Construction Glossary: Planning, Permit and Timing Terms for Trades

Start free trial 7 days, 10 projects: permitted projects in your trade's award window, with the decision maker named.

This construction glossary defines the planning, permit and timing terms that decide when a trade can win work in North America, including the Ontario planning steps US glossaries skip: site plans, rezonings, Official Plan Amendments, the Committee of Adjustment and minor variances. Builtie uses every one of these terms in its product, and each definition says why it matters to a trade selling to builders, general contractors and developers.

Before the permit: planning (Ontario)

Development application

A request to a municipality to change what may be built on a property or how it is laid out, filed before any building permit. In Ontario the word covers rezonings, Official Plan Amendments, site plans, plans of subdivision and condominium and Committee of Adjustment files. These are the earliest public records of a private project. See also: how early they appear

Rezoning (zoning by-law amendment)

An application to change the zoning on a property so that a building the current rules do not allow can be built: more height, more units, a different use. It is often the first public sign of a large project. 580 Toronto rezonings filed since 2019 were open with no building permit on October 24, 2026. Read more

Official Plan Amendment (OPA)

A change to a municipality's long-range land-use plan, filed when a project goes beyond what the plan allows. In Toronto it is usually filed with the rezoning, and the City's records combine the two. See Rezoning (zoning by-law amendment)

Site plan application

The application that settles a building's layout on its lot: footprint, access, parking, servicing and landscaping. In Toronto the site plan was filed a median of 48.8 months before the building permit for $10M+ new buildings. Read more

Plan of subdivision

An application to divide land into lots and new streets, usually for a new neighbourhood of houses or townhouses. Roads and servicing conditions are met before building permits issue. 132 Toronto subdivision applications filed since 2019 were open with no building permit on October 24, 2026.

Plan of condominium

The application that registers a building or townhouse block as condominium units. It usually comes after the site plan, often near or during construction, so it confirms a project more than it reveals one.

Committee of Adjustment

The municipal panel in Ontario that decides minor variances and consents (lot severances). Its files are the early record of custom homes and small infill: a new house that needs relief from the zoning appears here before its permit. Read more

Minor variance

Permission from the Committee of Adjustment to depart slightly from the zoning, for example a little more height or less setback, without a rezoning. 946 minor variances for a new residential building were on Toronto's active list on October 24, 2026. Read more

Consent (lot severance)

Committee of Adjustment approval to split one lot into two or more, or to move a lot line. A severed lot is often followed by two new houses. 467 severance files were on Toronto's active list on October 24, 2026. See also: Committee of Adjustment

Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT)

The provincial tribunal that hears appeals of Ontario planning decisions, from rezonings to minor variances. An appeal can add months or years before a permit. Builtie does not read OLT cases: its portal has no machine-readable feed.

Teardown

A house demolished to build a new one on the same lot. In Toronto a demolition permit with no new-house permit yet is an early sign of a custom home, and Builtie lists those in its Coming up tab.

Permits and the build

Building permit

The municipality's approval to build, alter or demolish, issued after the drawings pass code and zoning review. Two dates matter: applied for (the design is well along) and issued (work can start). Builtie reads permit feeds daily across its US and Canadian markets.

Build stage

How far a permitted project has got, as a share of the build: excavation, foundation, framing, rough-in, interior trades, finishing. No public permit records a stage directly; Builtie estimates it from the permit date, type and value, and in Los Angeles reads it from city inspections. Read more

Inspection

A building inspector's check of the work at set points: footings, framing, insulation, final. In Los Angeles Builtie takes the furthest approved inspection on a live permit as the project's observed stage. See also: build stages

Permit finaled

The permit's last inspection has passed and the file is closed. Of the Pacific Palisades rebuilds, 104 properties were finaled on October 20, 2026. See also: LA fire rebuild record

Certificate of occupancy

The document that says a building may be lived in or used. It marks the end of construction; 62 Palisades rebuild properties had one on October 20, 2026. See also: LA fire rebuild record

Stated construction value

The cost the applicant declares on the permit, which sets the permit fee. It is a declaration, not a contract price, and is often low or missing; Builtie shows it as a band such as $1M to $5M and never adds totals.

