Burlington charges a fee for each planning application, and for major applications such as a Zoning By-law Amendment or Official Plan Amendment the fee combines a base amount with variable charges tied to unit count or floor area. Burlington's planning application fees are set in the City's fee schedule, and Major Transit Station Area applications may use the Community Planning Permit stream, which has its own fee structure distinct from a standard Zoning By-law Amendment. Minor variance fees are far lower. Fees are set in the City fee schedule and adjusted regularly, so confirm the current amount on the official schedule before you budget.
Planning application fees are the most avoidable budgeting error in Burlington development, because the headline number circulating online is rarely the number you pay. Major applications carry variable, per-unit or per-square-metre charges on top of a base fee, the schedule is adjusted regularly, and two-tier municipalities layer regional fees on top. This page explains how Burlington's fees are built so you can budget from structure, then confirm the exact figure from the official schedule.
Burlington sets its planning application fees under Zoning By-law 09-2026 and the City fee schedule. The key distinction is between minor and major applications. A minor variance to the Committee of Adjustment carries a modest fixed fee. A Zoning By-law Amendment, Official Plan Amendment, or major site plan application carries a base fee plus a variable component, which is why two projects of very different size pay very different amounts for the same application type.
| Application type | Charged by | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|
| Minor variance | Committee of Adjustment | Modest fixed fee |
| Site plan control | Burlington | Base fee plus variable (units / GFA) |
| Zoning By-law Amendment | Burlington | Base fee plus variable (units / GFA) |
| Official Plan Amendment | Burlington + Halton Region | Highest base; often combined with ZBA |
| Plan of subdivision | Burlington | Base fee plus per-unit or per-lot charge |
Fees depend on your application type and project size. PreBuildIQ identifies which approvals your Burlington site needs so you know which fees apply, in 60 seconds.
Check my site →Beyond the base fee, several factors add to what you actually pay:
The number you find online is almost always the base fee only. For a major application, the variable per-unit or per-GFA charge can be several multiples of the base. Always calculate the fee from the current worksheet for your actual project size, not the headline base.
Burlington is a lower-tier municipality within Halton Region. The City collects the planning application fee, and Halton Region co-approves Official Plan Amendments with a separate Regional fee. In Burlington's Major Transit Station Areas, the Community Planning Permit system replaces the standard amendment process and carries a different fee, so confirm which stream applies before budgeting.
Fees are set independently by each municipality, and the two-tier structure changes the total. The comparison below shows who charges for an application in Burlington versus nearby municipalities. It is a structural comparison, not a dollar comparison, because each municipality's exact figures change annually and must be read from its own current schedule.
| Municipality | Charged by | Regional fee |
|---|---|---|
| Burlington | City / Town application fee | Halton Region may add a fee |
| Oakville | Local application fee | Halton Region adds fees |
| Milton | Local application fee | Halton Region adds fees |
| Hamilton | Local application fee | Single-tier, no regional fee |
Confirm whether you need a minor variance, site plan, Zoning By-law Amendment, Official Plan Amendment, or subdivision in Burlington.
Have your unit count and gross floor area ready, since major-application fees scale with them.
Use the official Burlington fee schedule, not a third-party figure, and confirm the year it applies to.
Add the base fee to the per-unit or per-square-metre variable charge for your project size.
Include any regional fee, peer review, or resubmission cost that applies to your application.
A Zoning By-law Amendment in Burlington is charged as a base fee plus a variable amount tied to unit count or floor area, so the total depends on project size. Burlington's planning application fees are set in the City's fee schedule, and Major Transit Station Area applications may use the Community Planning Permit stream, which has its own fee structure distinct from a standard Zoning By-law Amendment. Because the figure changes annually and scales with the project, confirm the exact amount on the current Burlington fee schedule.
Burlington charges fees by application type: a modest fixed fee for a minor variance, and base-plus-variable fees for site plan control, Zoning By-law Amendments, and Official Plan Amendments. Fees are set in the City fee schedule under Zoning By-law 09-2026 and adjusted regularly. Confirm current amounts on the official schedule.
Yes. Major applications add a variable per-unit or per-square-metre charge to the base fee, combined Official Plan and Zoning amendments cost more than either alone, and applicant-funded peer review or resubmission charges can apply. As a two-tier municipality, Halton Region may also charge a separate fee.
Burlington typically adjusts its planning application fees once a year, usually by a cost-of-living factor. This is why a figure from an older guide is often out of date. Always confirm the fee on the current year's official schedule before budgeting.
A minor variance, decided by the Committee of Adjustment, carries the lowest fee in Burlington, typically a modest fixed amount. Major applications such as a Zoning By-law Amendment or Official Plan Amendment cost far more because they combine a high base fee with variable charges.
PreBuildIQ identifies which approvals and applications your Burlington site needs, so you know exactly which fees to look up, in 60 seconds.
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