Which application type do you need?

There's no universal answer, because every organisation decides which application types it offers and what each one covers. But there's a reliable way to find yours.

Start with the portal

The office handling your application accepts applications for a specific set of permit types. To see them, go to your portal and begin a new application — the full list appears on the first screen, with a description of what each covers.

That list is always current. Anything you read elsewhere might not be.

How to match your project to a type

Describe the work in plain terms first. Not "renovation" — "replacing the tub with a walk-in shower and moving one drain." The specifics point at the type far better than a category does.

Expect to need more than one. A single project often needs several permits — building work, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical are commonly separate. That's normal, and the portal or the office will tell you which apply.

Pick the primary work if two could fit. Choose the type that describes the main scope. Intake staff will tell you if something else is needed.

Don't assume small means exempt. Whether a small job needs a permit is a local rule and varies a lot. Checking costs a phone call. Not checking can cost a stop-work order and the expense of undoing finished work.

When to ask instead of guess

Call the office, using the details on your portal, if:

• Nothing on the list obviously matches your project
• You're unsure whether your work needs a permit at all
• Your project involves demolition, a change of use, or anything structural
• The property is in a flood zone, a historic district, or has other overlays
• You're not sure whether you can do the work yourself

Staff answer these questions all day and would rather spend five minutes now than process a wrong application later.

What happens if you pick the wrong one

Not a disaster, but it costs time.

• Before you submit — you can usually abandon the application and start again cleanly. Contact the office.
• After you submit — intake review often catches it, and you'll be told what to do. Fees paid against the wrong type may need sorting out separately.

Either way, tell the office as soon as you notice. It's much easier to fix early.