Like-for-like rebuild

In Los Angeles after the January 2025 fires, a rebuild of substantially the same home, within limits the Mayor's Emergency Executive Order 1 sets, which gets an expedited review. The City's permits mark these "eligible". See also: LA fire rebuild record

Timing for trades

Award window

The part of a build in which a trade is chosen, as a share of the build. On Builtie's current windows electrical is typically awarded at 15% to 35% of the build and cabinetry at 25% to 45%. Read more

Buying-time window

The award window placed at the moment the trade is bought rather than when it installs. Cabinetry installs at 65% to 85% of the build but is bought at 25% to 45%; Builtie moved most finishing trades to buying time on October 18, 2026. See Award window See also: award window

Install window

When a trade's crew is on site, as a share of the build: drywall at 50% to 75%, for example. Reaching the buyer during install is too late for that job. See Award window See also: award window

Buyout

The stretch after a general contractor wins a job when it awards its trade packages, one by one. A trade that reaches the estimator or project manager before its package is bought is in time; after buyout the scope is gone for that job. See also: award window

Bid list

The subcontractors a general contractor invites to price a package. Getting on it usually takes a relationship formed before the project, which is why a planning application or a new permit is the time to make contact. See also: how to get on one

Companies and people

General contractor (GC)

The company that runs construction for the owner and hires the trades. On commercial work it buys out the subcontracts; it is the buyer most trades sell to. Read more

Builder

The company that builds and usually sells homes, often acting as its own general contractor. In residential work the builder is the trade's buyer. See General contractor (GC) See also: GC vs builder vs developer

Developer (owner)

The company that controls the land, finances the project and hires the general contractor. It is named on planning applications long before a GC is chosen. See General contractor (GC) See also: GC vs builder vs developer

Numbered company

An Ontario corporation named by number, often set up for a single development site. It hides the developer behind the site, so Builtie shows it but looks for the developer behind it rather than contacting the numbered company.

Owner-builder

A property owner who takes out the permit and runs the work, common on custom homes. An owner-builder is a private person: Builtie's fire-rebuild pages name only builder companies, never an owner-builder.

Decision maker

The person who awards your scope on a project: an estimator, project manager or preconstruction lead at a GC, the owner of a small builder, a development manager at a developer. Builtie names one at the company behind each project, matched by declared employer. Read more

Builtie terms

Coming up

The tab in Builtie for Greater Toronto Area accounts that lists planning applications and Committee of Adjustment files with no building permit yet, so a trade can watch a project before its window opens. See also: the back-test behind it

Public since

The date on a Toronto project in Builtie that shows when it first appeared in the planning record, the earlier of its most recent rezoning and site plan, with the years before the permit. See also: how it is measured

Watch

Saving a project in Builtie. For a planning application, Builtie emails you when its status changes, the Committee of Adjustment decides, or a building permit is filed at the address.

Credit

What you spend in Builtie to open a project or a person. One credit opens one project, with the decision makers inside it included; opening a person in Industry People also spends one. Starter includes 20 a month and Growth 50, reset each month. See also: pricing

How this glossary is written

Plans and coverage

Builtie's Starter plan is $79 per seat per month for 20 projects; Growth is $99 for 50 projects and adds the LinkedIn and email outreach you run yourself. Opening a project spends one credit, and the decision makers, emails, phones and AI call script inside it are included. Your monthly credits reset at each renewal, and extra credit packs are valid for 30 days. The free trial runs 7 days with 10 projects. Custom, where Builtie's team runs the outreach for you, starts from $1,500 a month on top of a Growth seat.

Builtie's deepest coverage is in the Greater Toronto Area, where it started; depth in any city depends on what that municipality publishes. Ask for live sample projects in your own service area before you buy.

Frequently asked questions