Blog / Missing Middle Housing
Toronto Committee of Adjustment Fees for 2026: What a Lot Split or Minor Variance Costs
Written by Anthony Palleschi · October 26, 2026 · 6 min read
What does it cost to split a lot or ask for a minor variance in Toronto? The City publishes the answer as a fixed fee list, and the current one took effect on January 1, 2026. This post sets out the 2026 list, the refund rules and the appeal fee, as they read on November 1, 2026.
I'm Anthony Palleschi, a real estate sales representative in Toronto, and I work with owners and builders on lots that may need a split or a variance. For how the Committee of Adjustment decides, the tests it uses and the steps from start to finish, see the full guide, Severance and minor variance at Toronto's Committee of Adjustment. This post is about the fees.
The 2026 fee list
The City's Committee of Adjustment forms, submission guidelines and fees page, last changed October 8, 2026, lists these fees, effective January 1, 2026:
| Application | Fee |
|---|---|
| Minor variance: additions and alterations to existing homes with three units or less | $2,228.98 |
| Minor variance: homes with three units or less | $5,011.08 |
| Minor variance: all other residential, commercial, industrial or institutional uses | $6,485.59 |
| Minor variance asked for after the work is built | Double the regular fee |
| Consent: split one lot into two, or create a new easement | $8,080.65 |
| Consent: each additional lot created | $6,561.48 |
| Consent: several lot additions to create one or more new lots, per existing lot | $4,040.33 |
| Validation of title, technical severance, leases, mortgage discharge, lot additions, re-establishing easements | $2,275.91 |
A minor variance is permission for a building to break a zoning rule by a small amount. A consent is permission to divide land or change a property line. Splitting one lot into two is the most common consent.
Which line fits common plans
This section is my reading of the fee lines. Committee staff decide which line applies, so confirm before you pay.
- Adding to an existing house with three units or less, such as a rear addition or a taller roof: $2,228.98.
- A new detached house, duplex or triplex that needs a variance: $5,011.08.
- A new fourplex, a sixplex or a townhouse row that needs a variance: $6,485.59, since these have more than three units.
- Splitting one lot into two: $8,080.65.
- Splitting one lot into three: $8,080.65 plus $6,561.48, or $14,642.13.
A lot split can also need minor variances, because both new lots must meet the zoning by-law. As an example of the arithmetic, a split of one lot into two plus one minor variance application at the $5,011.08 line would total $13,091.73 in City fees.
How and when you pay
Applications go to the City by email as PDF files, to bldapplications@toronto.ca, with the property address in the subject line. The City's Committee of Adjustment Participation Handbook says Toronto Building then sends a letter that explains how to pay, and the fee must be paid within 5 business days to avoid cancellation. The process starts once the fee is paid and staff find the application complete.
What the fee pays for
The handbook says the fees "are established by City Council and cover the costs of processing the application." After the fee is paid and the file is complete, Committee staff:
- mail a Public Hearing Notice to property owners within 60 metres (200 feet) of the site,
- give you a notice sign, which you post where it can be seen from the street for at least 14 days before the hearing for a consent, or 10 days for a minor variance,
- schedule the public hearing, usually 5 to 8 weeks after the file is complete, and
- send the Notice of Decision within 10 days of the hearing.
Under the refund rules below, once the Notice of Hearing is mailed the fee stays with the City, whatever the Committee decides.
Refunds
The fees page sets these refund rules for applications submitted on or after November 1, 2019:
| When the file ends | Refund |
|---|---|
| Staff close the file as incomplete | All but $100 per application may be returned |
| You withdraw before staff circulate the file inside the City | 80 percent may be refunded |
| You withdraw after circulation, before the Notice of Hearing is mailed | 50 percent may be refunded |
| You withdraw after the Notice of Hearing is mailed | No refund |
Refund requests are made in writing to the Deputy Secretary-Treasurer. On the $6,485.59 fee, an 80 percent refund would be $5,188.47 and a 50 percent refund would be $3,242.80.
The appeal fee
If the Committee refuses an application, or approves it with conditions you do not accept, the applicant can appeal to the Toronto Local Appeal Body. The City's filing an appeal page, last changed August 24, 2026, says "A $300 appeal fee is due for each appeal filed." The Notice of Appeal (Form 1) is filed as a PDF with the Committee of Adjustment, and it must be received by the deadline in the Committee's decision. The handbook gives the usual windows: 20 days from the hearing date for a minor variance, and 20 days from the mailing of the Notice of Decision for a consent.
