How Simcoe County is built
- Before 1961 16%
- 1961–1990 36%
- 1991–2000 13%
- 2001 or later 34%
This page covers the 16 towns and townships of the County of Simcoe. Barrie and Orillia are separate cities that aren't part of the county government; Barrie has its own pages. The District of Muskoka, north of the county, has its own section below.
Why inspections matter in Simcoe County
Environment and Climate Change Canada's 1981–2010 climate normal at Barrie WPCC (8.9 km from the middle of the area) is 4,254 heating degree-days a year, with a January mean of −7.7°C. Of the 122,485 houses in Simcoe County (single-detached, semi-detached, row houses, duplexes and mobile homes), 16% were built before 1961 and 52% before 1991, according to the 2021 Census.
On census day (May 11, 2021), 13% of the 151,437 private dwellings in Simcoe County were not anyone's permanent home. If you're buying a cottage or a house with a wood stove, ask your insurer what inspection it needs before the deal closes.
WETT Inc., the non-profit that trains and registers wood-energy professionals across Canada, says hiring a WETT-certified professional ensures wood-burning appliances are inspected, installed and maintained to current safety codes and standards, and helps homeowners meet insurance or regulatory requirements.
What a wood-burning inspection checks
An inspection looks at what the fire and installation codes regulate:
- The chimney, flue and flue pipe: structural problems such as a missing liner or inadequate supports, and decay such as cracking, crumbling mortar, corrosion or separated sections (National Fire Code notes).
- Creosote and soot: deposits more than 3 mm thick mean the chimney needs cleaning right away and should be inspected more often.
- Clearances: the required space between the appliance, flue pipe or chimney and anything combustible, which must be kept clear.
- The installation: CSA B365 is the installation code for solid-fuel appliances, covering installation, alteration and maintenance.
- The appliance itself: whether it's certified to CSA B415.1 or the US EPA standard, which you can usually tell from its label or plate.
Finding a WETT-certified inspector
Search the WETT directory ↗ for certified professionals near Innisfil and the rest of Simcoe County, and ask your home insurer what it needs to see when you add a stove or buy a house that has one. WETT doesn't publish inspection prices, so get two or three written quotes and ask what each inspection includes.
Keeping it safe between inspections
- Burn dry wood: the US EPA says wood burns best below 20% moisture; check it with a moisture meter.
- Dense smoke at the top of the chimney is a warning sign of poor operation, a wrongly sized chimney or unsuitable fuel (National Fire Code note).
- Keep combustible things out of the clearance space around the stove and flue pipe.
- Have the chimney inspected after any chimney fire, and when you add or replace an appliance.
Communities we cover in Simcoe County
Every town, village and hamlet below is part of this page, grouped by municipality (2021 Census population).
- Town of New Tecumseth 43,948Alliston, Beeton, Tottenham
- Town of Innisfil 43,326Bell Ewart, Big Bay Point, Cookstown, Gilford, Lefroy, Stoney Point
- Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury 42,880Bond Head, Bradford
- Town of Wasaga Beach 24,862
- Town of Collingwood 24,811
- Township of Oro-Medonte 23,017Hawkestone, Horseshoe Valley, Oro, Oro Station, Shanty Bay, Warminster
- Township of Essa 22,970Angus, CFB Borden, Egbert, Thornton, Utopia
- Township of Springwater 21,701Elmvale, Midhurst, Minesing, Phelpston
- Town of Midland 17,817
- Township of Clearview 14,814Creemore, Duntroon, Nottawa, Singhampton, Stayner
- Township of Severn 14,576Amigo Beach, Bass Lake, Coldwater, Marchmont, Port Severn
- Township of Tiny 12,966Wyebridge
- Township of Tay 11,091Port McNicoll
- Township of Adjala-Tosorontio 10,989Everett, Glencairn, Lisle, Loretto, Rosemont
- Township of Ramara 10,377Longford Mills
- Town of Penetanguishene 10,077
District of Muskoka
- Town of Huntsville 21,147
- Town of Bracebridge 17,305
- Town of Gravenhurst 13,157
- Township of Muskoka Lakes 7,652
- Township of Lake of Bays 3,759
- Township of Georgian Bay 3,441
Covered on city pages: Barrie.
Wood-burning appliance inspections (WETT) in Simcoe County: common questions
How often should a wood stove chimney be inspected in Simcoe County?
Ontario's Fire Code requires every chimney, flue and flue pipe to be inspected at least once every 12 months, when an appliance is added and after any chimney fire, and cleaned as often as needed to keep combustible deposits from building up.
What is a WETT inspection?
An inspection of a wood-burning appliance and its chimney or venting by a professional certified through the WETT program, which WETT Inc. says helps homeowners meet insurance or regulatory requirements.
How do I find a WETT-certified inspector near Innisfil?
Search the WETT directory on wettinc.ca, then confirm the inspector covers your address and ask what the inspection includes.
How much does a WETT inspection cost?
WETT doesn’t publish prices and we found no reliable published range, so ask two or three inspectors for written quotes.
What is a certified wood stove?
One tested to CSA B415.1 or certified by the US EPA for emissions. The EPA’s 2020 limit for new room heaters is 2.0 grams of particles per hour (crib wood) or 2.5 g/h (cord wood).