When you apply for a building permit in Ontario, the drawings must come from someone qualified under the Ontario Building Code. For most house projects that person is a BCIN designer.
What BCIN means
BCIN stands for Building Code Identification Number. Designers who are not architects or engineers must pass the Province's Building Code exams and register to get a BCIN before they can design and submit drawings for permits.
What a BCIN designer prepares
- Legal basement and second unit drawings
- Home additions and second storeys
- Garden suites
- Decks and porches that need permits
- Interior changes such as removing walls
For some structural work, such as removing a load-bearing wall, an engineer's design is also needed. The designer coordinates this.
Why an in-house designer helps
When the designer works on the same team as the builders, the drawings are priced and buildable from the start, city comments are answered quickly, and nothing gets lost between the plans and the job site. That is how we work at Empire.
See our permit drawings service.