Since November 28, 2022, the page says only the applicant, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, specified persons and public bodies can appeal.
Costs outside the City fee
This section is my own view of the other costs to plan for. The City fee is one line in the budget. A complete application also needs:
- a certified survey of the property, and for a consent, a draft reference plan from a surveyor showing the new lot lines,
- scaled drawings and architectural plans,
- a tree declaration with colour photos, and a plan of protected trees where they exist,
- a zoning review by a City examiner, which the handbook recommends and which has its own fee, and
- the fees of any planner, architect or lawyer you hire.
A missed variance adds cost too. The handbook warns that if you skip the zoning review and get something wrong, you may have to reapply and pay the application fees again.
Questions to ask before you apply
- Which fee line will Committee staff apply to my plan?
- Does my lot split also need minor variances for either new lot?
- Have I paid for a zoning review, so the application asks for every variance at once?
- Is the work already built, so the fee would double?
- What will the survey, drawings and professional help cost on top of the City fee?
If you are weighing a lot split or a variance before selling or building, see how I work with sellers and developers, or reach me through the contact page or at 416-636-6800.
Planning and development potential is property-specific and subject to zoning, approvals, site conditions, municipal review and other due diligence.
Sources
All pages opened on November 1, 2026 (PT).
- City of Toronto, Committee of Adjustment Forms, Submission Guidelines and Fees (date modified October 8, 2026): the fees effective January 1, 2026, the refund rules and the email submission.
- City of Toronto, Committee of Adjustment Participation Handbook: payment within 5 business days, appeal windows, application contents and the zoning review advice.
- City of Toronto, Filing an Appeal (date modified August 24, 2026): the $300 appeal fee, Form 1 and who can appeal.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a minor variance cost in Toronto in 2026?
Toronto's Committee of Adjustment fees effective January 1, 2026 are $2,228.98 for additions and alterations to existing homes with three units or less, $5,011.08 for homes with three units or less, and $6,485.59 for all other residential, commercial, industrial or institutional uses. A variance for work already built costs double the regular fee.
How much does it cost to sever a lot in Toronto in 2026?
The City of Toronto's application fee for a consent to sever one lot into two is $8,080.65 for 2026, and each additional lot created costs $6,561.48. Splitting one lot into three lots would therefore cost $14,642.13 in City fees, before the survey, the draft reference plan and any professional fees.
When do I pay the Committee of Adjustment fee in Toronto?
After an application is submitted by email, Toronto Building sends a letter that explains how to pay the fee. The City's Committee of Adjustment Participation Handbook says the fee must be paid within 5 business days, or the application is cancelled. The application moves forward once the fee is paid and staff find it complete.
Can I get a refund if I withdraw a Committee of Adjustment application?
The City of Toronto may refund 80 percent of the fee if the application is withdrawn before staff circulate it inside the City, and 50 percent if it is withdrawn after that but before the Notice of Hearing is mailed. There is no refund once the Notice of Hearing has been mailed. Refund requests go in writing to the Deputy Secretary-Treasurer.
What happens to the fee if my application is incomplete?
The City of Toronto's fee page says that if staff close a Committee of Adjustment file as incomplete, all but $100 per application may be returned to the applicant. This refund policy applies to Committee of Adjustment applications submitted on or after November 1, 2019, according to the same page.
How much does it cost to appeal a Committee of Adjustment decision in Toronto?
The City of Toronto's filing an appeal page says a $300 appeal fee is due for each appeal filed to the Toronto Local Appeal Body. The Notice of Appeal, Form 1, is filed in PDF format with the Committee of Adjustment, and it must be received by the deadline stated in the Committee's decision.
Why does a variance for work already built cost more in Toronto?
The City of Toronto's 2026 fee schedule sets the fee for an after the fact minor variance at double the regular fee. An after the fact variance is one asked for after the building or change already exists. For a home with three units or less, that would be $10,022.16 instead of $5,011.08.
Which minor variance fee applies to a fourplex in Toronto?
Toronto's 2026 fee schedule has a line for residential dwellings with three units or less at $5,011.08 and a line for all other residential uses at $6,485.59. A fourplex has four units, so by a plain reading of the lines it falls under the $6,485.59 fee. Confirm the line with Committee of Adjustment staff before you pay.