Interior Renovation & Layout Change Permit Drawings
Not every renovation touches the building's footprint — many of the most common projects, like removing a wall between the kitchen and living room or reconfiguring a floor plan, happen entirely inside the existing structure but still require permit drawings. U2E prepares permit-ready drawings for interior renovations across Ontario, with particular attention to structural walls and layout changes that affect code compliance.
Renovations That Typically Need a Permit
As a general rule, work that removes or relocates a load-bearing wall, adds new plumbing fixtures, changes egress from a room, or otherwise alters the structure typically requires a permit. Purely cosmetic updates — new flooring, paint, replacing cabinets in the same footprint — usually don't, though it's worth confirming with your specific municipality before assuming either way.
Kitchen and bathroom renovations sit in a common grey area: a kitchen refresh with no fixture or wall changes may not need a permit, while a kitchen reno that opens the space to the living room or relocates plumbing generally does.
Load-Bearing Walls and Structural Changes
One of the most frequent reasons homeowners contact us for a renovation permit is wanting to remove a wall to create an open-concept layout. Before drawings are prepared, we assess whether the wall in question is load-bearing, and if so, detail the beam or header required to safely transfer that load once the wall is removed.
This structural detail — beam sizing, post locations, and connection details — is typically the part of the drawing set a building department scrutinizes most closely in an interior renovation permit.
Kitchen & Bathroom Layout Changes
Moving plumbing fixtures, adding a new bathroom, or reconfiguring a kitchen layout usually means documenting the new plumbing rough-in and, where applicable, how it ties into existing drain, vent, and supply lines. We detail this on the drawings alongside the architectural floor plan changes.
Drawings We Prepare
A typical interior renovation package includes existing and proposed floor plans, wall removal and beam details where structural changes are involved, plumbing fixture layouts, an electrical layout reflecting any new circuits or fixtures, and the permit application forms your municipality requires.
Working With Your Contractor
Many clients come to us with a contractor already selected or under consideration. We prepare the permit drawing set independently of the construction contract, so you can use the drawings with whichever contractor you choose, and we're available to answer code-related questions that come up once construction starts.