Mississauga building officials completed more than 104,000 inspections in 2024, up almost 10 per cent from the previous year. From high-rise construction to home renovations, inspectors help projects navigate and meet all required regulations, which can improve the speed and cost of construction.
As the housing crisis continues, it’s critical that cities build more homes, faster without sacrificing quality or safety. As part of the Building Permit process, Mississauga’s building officials ensure that construction complies with the Ontario Building Code and the Building Code Act. The team includes:
- Plans examiners: review Building Permit applications to ensure proposed buildings comply with Ontario building codes, zoning by-laws, fire and safety regulations and environmental standards. These reviews are crucial in the early stages, before any onsite construction begins.
- Building inspectors: go onsite throughout the construction process to ensure that buildings – new or renovated – are safe, built according to plan and meet all the necessary regulations. If work is not up to code, inspectors will require that any safety issues are resolved before residents move in.
In addition to their important public safety role, Mississauga’s building officials also help reduce delays in the construction process. While the Ontario Building Code requires inspections to be completed within 48 hours, in Mississauga, inspections are completed within one business day. By catching issues early in the process, the team can help prevent costly delays and rework that can slow down housing delivery.
Complex high-rise construction
Mississauga’s building officials work in a highly complex building environment. In 2024, more than 95% of the 11,627 units under construction in the city were high-rise apartments. High-rise buildings have unique structural, mechanical and safety features that make inspections more challenging than those in low-rise buildings.
The Ontario Building Code, which sets the technical requirements for building in the province, has also become more complex. At over 800 pages, the code Mississauga’s building officials use today is more than double the length it was when it was first established in 1975. The expertise required by our building officials continues to advance as the code adopts new regulations around:
- Accessibility updates include improvements to barrier-free paths of travel and expanded requirements for accessible signage
- Fire safety enhancements such as sprinkler system expansion and alarm systems with provisions for those with hearing impairments
- Energy efficiency and climate resilience updates include improved insulation standards and high-performance windows
- Structural and safety updates such as snow load requirements for roofs with solar panels and enhanced earthquake design standards
Encouraging housing development
The City is taking bold steps to ensure housing development continues despite difficult market conditions. Guided by the Mayor’s Housing Task Force, City Council recently approved reducing City residential development charges by 50 per cent – or by 100 per cent for family-sized units.
Council has also approved the City’s new Official Plan which contains policies to boost residential growth by setting the framework to permit a total of 370,000 new housing units by 2051.
Building safety month
During the month of May, the City of Mississauga is joining with other communities around the world to recognize Building Safety Month. Building Safety Month is an annual event that helps raise awareness about the importance of building safety, encourages safe construction practices, and recognizes the important role building professionals play building safe communities.
2025 marks the 50th Anniversary of the Ontario Building Code. As the City celebrates Building Safety Month, we recognize 50 years of the code and its important role in creating uniform building standards.
To learn more about building inspections, visit Mississauga.ca/inspections.
