Cornwall is one of only a handful of cities in Ontario to not levy development charges. These charges can easily add over $10,000 to a development project – and sometimes far more!

Development charges are the fees levied on residential and non-residential properties to help a city finance new infrastructure and municipal services. They are not the only costs involved in a development project: building permit fees, zoning application fees and other charges can all add up to a significant amount on even small projects.

Development charges may not always be readily evident in assessing the cost of moving to a city, as the charges may be absorbed by the contractor and recovered with a higher asking price for the property.

Project Type	Sample Development Charge in a Big City	Development Charge In Cornwall
Detached House	$10,000 to $20,000	$0
Apartment Building	$4,500 to $14,000 per unit	$0
Commercial Building	$4 to $10 per sq.ft.	$0

Cornwall has lower than average building permit fees compared to most big cities in Ontario.

	Building Permit Fees in a Big City	Building Permit Fees In Cornwall
Basic Building Permit Fees	$10 to $15 per $1,000 of estimated project cost	$7.25 per $1,000 of estimated project cost

The City of Cornwall’s Planning Department helps investors and developers in any development project. This includes explaining the impact of the City’s Official Plan, Zoning By-Laws and Site Plan Approval process. Building permit staff is there to assist in dealing with Ontario’s Building Code.

The Planning Department also co-ordinates Federal and Provincial government financing for community development projects, including neighbourhood improvement and brownfield redevelopment.