Development Charges

Development charges help finance capital projects required to meet the increased need for services resulting from growth and development.

Development charges are fees and may only be used for the purpose for which they are collected.Please see the 2024 Development Charges Background Study below for more information regarding the Development Charges Update.

Please see the Development Charges Pamphlet for more information.

Note: The information provided on this page is intended only as a guide. Applicants should review the by-laws and consult with the Building Department to determine the charges and fees that may apply to specific development proposals.

What are Development Charges?

Development charges as set out in the Development Charges Act 1997, are a tool that allows municipalities to finance the capital costs associated with the need for increases in municipal service made necessary by new development. Any development charges collected by the municipality must be used towards the services outlined in the Development Charges By-law, which will remain in force unless repealed earlier.

Development charges are automatically adjusted annually on January 1st in accordance with the most recent change in the Statistics Canada Consumer Price Index. The annual indexing of development charges is permitted under the Act and does not require an amendment to the by-law.

Municipal services that have been included in the development charge calculation are applicable to specific areas within West Perth: Mitchell Settlement Area: all properties within the Mitchell Ward and any properties outside of the Mitchell Ward that are allowed to connect to the existing water, sanitary sewage or stormwater systems. Rural Settlement Area: all lands outside of the Mitchell Settlement Area.

What are Development Charges video.

What Do Development Charges Pay For?

The capital costs of the following services are collected for through development charges Municipal Wide Services:

Services Related to a Highway
Fire Protection Services
Policing Services
Parks and Recreation Services
Library Services
Provincial Offences Act including By-Law Enforcement
Waste Diversion

Urban Services:

Stormwater Drainage and Control Services
Wastewater Services
Water Services

Is My Project Subject To A Development Charge?

Charges are applicable to all lands, buildings, or structures that are developed for residential and non-residential use. You may be required to pay development charges if you are:

Constructing a new building

Making an addition or alteration that increases the number of residential units or non-residential floor area. Additional dwelling units in a basement, or as an addition to a home, or as a detached structure, may qualify for a development charge exemption under the Development Charges Act.

Redeveloping or altering a property that results in a change of use to all or part of the building. Developments are eligible for credits against development charges owing where buildings or structures have been demolished to permit the redevelopment of the property. The eligibility for demolition credits is restricted to demolitions that occur within five years of the redevelopment of the property.

Exemptions

For a complete list of Exemptions please review By-law 63-2024.

Development Charges Fees

Development Charges as per By-Law 63-2024, subject to indexing annually.

Rural Area Development Charges
Rural Areas (Municipal Wide Services)	February 1, 2025 to January 31, 2026(85%)	February 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027 (95%) Indexed for 2026	February 1, 2027 and onward (100%) Indexed for 2026
Residential
Single and Semi-Detached Dwellings	$8,464.00	$9,856.00	$10,374.00
Other Multiples	$5,366.00	$6,250.00	$6,577.00
Apartments- 2 Bedrooms+	$4,891.00	$5,696.00	$5,996.00
Apartments- Bachelor and 1 Bedroom	$3,221.00	$3,751.00	$3,948.00
Special Care/ Special Dwelling Units	$3,087.00	$3,595.00	$3,784.00
Non-Residential (per sq. ft. of gross floor area)	2.53	2.96	3.11

Urban Area Development Charges
Urban Areas (Municipal Wide + Urban Services)	February 1, 2025 to January 31, 2026 (85%)	February 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027 (95%) Indexed for 2026	February 1, 2027 and onward (100%) Indexed for 2026
Residental
Single and Semi-Detached Dwellings	$18,326.00	$21,341.00	$22,464.00
Other Multiples	$11,619.00	$13,530.00	$14,241.00
Apartments - 2 Bedrooms +	$10,591.00	$12,332.00	$12,982.00
Apartments - Bachelor and 1 Bedroom	$6,974.00	$8,122.00	$8,550.00
Special Care/ Special Dwelling Units	$6,684.00	$7,881.00	$8,192.00
Non-Residential (per sq. ft. of gross floor area)	6.29	7.35	7.72

Development Charges July 1, 2022 - January 31, 2025

Rural Development	Janaury 1-January 31, 2025 (Indexed)
Residental
Single and Semi-Detached Dwellings	$1,627.89
Townhouses and Multi-Units (2.1 persons per unit)	$1,396.71
Apartments (1.8 persons per unit)	$1,195.80
Non-Residential (per sq. ft. of gross floor area)	-

Mitchell Settlement Area	January 1 -January 31, 2025 (Indexed)
Residental
Single and Semi-Detached Dwellings	$11,568.61
Townhouses and Multi-units (2.1 persons per unit)	$9,914.59
Apartments (1.8 persons per unit)	$8,498.61
Non-Residential (per sq. ft. of gross floor area)	-

When are Development Charges Payable?

Development charges are collected at the issuance of a building permit.

Where a development charge or any part of it remains unpaid after it is payable, the amount unpaid will be added to the tax roll and will be collected in the same manner as taxes.

Treasurer's Statement

Statement of the Treasurer:

The Treasurer is required to produce an annual statement showing detailed information about each reserve fund established to account for development charges revenues. The statement documents the continuity of each reserve fund, including the description of each service, opening and closing balances, details of any credit transactions, details of any borrowing from the reserve fund that might have occurred, the amount spent on growth related projects, and the portion of each project that is funded from the reserve fund the portion that is funded from other sources of financing. The statement is available at the West Perth Municipal Office for review by the public.

2025 Treasurer's Parkland Fee and Development Charge Statement

2025 Treasurer's Statement of Development Charges Reserve

2025 Parkland Fees Obligatory Deferred Revenue Reserve

Development Charges Background Study

Due to recent changes to the Development Charges Act (as per Bill 185, which was enacted June 6, 2024), the Municipality has issued an addendum report to the May 23, 2024 D.C. Background Study. The Addendum Report, includes revisions to the study and proposed by-law:

related to the time or determining and collecting of D.C.s;
the eligibility for the costs associated with growth-related studies being eligible for recovery; and
the removal of the mandatory phase-in for new by-laws that would have been applicable if Bill 185 had not been enacted.

Therefore, the revised proposed by-law contained within the Addendum Report provides for the most recent requirements of the D.C. Act.

Addendum #2 to 2024 Development Charges Background Study

Addendum 2024 Development Charges Background Study

2024 Development Charges Background Study

2019 Development Charges Background Study

Development Charges Act and By-laws

Development Charge By-law 63-2024

Development Charges Act

Development Charges Act - Ontario Regulation 82/98

Development Charges in Ontario - 2013 Consultation

Development Charges By-Law 63-2019

Development Charges By-law Amending By-law 38-2024