Several by-laws apply to construction and renovation work. Whether major renovations or simple repairs, it is required to comply with the applicable standards in the concerned borough. In certain cases, it is also required to obtain a permit. Construction, demolition or interior or exterior renovation work requires a permit. Before issuing it, the city's construction and urban planning experts verify that the work is safe and complies with the regulations, which means that a permit may or may not be granted. Professionals generally support citizens in their procedures.

The distribution of permits is the responsibility of the boroughs. To this end, each has a service counter, where it is possible to obtain the desired permit. Permits related to the field of construction at the housing level are of a diversified nature (construction, renovation, demolition, swimming pool, trees, etc.). Although most boroughs use a common technological system for entering requests, all of the processes as well as certain data attributes may vary from one borough to another.

Montréal believes that open data is a central element in achieving transparency and economic development objectives, but also in solving urban challenges. The more this data is made public and shared with the community, the more it will be exploited to its full potential in a booming Montreal ecosystem.