Who gives the permit
The City of Kawartha Lakes Building and Septic Division, at 180 Kent Street West in Lindsay. Moving or adding plumbing needs a permit there.
Kitchens in Peterborough and Lindsay
Peterborough kitchen renovation
Peterborough is a longer drive for our crew, so we take bigger kitchen projects here and book them further ahead. Older homes with tall windows and wood floors are a big part of that work.
What are the first steps of a kitchen makeover?
The first steps are deciding what must change, setting a budget, and getting the room measured. Next comes a written quote, then permits and cabinet orders if the plan needs them. For a Peterborough job, we start this early. Crew dates this far from Oakville fill up ahead of time.
A long drive is worth it for the right kitchen. We plan Peterborough jobs early so the crew arrives ready.
Older Peterborough houses
Century homes and The Avenues
The Avenues and Neighbourhood, in the Old West End, was named Peterborough's first Heritage Conservation District in 2016. It is an early 1900s suburb kept largely intact.
Owners there need a heritage permit before altering their property. If a kitchen plan touches a window or anything outside, we meet with City staff first.
Inside, old homes bring tall ceilings, plaster walls and floors that slope a little. Cabinets must be scribed and levelled to sit true.
Plaster walls also hide old wiring runs. We open a small test hole near the counter outlets before we price the new circuits.
A sloped floor also affects the counter. We shim the cabinet bases so the stone sits flat and the dishwasher still slides under it.
Covered on this page
Lindsay kitchens, in the City of Kawartha Lakes
Lindsay is about 124 km from our Oakville base as the crow flies. It belongs to the City of Kawartha Lakes, not Peterborough.
Homes on a septic system
Rural homes on septic may need a septic review before the building permit goes ahead. Adding a sink is worth checking early.
Swap fixtures
Replacing a tap or sink without moving pipes needs no permit in Kawartha Lakes. That keeps a simple refresh simple.
A kitchen for a second unit
The kitchen in a Peterborough additional residential unit
Peterborough's definition of an additional residential unit is a self-contained dwelling that has a private kitchen, a bathroom and sleeping areas.
So the kitchen is what makes the unit count. Without one, the space is more rooms for your own family.
The City caps the unit at two bedrooms. Its floor area must also be smaller than the main home's.
A firefighter must be able to walk from the pumper truck to the unit's main door in 45 metres or less. We check that path before we place the suite's entrance.
Parking rules change by area of the city, from no space at all to one space for the unit.
The unit has to use City water and sewer, unless the zoning does not ask that of the main house either.
A building permit is needed, and the work must pass every inspection that comes with it. The City posts sample site plans and pre-approved plans to help.
Our electrician files the unit's kitchen circuits with the ESA. The City inspects the rest under the building permit.
How a distant job runs
Book a Peterborough kitchen with us
Larger jobs this far out need more planning up front. Here is the order we follow.
Site visit
We come out, measure and look at the wiring, plumbing and floor. The visit is free. We also ask whether the home is in The Avenues district or on septic, since both change the paperwork.
Written quote
Each part has its own line, so you can change or drop items before signing.
Permits and orders
We apply for any permit and order cabinets, so nothing waits once the crew arrives.
Crew on site
One crew lead runs the job, with dust walls up and floors covered every day.
Peterborough at a look
Distance, roads and permits
| From Oakville | About 144 km straight line. We take the 407 or the 401, then Highway 115. |
|---|---|
| Building permits | City of Peterborough Building Services Division, in the north wing of City Hall. |
| Wiring | Kitchen circuits need an ESA filing and an inspection, the same as anywhere in Ontario. |
| Water | Peterborough's tap water is drawn from the Otonabee River and treated by Peterborough Utilities. |
| Heritage | The Avenues and Neighbourhood Heritage Conservation District, designated in 2016. |
| Lindsay | Included here. Its permits are issued by Kawartha Lakes, not Peterborough. |
On the way to Peterborough
Durham kitchen pages
These are sample kitchens chosen for ideas. None shows a Peterborough or Lindsay home we renovated.
Sources we checked for this page
- City of Peterborough, building services and permits
- City of Peterborough, heritage conservation district
- City of Kawartha Lakes, building permits and guides
- Electrical Safety Authority website
- City of Peterborough, additional residential units
- City of Peterborough, creating a new additional residential unit
- City of Peterborough, 2023 puc report