Is an Ottawa heritage approval also a building permit?

Heritage approval and a building permit are two separate things, issued under two different laws. Getting one does not satisfy the other.

Heritage approval comes under the Ontario Heritage Act. If your property is individually designated under Part IV, you need council's written consent before altering anything likely to affect the heritage attributes. If it sits in a heritage conservation district under Part V, you need a heritage permit before altering any exterior element, unless your district plan exempts the work as minor maintenance.

A building permit comes under the Building Code Act. Section 8(1) of that Act says no person shall construct without a permit, and "construct" includes material alteration or repair of a building. The City states plainly that heritage approval does not meet the requirements for a building permit.

In practice this means a masonry project on a designated property can require both approvals, each from a different City department, each with its own application. It can also require only one, or neither, depending on what the work involves. Repointing, brick replacement and stone wall repair are not listed on the City's permit-required or permit-exempt lists, so the starting point for any heritage property is to ask both departments what applies to your specific job before work begins. You can reach the City's heritage staff at heritage@ottawa.ca and the building permits office at buildingpermits@ottawa.ca.

One line worth checking in any masonry quote on a heritage property: whether matching brick or stone is included in the price, since sourcing units that meet the heritage requirement in size, colour and texture can add cost that a bare quote may not show.