Why are we conducting this survey?
The monthly Building and Demolition Permits Survey collects data on the value of permits issued by Canadian municipalities for both residential and non-residential buildings, and the number of residential dwellings authorized. The survey also measures the number of dwelling units demolished.
Building permit data are widely used as a leading indicator for the construction industry since the issuance of a building permit is one of the first steps in the construction process.
Statistics on building permits are essential inputs for the computation of residential building construction expenditures, the quarterly and annual estimates of net capital stock, and depreciation by component. They are also a major input in the computation of investment in non-residential building construction.
To further strengthen information on housing development in Canada, Statistics Canada has introduced the Residential Building Occupancy (RBO) module as a supplement to the Building and Demolition Permits Survey. The RBO collects information on residential construction start dates, construction completion dates, and occupancy readiness, providing a more complete picture of when new housing supply becomes available to Canadians.
Together, building permit and occupancy data improve the understanding of housing supply conditions across communities and support evidence-based decision-making by governments, planners, researchers, and other stakeholders involved in housing and infrastructure policy.
In addition, the results of this survey are used by CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) as a reference frame for conducting a monthly survey of housing starts and completions in accordance with its mandate.
The statistics are used by a wide range of economists, construction industry analysts, housing market analysts and economic development officers across Canada.
Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.
Your participation in this survey is required under the authority of the Statistics Act.
Other important information
Authorization to collect this information
Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19.
Confidentiality
By law, Statistics Canada is prohibited from releasing any information it collects that could identify any person, business or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent, or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada will use the information from this survey for statistical purposes only.
Record linkages
To enhance the data from this survey and to reduce the response burden, Statistics Canada may combine the acquired data with information from other surveys or from administrative sources.
Data sharing agreements
To reduce respondent burden, Statistics Canada has entered into a data sharing agreement with provincial and territorial statistical agencies, which must keep the data confidential and use them only for statistical purposes.
Section 11 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with the provincial and territorial statistical agencies. For this survey, there are data sharing agreements with Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon. Shared data will be limited to information from the respective province or territory. Each provincial or territorial Statistics Act includes the same provisions for confidentiality and penalties for disclosure of information as the Statistics Act.
Section 12 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with federal, provincial or territorial government organizations. Under Section 12, you may refuse to share your information with any of these organizations by writing a letter of objection to the Chief Statistician, specifying the organizations with which you do not want Statistics Canada to share your data, and mailing it to the following address:
Chief Statistician of Canada
Statistics Canada
Attention of Director, Investment, Science and Technology Division
150 Tunney's Pasture Driveway
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0T6
You may also contact us by email at Statistics Canada Help Desk or by fax at 613-951-6583.
Statistics Canada has entered into data sharing agreements under Section 12 of the Statistics Act with Prince Edward Island, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Natural Resources Canada (NRC), Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC), and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), as well as the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
For agreements with provincial and territorial government organizations, the shared data will be limited to information within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.
Reporting period
For the purposes of this survey, report information for the month of July 2026.
Reporting instructions
Please refer to the Building and Demolition Permits - Monthly Report - Reporting guide(s) when completing your report.
Deadline for completing this questionnaire
Please complete this questionnaire and submit it within 10 days of receipt.
Other information about this questionnaire
Additional information about this survey can be found at: Building permits
Monthly Building and Demolition Permits Survey
The following questions pertain to this municipality's monthly data on building and demolition permits.
Subsequently, you will be asked questions regarding residential building permits for newly constructed residential units (starts and completions).
1. Did you issue any building and demolition permits for July 2026?
- Yes
- No
Method of Collection
There are two options for reporting monthly building and demolition permit data:
Electronic questionnaire: Provide the number of permits issued for the indicated reference month, then enter permit information using the web browser.
Attaching files: Enter permit information in the provided excel template, and save to your computer using the following naming convention: BPER_YYYYMM where BPER is the survey acronym, YYYY is the year and MM the month of the reference period.
