Entrance Permits

You must complete and submit an Entrance Permit Application for processing, inclusive of the applicable fee and deposit as per Schedule A of the Consolidated Fees By-law.
2025 Fees and Deposits:
Residential, Agricultural, Temporary or Utility entrance
Fee: $208.00
Deposit: $2,000.00
Commercial, Industrial, Institutional, emergency or public entrance
Fee: $208.00
Deposit: The amount as estimated by the applicant to cover the cost of the entrance installation, and determined to be appropriate by the Director or in accordance with associated planning approvals.

Access or Entrance Way Installation

General Information for Applicants and Contractors

Definitions:

• An “Access” or “Entrance” is any driveway, laneway, private road, entrance, bridge or other structure or facility constructed or used as a means of access from private property to a City Road on a Municipal Right of Way, and includes the tiling and covering or filling in of a roadside ditch for the purpose of improving a lawn or lot frontage.
• An “Access Permit” (commonly known as an entrance permit) means approval of an application to construct, alter or retain any Access received in accordance with the requirements of this By-Law.

All entrance ways shall be constructed in a professional and responsible manner in accordance with City standards and specifications following legislative safety requirements.

a)    The safety of the public during the construction and the occupying of the road allowance for the purposes of construction or modification of an entrance or related activities (including ditching, restoration, etc.) shall be the responsibility of the contractor insured for the purposes of the entrance construction. Working knowledge of the Occupational Health and Safety Act as well as Book 7 (Temporary Conditions) of the Ontario Traffic Manual is required by the contractor.

b)    All construction shall adhere to the requirements outlined within the By-Law and City Standards as applicable. Refer to the latest revision of the following standard drawings for additional information:

1. Commercial, Industrial and Apartment Driveway Detail
2. Residential Driveway Detail
3. Emergency Access/Post and Chain Barrier Detail
4. Rural Entrance Standards Drawing A
5. Rural Entrance Standards Drawing B

c)    Where no City standard applies, construction shall adhere to Ontario Provincial Standards (OPSS, OPSD).

d)    Contractor shall possess valid Contractor Liability insurance as well as a current WSIB as required by Provincial legislation.

e)    The Contractor is required to obtain a “Work in Right-of-Way Permit” from the Public Works Department prior to commencement of Construction.

f)     The Contractor shall provide two (2) business days prior notice to the commencement of construction.

g)    It is the responsibility of the Applicant to ensure the Contractor obtains the necessary utility locates prior to construction. It is the responsibilities of the Contractor to obtain utility locates prior to construction and ensure proper cover over existing utilities upon completion of construction.

h)    All signage as required to warn traffic (as per Book 7 noted above) shall be supplied, installed and maintained by the contractor/applicant. Traffic control persons, if required shall be supplied by the contractor and shall be trained and competent as per applicable legislation.

i)     Where ditching is required, said ditching shall be accomplished with slopes that shall not be greater than 2:1 unless approved otherwise by the Director of Public Works or designate. Ditching shall be continuous as is required to accomplish positive drainage (typically the approximate length of the culvert on both sides of the culvert).

j)      Restoration of the roadway, including but not limited to the ditch, shoulders, road surface, curbs, sidewalk or road base shall be the responsibility of the applicant/contractor. Restoration requirements shall be determined by the Director of Public Works or designate and will be noted on the entrance approval document. Restoration may include but not be limited to topsoil and seed/sod, rip-rap, gravel or other road surface materials.

Instructions for completing entrance permit applications

Ensure that the following information is complete on your Entrance Permit application via the Permit Central online portal:

• All areas of the application are complete (including mailing address with postal code and phone numbers - contact information must be current);
• Location of the proposed entrance - lot, concession, former township, road name civic address and/or nearest 911 number (if possible) and roll number are included;
• In order to facilitate site inspection, the location of the proposed entrance is to be staked;
• The map on the front of the application should include lot location, road name, indication of distance from lot lines and natural features and direction.

Check out the Permit Central How to Guide for more information on how to sign up and use the portal. If you need help while applying for permits, read the Permit Central How to Guide for Roads Operations Permits.