From Bylaws to Bots: Using AI To Cut Building Permit Approvals By 50%
The City of Toronto is entering the AI era, and it’s not a quiet entrance. Thanks to the leadership of the Mayor and City Council, and the hard work and vision of City staff, four divisions are stepping boldly into the future of public service delivery.
Under the guidance of the Technology Services and Cyber Security Divisions, Toronto Building, 311/Customer Experience, Parks & Recreation, and Technology Services itself are all stepping up.
This series, From Bylaws to Bots, will explore each one. We’re starting where the rubber meets the road: Toronto Building.
🏗️ Meet the Building Permit Application PreCheck App
Toronto Building has developed a Building Permit Application PreCheck app — and it’s a big deal. The tool is designed to help both residents and developers submit stronger, more complete applications before they ever land on a staff member’s desk.
The headline stat? Permit and zoning approvals could be reduced by up to 50% in processing time. Yes, you read that right. 😮
👷♂️ What This Means for Homeowners & Developers
For homeowners, this means knowing upfront whether your application is complete, compliant with the Ontario Building Code and Fire Code, and ready to go — so you can get started on that renovation faster.
For developers, the stakes are even higher. Typically, development review staff must manually check submitted documents for completeness, flag missing information, identify whether a project requires a minor variance (Committee of Adjustment) or a more complex zoning or Official Plan Amendment, and then go back and forth with applicants to sort it all out. The PreCheck app handles that early-stage triage automatically. 📋
The benefits for applicants, at a glance:
🎯 Higher first-time success rates — the AI flags missing info and compliance issues early
⚡ Faster approvals — pre-checked applications move through the system up to 50% quicker
🔍 Predictable, transparent process — clear issue lists, no guesswork, no frustration
🏘️ Accelerated housing supply — directly supports Council’s priority of expediting housing-related permits
🧑💼 The §taff Side of the Story
This isn’t just a win for applicants — City staff benefit too.
Reduced cognitive load: Instead of wading through inconsistent, incomplete, or poorly structured submissions, staff receive higher-quality files from the start. That means smoother reviews and less mental fatigue.
Finding efficiencies: Because the AI pre-screens for completeness and flags potential compliance issues with zoning, the Ontario Building Code, and the Fire Code, staff can process applications faster — full stop.
Focus on high-value work: Automating early-stage checks frees City employees to focus on complex interpretations and nuanced issues — not administrative triage.
Fewer back-and-forth cycles: Better initial submissions mean fewer clarification emails and re-submission loops. Everyone wins. 🙌
Toronto Building’s PreCheck app is exactly the kind of smart, practical AI application that government should be building — one that makes life easier for residents, developers, and the staff who serve them. It’s not AI for the sake of AI. It’s AI in service of the city.
It’s public release is expected Fall 2026.
Fun fact 🤓: In 2025, Toronto processed over 38,000 building permits. Even shaving a few days off each one adds up to years of collective time saved across the city.
⏭️ Next up: We dive into how Parks & Recreation is using AI to make smarter, data-informed decisions about community programming. You won’t want to miss it.