You can also attach files using other formats (.txt, .pdf, etc.).
2. Indicate whether you will be answering the remaining questions (using the electronic questionnaire) or attaching files with the required information.
- Answering the remaining questions (using the electronic questionnaire)
- Attaching files
Attach files
3. Please attach the files containing your monthly building and demolition permits for July 2026.
Please submit only for the municipality included in this electronic questionnaire. If you require assistance, please contact 1-877-949-9492 (toll free). To submit your completed questionnaire attachment, please follow the instructions below. Once the files are attached, use the navigation buttons to submit the questionnaire.
To attach files
- Press the Attach files button.
- Choose the file to attach. Multiple files can be attached.
Note:
- Each file must not exceed 5 MB.
- All attachments combined must not exceed 50 MB.
- The name and size of each file attached will be displayed on the page.
4. Please provide the number of building and demolition permits the municipality issued for July 2026.
Include all building and demolition permits for both residential and non-residential buildings.
Number of building and demolition permits
5. Report the details for each building and demolition permit.
Press the "Start" button to capture information for each permit.
6. Please provide the details for this permit – Part 1.
- Permit details
Permit number
Issue date of permit (Format: 4 digit year dash 2 digit month dash 2 digit day)
Example: YYYY-MM-DD
Number of permits
7. Please provide the details for this permit – Part 2.
Please specify builder or contractor information
Name of builder or contractor
Address of builder or contractor
City of builder or contractor
Builder or contractor phone number (including area code) (Enter all ten numbers without spaces or special characters)
Example: 123-123-1234
Please specify construction or demolition location
Construction or demolition location (site address)
Construction or demolition project details
Type of building code
Single House, single detached home
Single House - Condominium
Mobile home
Seasonal Dwelling (unsuitable for year-round occupancy); cottage, house boat
Semi-Detached or Double (side by side)
Semi-Detached or Double (side by side) - Condominium
Apartment, apartment building, duplex, triplex, quadruple
Apartment - Condominium
Row House, garden home, town house, carriage home, quadrex
Row House – Condominium
Primary industry building; farm building, greenhouse, fish hatchery
Mining building
Plant for manufacturing, processing and assembling goods
Transportation terminal; bus and truck terminal, airport, railway station
Maintenance building; hangar, repair shop, railway shed
Storage building; warehouse (for storage purposes only), grain elevator, locker rental, silo
Communication building; post office, mail sorting plant, radio station
Utility building; hydro control building, oil refinery building, water filtration building, sewage treatment building, natural gas processing plants
Engineering; parking garage, tunnel, dock
Retail and wholesale outlets; department store, photographic studio, rental service, beauty salon, dry cleaner, laundromat
Retail complex; plaza, mall, shopping center, store/office building
Office building; doctor's office, insurance company, bank, office/cafeteria
Office complex; office/store, office/apartment
Hotel, hotel/motel, motor hotel
Motel, cabin
Other accommodation; student's residence, boarding house, religious residence, hostel
Convention center, exhibition building
Restaurant, bar, tavern, night club, diner, donut shop
Theatre and performing art center; movie theatre, concert hall, cultural center
Indoor recreational building; sports complex, community center, arena
Outdoor recreational building; golf club, campground facilities, outdoor skating rink, outdoor swimming pool
Motor vehicle show room; car dealership, motorcycle and tractor sale
Service station, repair garage and specialty shop; gasoline station, service station/car wash, muffler shop
Laboratory and research center; medical research center, industrial laboratory, observatory
Special building use; funeral director, crematorium, mausoleum
Government legislative and administration building other than office building; city hall, court of justice
Other government building; police station, prison, fire station, military building
Elementary school, kindergarten
Secondary school, high school, junior high school
Post-secondary institution; technical institute, trade school
University
Library, museum, art gallery, aquarium, botanical garden, scientific center
Hospital; general, military, specialized
Clinic, health unit; out-patient clinic, first aid station
Day care, nursing home, home for the blind, charitable home, detoxification center
Religious building; church, cathedral, temple, citadel, synagogue
Type of work code
New construction: built on site
New construction: Installation of a pre-fabricated building (built mostly or completely off-site)
Addition to existing building (structural extension) for non-residential only
Alteration and improvements
Foundation
Superstructure or part of new building
Mechanical
Conversion from single to multiple dwelling
Conversion from multiple to multiple dwelling
Conversion from non-residential to residential building
Deconversion from single to non-residential building
Deconversion from multiple to multiple or single dwelling or non-residential building
Additional value to previous permit(s)
