Building Permits and Applications

PERMIT APPLICATIONS

New permit applications can be downloaded, completed and scanned to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. along with the required drawings and cheque payment or mailed to:
60 Pleasant Street, Bridgewater, NS B4V 3X9.
Alternatively, permit applications can be hand delivered to the Community Development Department at Town Hall.

If you have any questions about your application please call 902-541-4371.

The following guidelines have been drafted to assist any person or party intending to erect, construct, add to, alter, replace or relocate any building or part of a building or structure; change or alter the use made of land, buildings or structures within the Town of Bridgewater.

By clicking any of the following five links, you'll be able to download a useful information package:

NEWLY REVISED! Permit Guidelines

Permit Application

Application Checklist

Swimming Pools

Sample Drawings

What permit(s) do I need? How do I apply?
There is one pdf Permit Application (96 KB)  form to apply for all necessary permits. This form can be downloaded, mailed, emailed, faxed or picked up from the Engineering/Planning Department. A helpful checklist of what may need to be included with your applicaton is also available. The application must be signed and returned to the Engineering/Planning Department with necessary details and payment:

Development Permit:
This permit is concerned with where structures are placed on a lot in relation to property boundaries. A Development Permit is required for new construction, additions, renovations and change of use (e.g. office to a store). Application must be signed by the owner of the lot, or the agent of the owner of the lot (with the written authorization of the owner), and be accompanied by a plot plan showing where structures will be located. Further information may be necessary to determine whether or not the proposed development conforms with the requirements of the Land Use By-law. There is a $50 fee for a Development Permit (it can be applied for and paid for at the same time as a Footing / Building Permit if required).

Footing Permit:
This permit is required if the project requires excavation for footings. Once the Development Permit has been issued and appropriate information has been submitted a Footing Permit may be issued permitting the excavation. Upon approval of excavation by the Building Inspector, footings may be placed. Once a Certificate of Location of the actual footings is submitted to the Building Inspector, a Building Permit can be considered. The cost for this permit is included in the cost of the application for a Building Permit.

Building Permit:
This permit is concerned with how structures are built. A Building Permit can be issued after a Development Permit and/or Footing Permit has been issued (or deemed unnecessary). If the construction project does not fit into the following examples for which this permit is required, contact the Building Inspector for further information: Construction of single & multi-family dwellings, commercial, industrial and mercantile buildings, locating mini and modular homes, reconstruction, interior/exterior structural renovations, decks, carports, additions, accessory buildings over 215 square feet. The cost of this permit is $3.00 per $1,000 value of construction (materials and labour). The minimum fee is $25 for projects valued under $8,500.

For Single & Multi Section Manufactured Homes on Surface Mount Foundations only, the permit fee is $2.10 per $1,000 of total project value with a minimum $25 fee for projects under $11,905).

Demolition Permit:
Required for the removal of any building or major part thereof. The cost of this permit is $3.00 per $1,000 value of construction (materials and labour). The minimum fee is $25 for projects valued under $8,500. For details concerning demolition waste management, contact the Lunenburg Regional Recycling and Composting Facility at Tel: (902) 543-2991.

Occupancy Permit:
This is the final step in the Building Permit process. Before any part of the building may be occupied, the Building Inspector must inspect the work that was done. If the work meets the code requirements and no unsafe conditions exist, an Occupancy Permit can be issued. Please contact the Building Inspector. There is no additional cost for this permit.

What additional details are required?
Depending on what kind of project or where you are constructing, will directly influence which applications you will be required to submit. No matter what you are applying for, it is very important to provide us with as much detail as possible. A complete set of blueprints or plans may be required and may speed up the process. Remember to apply early enough to avoid disappointment. It may take time for all the applications to be processed.

When is a building permit not required?
A Building Permit is not required for the following. However, a Development Permit may be required for some or all of the below mentioned items:

• Sewage, water, electrical, telephone, rail or similar systems.
• Accessory buildings under 215 square feet
• Interior and exterior non-structural material alterations and material repairs with a monetary value of $5,000 or less.
• Free standing signs, utility poles, and radio communication towers or aerials.
• Fences not as part of a pool enclosure

What inspections are required?
The Building Inspector will need to see the following stages of construction:

• Excavation
• Footing in place
• Foundation with damp-proofing, draintile, crushed rock, etc.
• Framing and roof tight (windows, doors, sheathing papers installed)
• Insulation and vapour barrier prior to the interior finish being installed (electrical, plumbing and heating and mechanical ventilation must be in place).
• Prior to occupancy

Please Note:
You are legally responsible for notifying the Community Development Department at the above mentioned inspection stages, so that any problems can be corrected before they become costly.

An application for which a permit is not issued within six months is considered abandoned. Permits, unless otherwise stated, are valid for one year and are renewable.

Failure to comply with the required information could produce delays in obtaining necessary approvals. We are happy to assist with making your permit process as smooth as possible. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.