Short answer
For a typical retail unit of a few thousand square feet, plan on roughly 3 to 6 months from brief to opening: a few weeks to two months of design, several weeks for the building permit, and 4 to 12 weeks on site.
The biggest swing factors are permit timing, long-lead equipment, and whether the work has to happen overnight while the store keeps trading.
The phases, with planning ranges
| Phase | Planning range | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| Brief and site survey | 1–2 weeks | Access to the space, base-building drawings, landlord criteria |
| Design and drawings | 3–8 weeks | Brand standards ready to adapt vs. a new design; engineering needed |
| Building permit | 3–8 weeks | Completeness of the application, resubmissions, municipality workload |
| Procurement | 2–12 weeks (overlaps) | Rooftop units, electrical gear, storefront glazing and custom millwork |
| Construction | 4–12 weeks | Size, scope, and daytime vs. overnight-only work |
| Closeout and opening | 1–2 weeks | Inspections, deficiencies, fixturing and stocking |
These are planning ranges, not promises — phases overlap, and a design-build schedule overlaps more of them. The timeline estimator adjusts them for your project.
Permits: the part you can't compress
The Ontario Building Code sets the time a municipality has to decide on a complete permit application: 15 business days for a small building of up to 600 m², 20 business days for a larger one, and 30 for complex buildings. The clock starts the day after the application is accepted as complete.
That makes completeness the lever. Missing drawings, engineering or landlord authorization restart the wait. Some interior work in some municipalities doesn't need a permit at all — check before assuming either way.
Long-lead items
Rooftop HVAC units, electrical distribution equipment, storefront glazing and custom millwork can take longer to arrive than the construction itself. Identify them during design and order them as soon as the specification is fixed — on design-build and construction management work, that can happen before the drawings are finished.
Overnight work stretches the calendar
If the store stays open, work happens between close and open, with setup and clean-up eating into every shift. Expect the construction phase to run noticeably longer in calendar weeks than the same work on a closed site. The trade-off is that the store keeps trading. See renovating a store while it stays open.
How to open sooner
- Walk the space with your contractor before you sign the lease.
- Start design during lease negotiation, not after.
- Submit a complete permit application the first time.
- Order long-lead items as soon as they are specified.
- Use a delivery model that overlaps design, permits and procurement.
How long does a retail fit-out take in Ontario?
For a typical retail unit of a few thousand square feet, roughly 3 to 6 months from brief to opening, including 4 to 12 weeks of construction. Permits, long-lead equipment and overnight-only work are the biggest variables.
How long does a building permit take for a commercial fit-out in Ontario?
The Ontario Building Code gives municipalities 15 business days for small buildings up to 600 m², 20 for larger buildings and 30 for complex buildings, counted from the day after a complete application is accepted. Incomplete applications take longer.
Does working overnight make a fit-out take longer?
Yes, in calendar time, because each shift is shorter and includes setup and clean-up. It protects trading, which is why most occupied retail work is done that way.
Sources
- Ontario Building Code, Division C, Table 1.3.1.3 — prescribed permit review periods, as summarized by the City of Belleville.
Planning ranges are general guidance, not a schedule commitment for any project.