BuildRules/Richmond Hill/Basement apartment / secondary suite

Richmond Hill, Ontario / Additional residential units

Do you need a permit for an ARU or basement apartment in Richmond Hill?

Check Richmond Hill basement apartment and ARU permits: eligibility under By-law 143-24, documents, site plans, professional drawings and official City sources.

3 min readLast verified Oct 14, 2026
The short answerPermit likely required

Yes. Richmond Hill requires a building permit for an additional residential unit. The City's zoning rules set conditions on unit count, servicing, location and design, so confirm the property's eligibility first.

Richmond Hill allows additional residential units in eligible residential settings subject to zoning, municipal servicing, Building Code and other applicable law. Its ARU page describes amendments under Zoning By-law 143-24, with a maximum of three ARUs and four total dwelling units on a qualifying lot, subject to restrictions and development standards. A new unit needs a building permit application and professional drawings; separate approvals may apply to properties in site-plan-control, site-alteration or conservation-regulated areas. Pre-approved detached designs do not remove the need for site-specific review.

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Richmond Hill / Basement apartment / secondary suite

Yes. Richmond Hill requires a building permit for an additional residential unit. The City's zoning rules set conditions on unit count, servicing, location and design, so confirm the property's eligibility first.

City of Richmond Hill · BuildRules reviewed 2026-10-14

Know what matters

Know what applies to your project.

Check the conditions below before you finalize the scope. Every answer connects to an official source.

Building permitRequired for proposed ARUsConditional

Richmond Hill specifically lists a building permit for additional residential units, with permit drawings and applicable-law review.

Source · City of Richmond Hill

Additional Residential Unit

Verified Oct 14, 2026Open official source
Zoning and densityProperty-specific review requiredConditional

The City's By-law 143-24 guidance describes a maximum of three ARUs and four total dwelling units, subject to dwelling, servicing and development-standard restrictions.

Source · City of Richmond Hill

Additional Residential Unit

Verified Oct 14, 2026Open official source
Application documentsProfessional drawings and formsConditional

The City lists building permit and designer forms, applicable-law information, site plans and construction and mechanical drawings. Some extra approvals depend on the lot.

Source · City of Richmond Hill

Additional Residential Unit

Verified Oct 14, 2026Open official source
Pre-approved plansPermit still neededInfo

Even when using Richmond Hill's pre-approved detached ARU model, the City still requires a site-specific plan and building permit application.

Source · City of Richmond Hill

Additional Residential Unit

Verified Oct 14, 2026Open official source

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Preparation checklist · Reviewed 2026-10-14

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Plan ahead

Fees and timing

TimelineConfirm the applicable review stream and expected processing time with Richmond Hill after your complete proposal and supporting approvals are known.
FeesCheck the current Richmond Hill building permit fee schedule and any separate approval fees for the actual ARU project. No fixed total is assumed.

From reading to doing

Your next steps.

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning, municipal servicing, dwelling type and ARU eligibility under Richmond Hill's applicable rules.
  2. Identify whether the unit will be inside the main home or in a separate accessory building, and confirm the exact application path.
  3. Arrange qualified drawings and check which additional approvals and forms apply before submitting.
  4. Submit the building permit application with the current fee and respond to municipal review or inspection requests.
Choose the right permit path

Only finishing the basement for personal use?

A finishes-only basement renovation can follow a different permit route from a second suite or ARU in Richmond Hill.

See Richmond Hill basement-renovation rules

Trace the evidence

Official sources behind this guide.

These are the source documents linked in the rules above. Check the municipal authority for current requirements before submitting a project.

A little more clarity

Common questions.

Is a building permit required for an additional residential unit in Richmond Hill?

Yes. Richmond Hill identifies a building permit as part of its ARU process. Zoning eligibility and the permit package depend on the dwelling and property.

Can a Richmond Hill property have three additional residential units?

The City's published By-law 143-24 guidance describes up to three ARUs on a lot and a maximum of four dwelling units total, subject to its detailed zoning, building and servicing conditions. This is not a finding that a specific lot qualifies.

What drawings do I need for a Richmond Hill ARU permit?

The City lists site plans, floor plans, elevations, sections, details and mechanical information, along with prescribed forms and any site-specific approvals. Check the final scope with a qualified professional.

Can I use a pre-approved detached ARU design without another permit?

No. Richmond Hill's pre-approved design still needs a site-specific plan and a building permit application. Zoning and placement must be checked for the actual address.

Know the approval terms

A second unit can meet one rule and still need another approval.

Building permits, zoning and applicable law are separate parts of the approval path.

Building permit

A municipal approval required before certain construction, alteration, demolition or change-of-use work can proceed. The permit review checks the proposed work against the Ontario Building Code, local zoning and other applicable law.

Zoning by-law

A municipal rule set that controls how land and buildings may be used and developed, including matters such as permitted uses, setbacks, height, lot coverage and other site-specific standards.

Applicable law

Requirements outside the Ontario Building Code that must be satisfied before a building permit can be issued when the Building Code identifies them as applicable law.

Same project, different city

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A provider match is not guaranteed. Municipal approval stays with the City.

A provider match is not guaranteed. Municipal approval stays with the City.

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