Swimming pool
Garage and carport
Demolition
8. Please provide the details for this permit – Part 3.
Does this permit include a secondary suite?
- Yes
- No
Value of construction
Value of construction $CAN
Units
Dwelling units created
Dwelling units lost
Units demolished
Building area
Gross area
Unit of measure
- Ft2 (Square feet)
- M2 (Square metres)
Construction details
Number of storeys
Expected start date of construction (if available) (Format: 4 digit year dash 2 digit month dash 2 digit day)
Example: YYYY-MM-DD
Expected completion date of construction (if available) (Format: 4 digit year dash 2 digit month dash 2 digit day)
Example: YYYY-MM-DD
Permit description or additional permit comments
Residential building permits for newly constructed dwelling units (starts and completions)
The following questions pertain to the follow-up activities carried out by your municipality or the information it received after the issuance of the residential building permit that confirms the start and completion dates of the construction of the new dwelling units.
The data you provide will help enhance national and regional statistics on residential construction activity to address data gaps related to housing starts and completions.
The construction start date is the date when the work begins on one or more new dwelling units. It usually corresponds to the pouring of concrete for the entire foundation or footing, or to an equivalent stage if the building does not include a basement.
The construction completion date is the date when all planned construction work on a dwelling unit is completed and certified as compliant with construction standards, making the unit ready for occupancy.
Activity or information related to construction start date
9. Which follow-up activity carried out by your municipality, or information received, is typically the closest to the actual construction start date?
The construction start date is the date when work begins on one or more new dwelling units. It usually corresponds to the pouring of concrete for the entire foundation or footing, or to an equivalent stage if the building does not include a basement.
By 'follow-up activity' or 'information received,' we mean here a declaration from the builder, the date of concrete pouring, a first inspection related to the construction start, or other as detailed below.
- Builder's declaration or notification of construction start date
- Date of concrete pouring (or equivalent stage)
- First inspection related to the construction start
- e.g., foundation or footing inspection
- Other
Permits by construction start date
10. Did your municipality carry out a follow-up activity or receive the information related to the construction start for one or more dwelling units for July 2026?
- Yes
- How many permits for new dwelling units were associated with the follow-up activity or information marking the start of construction for July 2026?
Include activity or the information reported for July 2026, regardless of when the building permits were issued.
- How many permits for new dwelling units were associated with the follow-up activity or information marking the start of construction for July 2026?
- No
Activity or information related to construction completion date
11. Which follow-up activity carried out by your municipality, or information received, is typically the closest to the actual construction completion date?
The construction completion date is the date when all planned construction work on a dwelling unit is completed, making the unit ready for occupancy.
By 'follow-up activity' or 'information received,' we mean here the issuance of occupancy permit, a verification call or email with the builder or the owner, a final inspection conducted after the completion of construction, or other as detailed below.
- Issuance of occupancy permit
- Project close-out date in the permit system
- Notification to tax assessor or property registry or roll number
- Final inspection conducted after the completion of construction
- Utility connections
- e.g., meter set date
- Other
Permits by construction completion date
12. Did your municipality carry out a follow-up activity or receive the information related to the completion of construction for one or more dwelling units for July 2026?
