Do I need a permit to remove a detached garage in Oakville?

The size threshold

Ten square metres is roughly a structure about 3 metres by 3.3 metres. A single-car garage is well over that. If you are unsure, measure the outside footprint. The permit is issued by the Town of Oakville's Building Services.

Services to disconnect

Before a garage is demolished, check whether it has:

• An electrical feed from the house, which an electrician should disconnect at the panel.
• A gas line for a heater, which needs a licensed gas fitter.
• A water line or floor drain, which should be capped.

Trees and neighbours

Garages often sit close to property lines and mature trees. Trees of 15 centimetres or more in diameter at breast height are protected by Oakville's Private Tree Protection By-law, and machine access has to be planned around them. Where a garage wall is on or near the lot line, the neighbour's fence and property need protecting too.

Materials to check first

Older garages can contain asbestos in cement board siding, roofing felt or floor tiles. Under OHSA section 30, the owner should know what designated substances are present before the work is tendered. Contents such as paint, fuel and propane need proper disposal and should come out before demolition.

Replacing the garage or building a coach house

Many garages come down because something new is going up. A replacement garage, a coach house or an accessory dwelling unit will need its own building permit, and zoning rules control where it can sit on the lot. If the new structure is on the same footprint, it may make sense to leave the old slab until your builder decides whether it can be reused or should be broken out.

Coach houses and garden suites are becoming more common on larger Oakville lots. When one is planned, it helps to have the new drawings in hand before the old garage is removed, so the demolition can leave the site in the condition the builder needs.

What it depends on

The answer depends on the size of the structure, what services it has, whether the property has heritage status, and whether a new garage or coach house is planned. If you are replacing it, the new structure may need its own building permit.

What we do about it

We confirm the permit and services are in order before we start. Our garage demolition crews take down the structure and remove the slab if you need it gone, and our junk and debris removal service can empty it first. Request a free estimate to have us look at it.