What permits do I need for a foundation parging job that involves temporary shoring on a Toronto property?

Foundation parging itself does not require a building permit in Toronto, but the moment you introduce temporary shoring, you've crossed into structural work territory that absolutely requires City of Toronto permits and professional engineering oversight.

Temporary shoring means you're either excavating adjacent to the foundation or stabilizing a foundation wall while work is performed — both of which fall under the Ontario Building Code's structural provisions and the City of Toronto Building Division's permit requirements.

What Permits Apply

Building Permit (City of Toronto Building Division) is required for any work involving temporary shoring, underpinning, or excavation that could affect the structural integrity of the foundation or adjacent properties. Under the Ontario Building Code (OBC) Division B, Part 9 and Part 4 for structural matters, any excavation within the angle of repose of an existing foundation — roughly a 45-degree line drawn from the base of the footing — requires engineered drawings and a permit. Submit your application through the City of Toronto's ePLAN portal. Permit fees for structural foundation work in Toronto typically run $200–$800 depending on project scope and declared construction value, though complex shoring projects can be higher.

A Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) is mandatory. The City of Toronto will not issue a permit for temporary shoring without stamped engineering drawings from a licensed Ontario engineer. The engineer must design the shoring system, specify the installation method, and in most cases provide on-site inspection sign-offs at key stages. Engineering fees for a residential shoring design typically run $1,500–$4,000 depending on complexity, soil conditions, and proximity to property lines or neighbouring structures.

Excavation near property lines triggers additional requirements. Toronto's Municipal Code and the OBC both require that excavation deeper than 1.2 metres within 3.6 metres of a property line be designed by a P.Eng. and that adjacent property owners be notified. If your shoring project is close to a shared wall, fence, or neighbouring foundation, your contractor must also carry adequate liability insurance — confirm a minimum of $2 million commercial general liability before any work begins.

WSIB clearance is non-negotiable. Any contractor performing shoring and excavation work on a Toronto residential property must carry WSIB coverage. Request a WSIB clearance certificate before signing any contract — homeowners who hire contractors without WSIB coverage can be held personally liable for on-site injuries under Ontario's Workplace Safety and Insurance Act.

Practical Steps Before Work Begins

Start by contacting the City of Toronto Building Division (416-338-0338 or toronto.ca/building) to confirm the specific permit requirements for your project — scope, depth, and proximity to the property line all affect what's needed. Your contractor should be pulling the permit, not you, and any contractor who suggests skipping the permit on a shoring project is a serious red flag.

Once permits are in hand and shoring is complete, the parging itself — surface prep, bonding agent, polymer-modified parge coat application — proceeds as a standard cosmetic finish and does not require its own separate permit. The permit covers the structural phase; the parging is the finishing work that follows.

On the materials side, once the foundation is exposed and shored, this is the right time to apply an exterior waterproofing membrane and dimpled drainage board before backfilling — adding this step while the wall is already excavated costs a fraction of what it would cost to re-excavate later. Exterior waterproofing on a Toronto home typically runs $3,000–$12,000 depending on depth and linear footage, but the incremental cost when the wall is already open is much lower.

The bottom line: get the P.Eng. involved early, pull the permit before any excavation begins, verify WSIB and insurance, and treat the parging as the final step in a properly sequenced structural and waterproofing project. If you need help finding a qualified masonry contractor experienced with permitted foundation work in Toronto, Toronto Parging can match you with local professionals through the Toronto Construction Network — or browse the contractor directory at torontoconstructionnetwork.com/directory?trade=masonry.