Toronto’s planning application fees went up 4.82% on January 1, 2026. It is a cost of living adjustment applied across the fee schedule, covering minor variances, zoning by-law amendments and site plan control. It is not a new fee, and it is not the same as development charges.
The City lists a residential minor variance at $5,011.08 for a dwelling of three units or less. Working backward, the 2025 amount was about $4,780.65, so the rise is roughly $230.
What changed on January 1
The City’s planning fee page says the fees reflect the 2026 Cost of Living Adjustment of 4.82 per cent, effective January 1, 2026. The percentage is applied to each line of the schedule at once.
A larger policy change came earlier. Council adopted the Development Application Fee Policy after the 2024 fee review, and it took effect July 1, 2025. The 2026 adjustment sits on top of the fees set under that policy.
Fees you can look up
These 2026 amounts come from the City’s fee page. A residential minor variance, three units or less, is $5,011.08. A zoning by-law amendment has a base fee of $63,679.83 plus $6.23 per square metre of gross floor area, capped at $779,441.52. Site plan control has a base fee of $43,605.12 plus $5.37 per square metre, capped at $621,372.96.
The page covers planning applications only. Building permit fees aren’t on it, so this article doesn’t cover them.
The 4.82% in dollars
Divide each 2026 fee by 1.0482 to get the 2025 amount. That puts the minor variance at about $4,780.65 last year, a rise of $230.43. Site plan control had a base of $41,600.00, up $2,005.12, and the zoning base was about $60,751.60, up roughly $2,928. Those 2025 figures are our arithmetic, not numbers the City published on this page.
A building of 1,000 square metres
Big projects feel the change through the area rate. For a zoning by-law amendment, the fee is $63,679.83 plus 1,000 x $6.23, which is $69,909.83. Site plan control on the same building is $43,605.12 plus 1,000 x $5.37, or $48,975.12.
A project needing both pays $118,884.95 in these two fees, before consultants, surveys and studies. Using the same method, the 4.82% added about $5,467 to that pair. At 2,500 square metres the zoning fee is $79,254.83 and the site plan fee is $57,030.12.
Doubling floor area doesn’t double the increase, because the base fee is the bulk of the bill.
What it means for a homeowner
Most homeowners meet this process through a minor variance, such as a deck too close to a lot line or an addition slightly over the height limit. At $5,011.08 it isn’t trivial, and it is only the application fee. A survey, drawings and professional advice cost extra, and the City sets none of those.
So before filing, check whether a small design change would bring the project inside the by-law. That could save the whole fee. If you do need the variance, put aside $417.59 a month and you have it in a year. Our budget calculator can place that beside your other spending.
Cost recovery and development charges
The City’s budget material says the fee schedule aims at full cost recovery for processing applications. It lists site plan control, minor variance and consent applications as exceptions, where fees are not set to recover the full cost. We have not verified the percentages behind that.
Development charges are a separate thing. They are per-unit charges on new construction. Under the June 26, 2025 schedule, a new single or semi-detached home carries $137,846 per unit, and an apartment of two or more bedrooms carries $80,690. Council directed reductions of 40% for studios and one-bedrooms and 60% for larger units for 2026 to 2029, subject to a funding agreement. Our development charges calculator shows the amounts for a unit type.
So the 4.82% touches application fees and not those per-unit charges. If you own a home, the property tax calculator covers the yearly bill, which rose about 2.2% in 2026.
What we could not confirm
The earlier article told a personal renovation story and called the rise a fee shock. We removed both. We found no separate 2026 decision singling out minor variances, and we did not check consent, committee of adjustment or building permit fees. The 2027 adjustment is unknown to us, so check the fee page if you file after January 1, 2027. For your own numbers, try the Take-Home Pay calculator, or browse the savings and retirement calculators.
Sources
- City of Toronto, Planning Application Fees
- City of Toronto, Fee Schedules for Planning Applications
- City of Toronto, 2026 Budget Notes City Planning
- City of Toronto, Development Charges
Common questions
How much did Toronto planning fees rise in 2026?
What does a minor variance cost in Toronto?
Are planning fees the same as development charges?
Do these fees include building permits?
Last reviewed: . Figures come from the official sources listed above. How we check the numbers and our editorial policy.