How to check building permits for a Montréal address
The Ville de Montréal publishes the permits it has issued since 1990 as open data.
How to read a permit
- The type: construction (new building), transformation (interior or exterior renovation, extension), demolition, certificate of authorization (for example cutting down a tree).
- The issue date: recent work may still be under a warranty.
- The nature of the work: kitchen, roof, foundation, an added dwelling.
What permits do not tell you
An issued permit does not prove the work was done or that it complies, and work done without a permit appears nowhere. The linked cities of the island (Westmount, Dorval…) and the other cities on the site are not covered. More about permits
What to ask the seller
- Permits and invoices for the work you can see: kitchen, bathroom, finished basement, roof.
- For an added dwelling or a lived-in basement: the permit and its compliance.
- For a rebuilt building: the new-home warranty and the certificate of completion.
To see the permits of an address, use the address search: the free page shows the latest permit, the full report the whole list.
General information, not legal or professional advice.
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