What Is the Committee of Adjustment? Minor Variances, Severances and Custom Homes
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The Committee of Adjustment is the municipal panel in Ontario that decides minor variances (small departures from the zoning) and consents (lot severances). It is where a custom home or small infill building that needs relief from the rules first appears in public. Builtie reads Toronto's Committee of Adjustment files into its Coming up tab: on October 24, 2026, 946 minor variances for a new residential building were on the City's active list.
The same four steps, whether the buyer is a builder, a designer, an owner or a company you want to acquire.
What it decides
- Minor variances: small departures from the zoning such as a little more height or less setback.
- Consents: splitting a lot into two or more, moving a lot line, or creating an easement.
- Decisions can be appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal, which can add months.
Why it matters for a trade
Custom-home builders and small infill developers rarely file rezonings or site plans, so the Committee of Adjustment is where their next job shows up first. A file for a new house usually becomes a building permit within months, not years, and the builder is often a small firm whose owner makes every buying decision.
A real example from Builtie's data
On October 24, 2026 Toronto's active Committee of Adjustment list held 946 minor variances for a new residential building and 467 lot severances. Of the files for new houses, small buildings and severances in Builtie, 955 were open with no building permit at the address yet. Individual files are not shown here: the City's records name applicants who are private people.
Where it applies
Every Ontario municipality has a Committee of Adjustment (some call it a committee or panel of adjustment). Builtie reads Toronto's, and minor variances with a new house from Brampton and Markham. Its files have no coordinates, so Builtie lists them by address.
Source. City of Toronto open data held in Builtie (development applications, Committee of Adjustment), read October 24, 2026.
The definition says what the term is first and why it matters to a trade second; counts are dated and come from Builtie's own records, never from an estimate of the whole market.
More terms: the construction glossary.
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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
What is the difference between the Committee of Adjustment and a rezoning?
The Committee of Adjustment grants small, site-specific relief (minor variances) and lot severances at a hearing; a rezoning changes the zoning itself and goes to council. Larger projects need a rezoning; custom homes and infill usually go to the Committee.
How do I find Committee of Adjustment applications in Toronto?
In the City of Toronto's Committee of Adjustment open data, and in Builtie's Coming up tab, where new-house and severance files with no permit yet are listed for GTA accounts.
What does Builtie cost?
Starter is $79 per seat per month for 20 projects; Growth is $99 for 50 projects and adds LinkedIn and email outreach. There is a 7-day free trial with 10 projects.