The Condominium Authority of Ontario (CAO) says unit owners generally must make a request to their board to have a renovation approved, and may also need to have work approved by the municipality. Whether a floor counts as a renovation that needs a request, and in what form, is set by your own corporation's declaration, by-laws and rules. For condo flooring approval forms in Ontario, the short version is that the form, if your building has one, comes from your own corporation. This page walks through the paperwork: whose rules apply, what to ask the property manager for, what an application or alteration agreement may contain, and how to assemble product details, using four floors from our SPC and LVP vinyl plank collection and laminate range as examples.
This is general information, not legal advice. Every corporation has its own declaration, by-laws and rules, and requirements differ between buildings. For the wider picture of condo rules and materials, see our condo flooring guide.
The approval steps in order
- Get your corporation's current declaration, by-laws and rules, and read what they say about flooring and renovations.
- Ask the property manager whether the corporation has its own application for flooring work, and what it is called.
- Collect the product details for the floor, and for the underlay if it is sold separately.
- Gather the installer information the corporation asks for.
- Submit everything the way the manager tells you to, then wait for the written reply before you order or book a start date.
- Check with your municipality whether any permit applies, since that is a separate step from the board.
- Keep copies of every document you sent and received.
Whose rules decide: the Act, the declaration, by-laws and rules
The CAO explains that governing documents and the Condominium Act set out what owners, residents and corporations are allowed to do. If they conflict, the Act is supreme, followed by the declaration, the by-laws and then the rules. The CAO also notes that in some instances there may be implications for the Condo Act and other legislation to consider as part of unit renovations.
For a flooring job, the practical point is that a requirement can sit in any of the three documents. Rules define how units and common elements can be used, and the CAO adds that rules must be reasonable. Read the declaration, the by-laws and the rules together rather than stopping at the first mention of flooring. If a section is unclear, the CAO's advice is to speak to your corporation first and, if needed, seek legal advice. Our Toronto condo flooring bible covers the rules-and-materials side in more depth.
Getting copies of the documents
According to the CAO, current owners, purchasers and mortgagees are entitled to request access to, or copies of, their condominium corporation's records, and the declaration, by-laws and rules are on its list of core records. For the rules specifically, owners can request copies of the rules from their condo corporation using the Request for Records form.
What to ask the property manager for
Send one short email before you buy anything, covering these questions:
- Does the corporation have a form or application for flooring or renovation work, and what is its exact title?
- Can you have the flooring or renovation rules in writing, including anything about sound? If the rules name an underlay or a rating, get the exact figure and the way it must be shown in writing. We explain the ratings themselves in our soundproof flooring for condos post.
- Who receives the completed application, and who approves it? Ask rather than assume; the answer comes from your corporation.
- Does the corporation require approved contractors, or limit the hours contractors may work?
- Are inspections required before and after the work?
- Is there any fee, deposit or review period attached? We cannot tell you; these come from your corporation, so ask for them in writing.
- In what form does approval arrive: a letter, an email or a signed form?
What an application or alteration agreement may ask for
The CAO gives examples of what some corporations require: a formal process and application, insurance information from contractors, and pre and post inspections. It also says some corporations may require approved contractors or restrict contractors to certain hours. None of this is universal; treat it as a prompt for your questions.
Your corporation may call its paperwork an application, a renovation request or an alteration agreement. Use the exact title the manager gives you, and quote it in your email.
Reading an agreement before you sign
If the corporation asks for an agreement on top of the application, read it for the practical obligations: what you are responsible for if the work damages something, what insurance is expected, how inspections are handled, and anything that depends on the work being finished by a set date. Where the wording is unclear, a lawyer is the right person to ask. We have no standard wording to offer.
Installer paperwork
When the corporation asks for contractor details, your installer supplies them. Our condo job logistics: elevator, insurance, removal post covers the certificates, elevator booking and haul-away side so this page can stay on the approval itself.
