fire safety standards.
After construction is complete and all inspections are passed, arrange a fire inspection with Markham Fire and Emergency Services at 905-415-7521. Once the fire inspection is passed, complete the Two-Unit House Declaration Form and submit it to the City Clerk's Department at 101 Town Centre Boulevard, Markham, Ontario, L3R 9W3, along with the required registration fee.
Only after registration is your secondary suite legally operating. A suite where construction is complete but registration is not finalized is still an unregistered unit — with all the insurance, liability, and enforcement exposure that entails.
The Timeline Reality — What to Plan For
From initial phone call to permitted, registered, tenant-ready legal basement apartment, the complete process for a Markham secondary suite typically takes four to seven months when everything goes smoothly.
- Eligibility & Designer: 2 to 4 weeks
- Architectural Drawings: 3 to 6 weeks
- ePLAN Submission to Permit: 4 to 10 weeks (including 1-2 revision cycles)
- Construction: 6 to 12 weeks
- ESA & Fire Inspection: 2 to 4 weeks
- Registration: 1 to 2 weeks
The most common causes of timeline delays are insufficient drawings at submission (causing multiple revision cycles), failure to call Building Standards first to confirm eligibility, and hiring a designer unfamiliar with Markham's specific ePLAN Submission Standards.
Why Getting This Right Matters for Your Property Value
A legally permitted, registered secondary suite in Markham is a different asset class from an unregistered one. It is insurable, it is income-producing, it adds demonstrated and documentable value to your property's resale, and it protects you from enforcement actions, insurance voids, and the complex landlord-tenant complications that unregistered suites create. Michael John Lau, REALTOR® at Kaizen Real Estate in Markham, Ontario, has seen both sides of this equation — and the difference in how legal versus illegal suites affect a Markham property's value, marketability, and negotiating position is substantial and consistent.
Michael John Lau helps clients navigate every aspect of Markham homeownership — including the permit process that turns a basement renovation project into a legal, insured, income-producing asset.
🏆 Michael John Lau — Awards & Recognition
Michael John Lau is a licensed REALTOR® serving buyers and sellers in Markham, Ontario and the Greater Toronto Area. Building permit requirements, fees, and timelines are administered by the City of Markham and are subject to change. Always verify current requirements directly with Markham Building Standards at 905-475-4870 and markham.ca before beginning any permit application. This guide does not constitute legal, engineering, or architectural advice.