- Yes
- How many permits for new dwelling units were associated with the follow-up activity or information marking the completion of construction for July 2026?
Include follow-up activity or the information reported for July 2026, regardless of when the building permits were issued.
- How many permits for new dwelling units were associated with the follow-up activity or information marking the completion of construction for July 2026?
- No
Method of Collection
There are two options for reporting monthly permits for newly constructed residential units:
Electronic questionnaire: Provide the number of permits issued for the indicated reference month, then enter permit information using the web browser.
Attaching files: Enter permit information in the provided Excel template, and save to your computer using the following naming convention: BPER_RBO_YYYYMM where BPER is the survey acronym, RBO is the new module acronym, YYYY is the year and MM is the month of the reference period.
Each record should include the Permit number, Application date for permit (if available), Issue date, Housing completion date or start date, Number of dwelling units completed, Construction site address, Value of construction, and some Construction details.
You can also attach files using other formats (.txt, .pdf, etc.).
13. Indicate whether you will be answering the remaining questions or attaching files with the required information.
- Answering the remaining questions (using the electronic questionnaire)
- Attaching files
Attach files
14. Please attach the files containing your monthly residential building permits for newly constructed dwelling units for July 2026.
Each record should include the Building permit number, Application date for permit (if available), Issue date of building permit, Housing construction start date or completion date, Number of dwelling units started or completed, Construction site address, Value of construction, Type of building, and Type of work.
Please submit only for the municipality included in this electronic questionnaire. If you require assistance, please contact 1-877-949-9492. To submit your completed questionnaire attachment, please follow the instructions below. Once the files are attached, use the navigation buttons to submit the questionnaire.
To attach files
- Press the Attach files button.
- Choose the file to attach. Multiple files can be attached.
Note:
- Each file must not exceed 5 MB.
- All attachments combined must not exceed 50 MB.
- The name and size of each file attached will be displayed on the page.
Residential building permits by housing construction start date
15. For each construction start, please provide the following details from the associated building permit.
- Permit #
Building permit number
Number of dwelling units started
Application date for permit (if available) (Example: YYYY-MM-DD)
Issue date of permit (Example: YYYY-MM-DD)
Construction start date (Example: YYYY-MM-DD)
Construction site address
Value of construction in CAN$
Type of building code
Single House, single detached home
Single House - Condominium
Mobile home
Seasonal Dwelling (unsuitable for year-round occupancy); cottage, house boat
Semi-Detached or Double (side by side)
Semi-Detached or Double (side by side) - Condominium
Apartment, apartment building, duplex, triplex, quadruple
Apartment - Condominium
Row House, garden home, town house, carriage home, quadrex
Row House – Condominium
Type of work code
New construction: built on site
New construction: Installation of a pre-fabricated building (built mostly or completely off-site)
Conversion from single to multiple dwelling
Conversion from multiple to multiple dwelling
Conversion from non-residential to residential building
Residential building permits by housing construction completion date
16. For each construction completion, please provide the following details from the associated building permit.
- Permit #
Building permit number
Number of dwelling units completed
Application date for permit (if available) (Example: YYYY-MM-DD)
Issue date of permit (Example: YYYY-MM-DD)
Construction completion date (Example: YYYY-MM-DD)
Construction site address
Value of construction in CAN$
Type of building code
Single House, single detached home
Single House - Condominium
Mobile home
Seasonal Dwelling (unsuitable for year-round occupancy); cottage, house boat
Semi-Detached or Double (side by side)
Semi-Detached or Double (side by side) - Condominium
Apartment, apartment building, duplex, triplex, quadruple
Apartment - Condominium
Row House, garden home, town house, carriage home, quadrex
Row House – Condominium
Type of work code
New construction: built on site
New construction: Installation of a pre-fabricated building (built mostly or completely off-site)
Conversion from single to multiple dwelling
Conversion from multiple to multiple dwelling
Conversion from non-residential to residential building