For major development projects and changes to sites that fall under Site Plan Control, we ask you to prepare a site plan. On this page, you can learn about site plans, when you need them and when you don’t, the approval process and more.

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On this page:

  1. About site plans
  2. When you need a site plan
  3. When you don't need a site plan
  4. Site plan application
  5. Application and approval process
  6. Resources

About site plans

For major projects, we ask for a site plan to make sure you consider these aspects before starting development:

  • building massing, conceptual design and location
  • on-site amenities, landscaping and lighting
  • driveways, vehicle circulation and parking
  • sustainability features
  • grading and stormwater management
  • sewer and water lines

Depending on your project, you may need to give us a site plan.

When you need a site plan

You need to complete the site plan process for these projects:

  • constructing a new building or addition
  • undertaking major renovations that increase the size or usability of a building
  • creating a commercial parking lot
  • making alterations to an already approved site plan

When you don’t need a site plan

You don’t need to give us a site plan for these projects:

  • a residential building on a parcel of land containing a total of 10 residential units or less
  • farm building

For these projects, you may still need a building permit or site alteration permit.

Site plan application

There are three types of site plan applications:

  • Full Site Plan: new buildings or structures, major additions, major building renovations or a commercial parking facility
  • Stamp Plan A: minor additions to an existing building, renovations that add new units to a building and include minor site works and temporary sales centres
  • Stamp Plan B: minor housekeeping or as-built revisions to an approved site plan (example: red-line revisions) or building conversions that need minimal site works
How to submit a site plan application

We require a pre-submission consultation for Full Site Plan applications and some Stamp Plan A applications. Call us at 519-741-2426 or send us an email to confirm if you need to request a consultation.

After your consultation, follow these steps to complete the application:
Internet-connected device and printer.
Download the application form

Choose the application form that fits your project:
Send the application by email 

Send the completed application form and any attachments, including a scan of the cheque, to us by email.

If your application is larger than 10 MB, please contact us to arrange for a file transfer.
Mail or courier the application to City Hall

The original, signed application form and cheque should be couriered as soon as possible after sending your application by email.

Send applications to:

City of Kitchener
Manager of Development Review - Planning division
200 King Street West
Kitchener, ON
N2G 4R6

Application and approval process 

Site plan application and approval process

We’ve outlined our site plan application process below.

If you have any questions, send us an email or call 519-741-2426.
Internet-connected device and printer.
Pre-submission consultation
  • request a pre-submission consultation if necessary
  • during this meeting, we’ll share information that will help with your specific application
Site plan application
Staff review
  • we circulate your application to internal staff and agencies
  • staff share comments with you
  • if required, review includes a Site Plan Reviewing Committee meeting within 30 days of application
Conditional approval
  • if appropriate, we’ll approve your application with conditions
  • before final approval, you’ll need to meet those conditions
Applicant meets conditions
  • you’ll submit the plans, studies and reports outlined in your conditional approval
  • staff will review your documents and share their clearance with planning staff
  • at this stage, you can start applying for building permits, but we won’t issue them until you get final approval (step 7 in this process)
Final approval
  • after all conditions are cleared and you have paid any site securities or fees, we will issue final approval
  • the development agreement (if applicable) will be registered on the title of the property
Building permits can be issued
  • building staff usually review permits and share the status within:
    • 10 business days: renovation or new construction of a house where no dwelling unit is above another dwelling unit, a detached structure that serves a house and does not exceed 55 m² in building area and tents.
    • 15 business days: renovation or new construction of a building smaller than 600m² or three storeys
    • 20 business days: buildings larger than 600m²
    • 30 business days: post-disaster buildings and building classified as a high building
  • we issue building permits after a site plan gets final approval from staff
Learn more about building permits and the application process.
Construction begins!
  • you can now start construction on your project
Inspections and certifications

Certifications

  • you must submit consultant certifications that the site has been constructed per approved plans to planning and engineering staff by email
  • staff review your certifications within 15-30 days

Inspections

  • engineering and planning staff will conduct their on-site inspections based on the certifications and will provide you with a list of deficiencies if the site does not match approved plans
  • after your certifications are approved and confirmed through staff inspections, we release your site securities 

Schedule inspections
Site completion
  • all inspections are complete
  • all monies are returned
  • you must maintain the property per the approved plans in your development agreement

Resources

These resources will help you through the different stages of the site plan application process.

If you have any questions, send us an email or call 519-741-2426.

Designing your site

Clearing conditions

On-site works cost estimate for site securities and plan review fees

Inspections and certifications

Your hired consultants must complete certification forms after the site has been constructed in order to start the process to release site securities.

General policies

Digital submission resources