The site work division of ICFHome.ca · Building since 1979 · Insured to $2,000,000 · 705-533-1633
Lot Grading2026Tiny, Tay, Midland, Wasaga, Collingwood
Lot Grading Deposits and Certificates in Ontario
In Tiny Township you pay a $5,000 lot grading deposit with your building permit and get it back, without interest, only if you apply in writing within 3 years with an accepted final grading certificate and occupancy granted. Wasaga Beach’s infill policy uses a $1,000 deposit plus a $375 review fee. Here is who draws the plan, what gets certified, and why lots fail.
Updated October 2026 · Georgian Bay Siteworks, the site work division of ICFHome.ca
Insured to $2,000,000Site work division of ICFHome.caBuilding since 1979250+ projects in Simcoe County
Why the Town Holds Your Money
A grading deposit is the town’s insurance that your new house will drain the way the approved plan says it will, and not into the neighbour’s basement or onto the road. You pay it up front. You get it back when a qualified person certifies the finished grades match the plan.
Most people lose track of it. A three-year deadline goes by fast when you are also picking cabinets and arguing about paint.
Builder truth: the deposit is not lost on the day you build it wrong. It is lost on the day you forget to ask for it back.
Tiny Township: How It Works
These points come from the Township of Tiny Lot Grading Plan Procedure (revised September 2023).
| Item | Tiny’s rule |
|---|---|
| Deposit | $5,000 per lot, with the building permit application, paid by the owner |
| Who prepares the plan | A Professional Engineer, Ontario Land Surveyor or Certified Engineering Technologist qualified in grading and drainage, signed and sealed |
| What goes with it | The professional’s checklist and an up-to-date survey by an Ontario Land Surveyor |
| Test pit | In or near the footprint, 2 m deep, with the date, observed groundwater and estimated seasonal high groundwater on the plan |
| Footing elevation certificate | Once footings are formed, a surveyor, engineer, architect or technologist certifies the underside of footing matches the plan within 100 mm |
| Final grading certificate | Two copies of the Lot Grading Plan Certificate after grading and erosion control are done |
| Getting it back | Apply in writing within 3 years of permit issue, with the certificate accepted and occupancy granted. Returned without interest. |
| Miss the deadline | Forfeited to the Township for grading fixes. An extension can be requested in writing, but only before the 3 years run out. |
| Possible waiver | The Chief Building Official may waive it where the house or addition is at least 30 m from all lot lines, or for an addition of 46.5 m2 or less |
Some of the design numbers in the procedure are worth knowing too: at least 2% fall away from buildings, side and rear swales at least 150 mm deep, no more than 5% across the lot surface, and driveways between 2% and 6%. Sump and foundation drains must go to a swale or dry well, not a municipal ditch. Bringing in more than 2,000 m3 of fill needs a separate Fill Permit.
Wasaga Beach: The Checklist
Wasaga’s Infill Lot Grading and Drainage Policy requires a plan for new dwellings by a P.Eng. or C.E.T., a $375 review fee and a $1,000 grading deposit, with 24 months to finish and certify. Check the current amounts with the Town before you budget, since policies get updated. The Lot Grading Certification Checklist is what the certifier works through:
- Pre-sod grade check done and satisfactory
- Sod placed and established; the front yard and boulevard must be sod
- Grades match the plan at the garage apron, lot corners, side yards, top of foundation and underside of footing
- Side and rear yard swales well defined
- Splash pads at every downspout
- Finished grade at least 150 mm below brick or siding
- No settlement along the foundation walls
- Any grading onto the neighbour’s lot put back to their satisfaction
- Curb stop and sanitary cleanout flush with grade and accessible
- Soakaway pits installed as shown, and culvert inverts recorded where there is one
Other towns have their own versions. Ask the building department for the grading procedure the day you apply for your permit, not the day you want your money back.
The Order of Events on a New Build
- Survey and test pit. The surveyor locates the lot; we dig the test pit so the designer can record ground water.
- Grading plan drawn and approved with the building permit. Deposit paid.
- Excavation to the plan’s footing elevation. Dig too deep or too shallow and the whole design shifts.
- Footing elevation certificate once footings are formed. In Tiny the tolerance is 100 mm.
- Backfill and rough grade after the foundation is up and the septic is in.
- Final grade and swales, checked against the plan before sod.
- Topsoil and sod, then the certifier inspects and signs the final certificate.
- Apply in writing for the deposit. Put a reminder in your phone now.
If you want the whole build sequence, see raw land to footings: the site work order.
Why Lots Fail Final Grading
Swales that aren’t swales
A gentle dip that holds a puddle is not a swale. Certifiers want a defined channel with fall to the outlet.
Grade too high on the wall
Extra topsoil piled against the house buries the siding. Wasaga wants 150 mm clear.
Settled backfill
A trench along the foundation shows up after the first wet spring. Top it up before the inspection.
Owner changes after the plan
A new patio, a garden bed against the house or a fence across a swale. Changes need approval before, not after.
Sod not established
Fresh sod that has not rooted can fail the visit. Water it. We do not warranty sod for exactly this reason.
Downspouts in the wrong place
Missing splash pads, or downspouts aimed at the neighbour.
Get the Grades Right the First Time
Send us your approved grading plan and we will quote the rough and final grade to the plan’s elevations, with swales cut to the numbers.
Related guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the lot grading deposit in Tiny Township?
$5,000 per lot, paid with the building permit application. It is returned without interest once the final grading certificate is accepted and occupancy is granted.
How do I get my lot grading deposit back in Tiny?
Apply in writing within 3 years of permit issue, with an accepted Lot Grading Plan Certificate and occupancy granted. Miss the deadline and the deposit is forfeited unless you asked for an extension before it ran out.
Who can prepare a lot grading plan?
In Tiny, a Professional Engineer, Ontario Land Surveyor or Certified Engineering Technologist qualified in grading and drainage. Wasaga’s infill policy calls for a P.Eng. or C.E.T.
What is a footing elevation certificate?
A certificate, done once footings are formed, confirming the underside of footing matches the grading plan. Tiny allows a 100 mm tolerance.
What is the lot grading deposit in Wasaga Beach?
Wasaga’s Infill Lot Grading and Drainage Policy lists a $1,000 deposit and a $375 review fee, with 24 months to finish and certify. Confirm current amounts with the Town.
What are the most common reasons a lot fails final grading?
Poorly defined swales, grade too high against the siding, settled backfill, unapproved changes such as patios or fences, missing splash pads and sod that has not established.
