Planning and Development

Grading and Drainage Clearance Certificates

The City of Burlington's Grading and Drainage Clearance Certificate Bylaw requires a Grading and Drainage Clearance Certificate prior to the issuance of any building permit for works on residential lots with ten (10) or fewer dwelling units.

Application Process

The Grading and Drainage Clearance Certificate application should be submitted with the Zoning Clearance Certificate as part of the Pre-Building Approval Application. For more information, visit the Pre-Building Approval Application web page.

Application Submission Requirements

Before submitting your application, please review the application submission requirements for Engineering Services. To ensure your application passes the pre-screen review, please make sure all required information is submitted.

Is my application complete (for Engineering Services)?

When a Pre-Building Approval application is received, the application will be scheduled for a review at our weekly pre-screen meeting, where Subject Matter Experts from Engineering Services, Zoning and Forestry will review each application for completeness.

Prior to submitting any Pre-Building Approval application, please review the following information from Engineering Services:

Review the Grading and Drainage Checklist and Frequently Asked Questions for more information, including a list of application submission requirements.
If a Grading and Drainage Plan is required, then it must include:

Grading and Drainage Plan required items:

P.Eng. or O.L.S. stamp

Metric scale

North arrow

COB benchmark & vertical control

Property lines with lot line dimensions

Existing buildings/structures (5m beyond property lines)

Proposed buildings/structures

Existing window wells with dimensions

Proposed window wells with dimensions

Existing driveway locations with dimensions and slopes

Proposed driveway locations with dimensions and slopes

Existing other hard surfaces

Proposed hard surfaces

Existing ground elevations with location markers, including:

Lot corners
Property lines (including frontages)
5m beyond property lines
Swales and ditches
Culverts
Drainage infrastructure (including inverts)

Proposed ground and swale elevations (with location markers)

Existing downspouts with locations and discharge directions

Proposed downspouts with locations and discharge directions

Proposed sump pumps with locations and discharge directions

Existing services on public road allowance (i.e. storm sewer, sanitary sewer, watermain)

Existing service laterals with sizes

Proposed service laterals with sizes

Proposed retaining walls located no closer than 0.3m to property lines

Erosion and sediments control measure locations and details

Existing public tree locations

Existing private tree locations

Other Engineering Design Criteria

Prior to submitting any Pre-Building Approval application, please consider the following design criteria for proposed hard surface lot coverage:

Proposed hard surface lot coverage includes the combined area of any hard surface, including but not limited to any building or structure, driveway, patio, shed, or walkway.
The allowable hard surface lot coverage is:
- For lots with a frontage less than 9.14 m (or 30 ft), 50% of total lot area;
- For lots with a frontage between 9.14 m and 15.24 m (or 30 ft to 50 ft, 55% of total lot area; and
- For lots with a frontage greater than 15.24 m (or 50 feet), 60% of total lot area.
If the application’s proposed hard surface lot coverage exceeds the allowable percentage of the total lot area, the following shall apply:
- For lots with back-to-front drainage patterns and with acceptably designed swales, the installation of a catchbasin/area drain or low impact development is not required.
- For lots with split drainage patterns, the installation of drainage infrastructure may be necessary, including accommodation for the 100-year storm runoff.

Fee and Security Payments

Before a certificate can be issued, any required fee and security must be paid. E-Transfers and EFT/Wire Payments are the only acceptable methods of payment for Grading and Drainage Clearance Certificates. In-person payments will NOT be accepted at City Hall.

Application Fee and Security Payment Instructions

E-Transfers

E-Transfers are the preferred method of payment. The City is set up to accept E-transfers which can be sent to Financial Services at accounting@burlington.ca.

All E-transfers MUST INCLUDE the following payment details in the Message section with every email money transfer forwarded to the City of Burlington:

•   Site address
•   Applicant/Owner
•   Application #

PLEASE BE ADVISED: E-transfers must be sent from a bank that recognizes auto-deposit, as the City cannot receive funds if a password is required.

EFT/Wire Payments

EFT/Wire Payments are also an acceptable method of payment. Please advise Engineering Services staff by email of the person/business completing the transfer and include the site address in the details. This will ensure timely recognition of your payment. The following information is needed for EFT/Wire Payments:

City Address

Corporation of the City of Burlington
426 Brant Street, PO Box 5013,
Burlington, ON L7R 3Z6

Bank – 0003
Branch – 00662
Account – 0000018

Bank Address

Royal Bank of Canada
360 Pearl Street, Units 1-4
Burlington, ON L7R 1E1

In-Person Payments

In-person payments for Grading and Drainage Clearance Certificate applications will NOT be accepted at City Hall.

Erosion and Sediment Control Measures

Erosion and sediment control (ESC) measures are to be installed in accordance with the Erosion and Sediment Control Measures – Installation Requirements, as detailed in the Application Status Report. ESC measures are to be installed prior to the commencement of any construction. ESC measures are necessary to ensure that all neighbouring lands are kept in good condition and clear of construction materials and debris. ESC installation photos may be submitted by email to the Development Engineering staff person reviewing your file.

Release of Securities

For staff to release securities during the application process, you must:

Complete all construction in accordance with the approved Grading and Drainage Plan, including any onsite and/or right-of-way restoration or stabilization, if required.
Execute and register the Drainage System Appurtenances Agreement, if required.
Contact us for a final inspection to get final approval.

Drainage System Appurtenances

A drainage system appurtenance includes any additions to the normal operation of surface-related grading that is needed for the drainage system to operate effectively. These can include things like:

Area drains
Catch-basins
Infiltration galleries
Low-impact development measures
Manholes

If your Grading and Drainage Plan needs a drainage system appurtenance, you will need a ‘Drainage System Appurtenances Agreement'. The property owner, must pay all fees for preparation, registration and disbursement of the agreement.

Questions?

If you have questions or comments about your active application, please book an appointment with us. Contact the Development Engineering staff person reviewing your file to set up a meeting time.