King City is one of several communities in the Township of King, part of York Region. Building permits are issued by the Township’s own building department, and minor variances are heard by the Township’s Committee of Adjustment. Some projects on regional roads also need input from York Region.
Much of the township lies on the Oak Ridges Moraine and inside the provincial Greenbelt. The Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan limits where new buildings can go on many rural properties, so the first question on an acreage lot is often where the house is allowed to sit, not how big it can be.
King is also unusual because it is covered by three conservation authorities: the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority in the south, the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority in the north, and the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority in a small western area. Wetlands, streams and the Holland Marsh can all trigger a permit from one of them.
Outside the village cores, many homes use a private well and septic system. Septic design follows Part 8 of the Ontario Building Code and must be approved before the house permit. AVL builds custom homes by referral and coordinates these rural steps from day one.