Build the product data sheet: four floors, one table
Forms and boards differ, so read the columns below as the details we can supply for these four in-stock floors, not as a list your corporation requires. If you are still choosing between materials, our guide to best flooring for condos compares them; this page assumes the choice is made.
| Floor | Total thickness | Attached pad (product page) | Wear layer | Install method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riche Coastal Grey SPC | 9mm | 2mm EVA pad, with a 7mm SPC core | 12mil | Click-lock |
| Riche Blonde Sand Oak SPC | 6mm | 1.5mm IXPE pad, with a 4.5mm SPC core | 12mil | Click-lock |
| Riche Greige Oak SPC | 10mm | 2mm EVA pad, with an 8mm SPC core | 20mil | Click-lock |
| Swiss Krono Grey Oak laminate (MV 803) | 10mm | None listed on the product page | AC5 rating | Click-lock |
| Floor | Coverage per box | Box price | Price per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riche Coastal Grey SPC | 13.79 sq ft | $32.96 | $2.39 |
| Riche Blonde Sand Oak SPC | 23.64 sq ft | $44.68 | $1.89 |
| Riche Greige Oak SPC | 11.82 sq ft | $38.89 | $3.29 |
| Swiss Krono Grey Oak laminate (MV 803) | 17.22 sq ft | $42.83 | $2.49 |
Prices checked October 31, 2026. Box prices and coverage come from our current catalogue; the price per sq ft is the box price divided by the coverage per box.
Total thickness includes the pad
On the SPC listings the total thickness already contains the attached pad. The Coastal Grey page lists 9mm as a 7mm SPC core plus a 2mm EVA pad. A form that asks for floor thickness and underlay thickness separately needs both numbers, and the table above gives them in that split.
The Blonde Sand Oak is the thinnest of the four, with a 4.5mm core and a 1.5mm IXPE pad. Give the split between core and pad, not only the headline number.
Wear layer, install method and the laminate exception
The Greige Oak has the thickest wear layer in the table at 20mil, against 12mil on the two other vinyl planks, and its build is an 8mm core with a 2mm pad. All four floors are click-lock according to their product specifications, so state the install method on the form.
The Swiss Krono laminate is the exception on underlay. Its product page does not list an attached pad, so any underlay you plan to put under it is a separate product, and its name and thickness belong on your application as their own line.
What a product page cannot settle
Some of our product pages carry sound labels. A label is a statement about the product; whether it satisfies your building's rule is for the board to decide. For that reason we do not describe any floor as approved for any building. Plank width and length are on each product page, so confirm them there before copying them onto a form.
A cover note the board can review quickly
A short cover note makes a reviewer's job easier. Put these in order:
- Your unit number and contact details.
- The rooms receiving the new floor and the approximate area, measured or confirmed by your installer.
- What is being removed and what goes down, with the product details sheet attached.
- The underlay, if separate, with its name and thickness.
- Your installer's name and the documents the corporation asked for.
- Proposed dates and working hours, once the building confirms its own window.
- A line saying whether any work touches anything beyond the floor finish, so the board does not have to ask.
What the board decides, and what you keep
The decision is the board's, and we cannot promise approval of any floor. The CAO says changes that affect structural integrity, contravene the governing documents or affect other owners' safety are not likely to be approved. A flooring request that fits your corporation's rules and answers its questions is the version to submit.
If your rules restrict hard flooring in bedrooms, see our guide to condo by-law hard flooring limits.
Permits are a separate matter. The CAO says each municipality is different and recommends checking your municipality's website. It adds that municipalities typically require permits for structural changes, plumbing and electrical modifications and exterior changes, so ask the city about your specific job rather than assuming.
Wait for the written approval before you order the floor or book the installer. Then file the approval, any signed agreement, the spec sheet and the installer's documents together, so you can show them to a property manager, a lender or a buyer's lawyer if the question comes up later.
Frequently asked questions about condo flooring approval
Do I need condo board approval to change my flooring?
Plan on asking. The CAO's general position is that renovations need a request to the board, and whether a floor finish is covered, and in what form, depends on your declaration, by-laws and rules. A single email to the property manager settles it before you spend anything.
Is an alteration agreement the same as the application form?
Not necessarily. An application asks for permission; an agreement sets out terms. Corporations name and combine these differently, so ask the manager which documents you must return, and read each one before signing.
Where do I find my building's flooring rules?
In the declaration, the by-laws and the rules. As an owner you can ask your corporation for copies, and the property manager is a sensible first contact.
Who signs off on my flooring request?
That depends on how your corporation handles requests, so check with the property manager. We do not know who handles it in your building.
Do I need a city permit for new flooring?
Ask your municipality. Permit rules vary by city and by the scope of the work, and that step is separate from your condo corporation's approval. Get the answer for your specific job before work starts.
Get a condo flooring quote in Toronto and the GTA
When you have your corporation's requirements, send them with your request on our request a quote page and we will price the floor against them.
Top Floorings Depot
3781 Victoria Park Avenue, Unit 1, Toronto, ON M1W 3K5
www.topfloorings.com
Call: 416-499-0117
Text: 416-770-8819