Design Professionals and Permit Reviews
A professional seal and City permit review serve different purposes. Both are required, and neither replaces the other. Professional design and City permit review are separate parts of Saskatchewan’s building regulatory framework.
Why does the City review professionally sealed drawings?
A professional seal confirms that an architect or engineer has taken professional responsibility for the design within their area of expertise. The City of Saskatoon reviews permit applications to administer permits and enforce applicable codes and bylaws.
Shared responsibilities
Building projects involve shared but distinct responsibilities. The owner remains responsible for compliance with applicable requirements. Design professionals, contractors, tradespeople and the City each have defined roles in the design, construction, permit and inspection process.
| Party | Primary Responsibility |
| Owner | Responsible for compliance with applicable construction standards. |
| Design Professional | Provides professional design or design review, sealed documents, required commitments and assurances, and field reviews within their area of expertise. |
| Contractor / Tradesperson | Construct the work for the owner in accordance with approved permit documents and applicable requirements. |
| City Building Official | Reviews permit applications, conducts inspections and carries out enforcement functions on behalf of the City. |
| City of Saskatoon | Administers and enforces applicable legislation, regulations, codes, permits, bylaws and orders. |
| Province of Saskatchewan | Establishes the legislative, regulatory and policy framework |
What is the role of the design professional?
Design professionals are retained by the owner. They complete or review the design within their area of expertise and provide the professional documents, assurances and field reviews required for the project.
Professional involvement depends on the scope and classification of the building. Projects within the scope of the National Building Code, Division B, Parts 3 through 7 require the involvement of a registered architect or professional engineer for design or design review. Projects within the scope of Part 9 may be designed or reviewed by a competent person who is knowledgeable in Part 9 and acceptable to the local authority.
Depending on the project, design professionals may:
- prepare and coordinate design documents;
- apply their professional seal to drawings;
- provide required commitment and assurance letters;
- conduct field reviews during construction; and
- take professional responsibility for the design and related professional services.
A professional seal identifies that a qualified professional has accepted responsibility for the work and that the design was prepared under their professional oversight.
What is the City’s role?
As the local authority, the City administers and enforces building regulations in the public interest. City Building Officials carry out permit review, inspection and enforcement functions under The Construction Codes Act and its regulations.
During permit review and inspection, City Building Officials may:
- review applications to confirm the information needed to issue a permit has been provided;
- confirm that required professional involvement and documentation are in place;
- confirm that applicable code and bylaw requirements have been addressed;
- inspect work at required stages of construction; and
- verify that construction generally aligns with approved permit documents and applicable regulations.
City approval or inspection is not a guarantee that every requirement has been met. Owners remain responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable requirements.
Why might the City comment on sealed drawings?
A City review comment does not mean the City is questioning a design professional’s qualifications or taking responsibility for the design.
Comments may be issued to:
- clarify design intent or code assumptions;
- resolve differences between drawings, specifications or supporting documents;
- confirm that required professional letters, schedules or field-review commitments have been provided; or
- obtain information needed to issue a permit or complete an inspection.
The design professional remains responsible for the professional design. Municipal review and inspection do not replace the professional judgement of the architect or engineer.
Help us review your application efficiently
Complete, coordinated documents help reduce follow-up requests and support a more efficient permit review.
For projects requiring professional involvement, submit:
- sealed drawings and specifications, where required;
- required professional commitment and assurance documents;
- coordinated architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical and civil documents, as applicable;
- clear responses to review comments; and
- required field-review documentation during construction.
Working together
Professional design, building permits and inspections each support safe, compliant construction. A complete application, coordinated documents and timely responses to review comments help the City issue permits and complete inspections more efficiently.
The City’s permit review and inspection role does not replace the responsibilities of the owner, design professional, contractor or tradesperson. Each party remains responsible for fulfilling its role.