Pool & Enclosure
Permit Drawings
Submission-ready drawings for Burlington’s combined pool application: site plan, setbacks, enclosure, trees and grading, coordinated in one package so the City can review it.
What Burlington reviews
Burlington handles a residential pool through one online application that combines three approvals. Your drawings have to satisfy all three at once.
Zoning clearance
Pool location and setbacks, unitary equipment, easements and yard rules.
Zoning rulesForestry approval
A tree permit. Trees on the lot and within 6 m of it, protection zones, and an arborist report where trees will be affected.
Forestry rulesPool enclosure permit
Fence height and type, gates and hardware, under Pool By-law 74-2005.
Enclosure rules
A complete drawing package
- Site plan
- Drawn to scale: the pool, structures, property lines, setbacks, enclosure, trees and key dimensions, laid out so reviewers can read it quickly.
- Grading & coordination
- Spot grades, slopes, retaining conditions and drainage notes, coordinated with your pool builder or contractor so the drawings match what gets built.
- Optional 3D visuals
- If you want to see the space before construction, the package can be extended with coordinated 2D and 3D studies.
How it works
- 01
Review
We review the address, survey and any builder concept to understand setbacks, trees and site constraints.
- 02
Layout
We develop a layout that respects Burlington’s zoning, forestry and enclosure rules.
- 03
Permit package
You get a PDF drawing set that you or your contractor can submit. If reviewers ask for clarification, we update it within scope.
Part of the project team
Pool permits usually involve several parties. We prepare and coordinate drawing packages for property owners, pool builders, landscape contractors, engineers and design consultants.
Our job is to deliver a permit-ready drawing set that supports the project team, not to replace it.
Is your pool site near trees?
Burlington’s forestry review can require protection zones and hoarding before work starts. Our sister service installs tree protection hoarding to the City’s SS12A standard.
Burlington pool permit FAQ
What approvals does a pool need in Burlington?
Burlington uses one online application, the Combined Residential Swimming Pool Application, which covers three approvals: a zoning clearance certificate, forestry approval (a tree permit) and a pool enclosure permit. How the application works.
Who submits the application?
Usually the property owner or the pool builder, using the drawing package we provide. A contractor can apply for you, but the owner stays responsible for the permit.
Do I need a survey?
Yes. The City asks for a legal survey signed by an Ontario Land Surveyor. If you don’t have a current one, tell us and we’ll talk through the options.
Do you coordinate with my pool builder, contractor or engineer?
Yes. We coordinate with builders, contractors and consultants so the drawings show what will actually be built, and so grading, access and retaining conditions are dealt with early.
How do trees affect a Burlington pool permit?
Forestry review is part of the combined application. Where work could injure a regulated tree, the City asks for an arborist report and a Tree Protection Plan, and the protection zones go on the site plan. Where the City requires tree protection hoarding before work starts, our sister service Rockback Tree Protection installs it to Burlington’s SS12A standard.
Why do pool permit files stall?
Usually because the submission is incomplete or doesn’t line up: missing items, grading conflicts, enclosure details that don’t match the by-law, or trees that weren’t shown. The City doesn’t accept incomplete applications.
What happens if the City asks for revisions?
We stay available during review and update the drawings within the agreed scope to keep the file moving.
What about pool bonding?
Pool bonding is electrical work done by a licensed electrical contractor under the Ontario Electrical Safety Code. We can coordinate with your electrician so the drawings and the electrical work line up.
Can you go beyond permit drawings into full backyard design?
Yes. Full backyard design is available through Rockback Design Studio.
Start your Burlington pool permit
Tell us about the property and the pool, and we’ll quote a drawing package to Burlington’s combined application.
From the City’s own documents
- Pool Permits: City of Burlington
- Zoning, Forestry and Pool Enclosure Checklist (PDF): City of Burlington
- Pool By-law 74-2005 (PDF): City of Burlington
- Combined Residential Swimming Pool Application (online form)
Requirements summarized from the City of Burlington’s own documents. Your approved drawings and the City’s review always take precedence; check the City’s current documents before you apply.