Demolition

According to the By-Law concerning the demolition of buildings, a demolition is defined as an intervention carried out in one or more stages, resulting in the total or partial destruction of the floors, exterior walls, or roofs of an immovable.

The following works constitute a demolition and require a demolition permit:

For a heritage building or a Category 1* building:

• Demolition of more than 20% of the combined surface area of the exterior walls (opening or piercing through the full thickness) and roof; or
• Demolition of more than 50% of the floor area (opening or piercing through the full thickness).

For a Category I, II or III building, or an unclassified building, except for accessory buildings built after 1940, as defined in the By-law on Site Planning and Architectural Integration Programmes in effect:

• Demolition of more than 50% of the combined surface area of the exterior walls (opening or piercing through the full thickness) and roof; or
• Demolition of more than 50% of the floor area (opening or piercing through the full thickness).

For any immovable, except for accessory buildings built after 1940, demolition of more than 50% of the main façade;

For an accessory building:

• Demolition of more than 50% of the combined surface area of the exterior walls (opening or piercing through the full thickness) and roof.

• Do you know the historical value of your property?
• Did you read By-law 1609 concerning demolition, including the percentage for demolition and the evaluation criteria?

An application for authorization for demolition must be submitted to the authority having jurisdiction by the owner of the immovable to be demolished or his authorized representative, using the form provided for this purpose. This form must be duly completed and signed by the owner or authorized representative, and accompanied by the following documents:

• The name and contact information of the owner, authorized representative, and professionals involved, including the contractor;
• The power of attorney signed by the owner establishing the authorization of any person to act on his behalf for the application, if applicable;
• Certificate of location including existing structures and easements;
• A document presenting the application for authorization for demolition, including at least:
  • The current occupation of the immovable;
  • Photographs of the interior and exterior of the immovable covered by the application;
  • Photographs of the structures and installations located on the property on which the immovable covered by the application is located, as well as photographs of the surrounding area;
  • A plan showing the proportion of the immovable to be demolished and a detailed calculation of the applicable demolition percentage;
  • The motives justifying the application for authorization for demolition rather than a conservation or restoration approach;
  • The motives justifying the application for authorization for demolition with regard to the evaluation criteria set out in this By-law;
  • A plan showing the position of any existing tree on the property with a trunk of 0.1 m (4 in.) or more in diameter, measured 1.0 m (4 in.) above the ground.
• A heritage study carried out by a professional competent in this field, who is not the one mandated to carry out the preliminary program for the reuse of the vacated land, including the heritage value of the immovable (archaeological, architectural, artistic, emblematic, ethnological, historical, landscape, scientific, social, urban planning, or technological), its state of conservation, and the methodology used;
• A report on the condition of the building, prepared by a qualified professional. The report must include identification and description of the condition of components and systems, deficiencies and corrective work required for repair or renovation;
• An evaluation report of the restoration, repair or renovation costs identified in the report referred to in Paragraph 6°, prepared by a qualified professional;
• A report by a qualified professional or the contractor commissioned to carry out the demolition, describing:
  • The methods of deconstruction / demolition;
  • The measures taken for the storage, reuse, and disposal of materials, specified by type of material, including:
    • Structural wood;
    • Plaster panels;
    • Gypsum;
    • Floor coverings;
    • Shingles;
    • Cement / concrete;
    • Asphalt;
    • Metals;
    • Brick;
    • Masonry;
    • Slate;
    • Stone.
  • The measures taken to control dust and secure the site of neighbouring buildings, where applicable.
• A preliminary program for the reuse of the vacated land, including:
• The intended use;
  • A brief description of the interventions to be carried out, in terms of construction (height, volume, surface area, siting, etc.), architecture (architectural parti, main components, etc.), and landscaping. One or more preliminary sketches must be submitted to illustrate the description;
  • The completion schedule;
  • The preliminary estimate of the program costs.
• The schedule of the demolition work;
• Proof of any notice sent pursuant to Article 4.3 (Notice to tenants) when the immovable includes one or more occupied dwellings;
• The terms of relocation and reintegration of tenants when the immovable includes one or more occupied dwellings;
• Any other documents required to review the authorization application in the light of the criteria set out in this By-law.

• The file analysis fees, the publication and posting fees total $7 014 for a single-family, two-family, triplex or accessory building, or $12 905 for the demolition of any other building;
• The cost of the permit is $3 213.

Note: The tariffs correspond to the tariffs indicated in by-law No. 1612 entitled: by-law to establish tariffs for the 2024 fiscal year. The tariffs are subject to change every fiscal year.

Even if the permit has been authorized, it is not automatically issued. The permit must be paid for and certain documents must be submitted.

Information you need to bring:

• A detailed construction cost, excluding taxes as provided by the general contractor or a project manager.
• All other documentation requested in the minute that need to be deposited prior to issuance of a permit (ex. RBQ form, a site management document, asbestos report, sidewalk deposit, …).