The Building Permit Process in Vancouver and Burnaby, Step by Step

The Building Permit Process in Vancouver and Burnaby, Step by Step

Before a single footing is poured, a new home needs a building permit. For many homeowners this is the most confusing part of the whole project: which reports you need, who applies, what gets paid when, and why it takes as long as it does.

The good news is that both Vancouver and Burnaby now run clear, mostly online processes. Once you know the order of the steps, the permit stage becomes much more predictable. This guide walks through it for a new single-family home, duplex, laneway home or small multiplex.

Step 1: Confirm what your lot allows

Everything starts with zoning and site conditions. Both cities give you tools to check this before you spend money on design:

• Vancouver: the City’s Low Density Housing Options guide and the Development and Business Services website let you check whether a project is allowed on your property.
• Burnaby: BurnabyMap shows your zoning. The City also points owners to its SHiFT tool for site feasibility and standardized designs.

Look out for constraints that can change the design or add steps:

• Protected trees, which may need an arborist report and a tree plan
• Streams, ravines or wetlands nearby (in Burnaby, properties within 30 m of one face streamside protection rules)
• Heritage status, archaeological sites, easements or restrictive covenants on title
• Old underground fuel tanks, or (in Vancouver) artesian wells, aquifers and the Japanese beetle regulated area
• An existing house, which needs its own demolition permit and a hazardous materials survey first

Step 2: Build your design team and reports

Both cities recommend hiring a qualified designer or architect. A typical new-home application draws on several professionals:

• BC land surveyor: a topographic survey of the lot
• Designer or architect: the drawing package and zoning analysis
• Structural engineer and, where soils or slopes call for it, a geotechnical engineer
• Energy advisor: the energy model and pre-permit energy checklist
• Arborist: where trees are on or near the lot

Energy requirements are part of the permit

Energy compliance is reviewed at permit stage, not just at the end:

• Vancouver applies its own Building By-law. For most new low-rise homes it requires electric space heating and hot water (such as heat pumps), an energy model, a pre-permit energy checklist from your energy advisor and HRV checklists. Airtightness testing and a final EnerGuide evaluation follow during and after construction.
• Burnaby requires new single- and two-family homes to meet at least Step 3 of the BC Energy Step Code, with energy modelling, airtightness testing and energy labelling, plus Zero Carbon Step Code emission levels. Confirm the current level with the City, as these requirements have been rising.

Step 3: Clear the pre-application steps

Each city has one step that has to happen before the main application goes in:

• Vancouver: apply for your sewer and water connection permit before you apply for the development/building permit.
• Burnaby: get Engineering pre-application approval through the My Permits Portal. You submit a topographic survey, a proposed driveway drawing and a fee. The City says complete submissions typically take about 15 business days, and the resulting review report goes into your building application.

The builder’s side: licensing and home warranty

In BC, a new home built for an owner must be built by a licensed residential builder and enrolled in home warranty insurance. Before the permit can be issued, the builder registers the home with BC Housing, the warranty provider approves enrolment, and a sealed New Home Registration Form goes to the City. BC Housing charges a licensing fee of $40 per unit at registration. Owner builders follow a separate authorization route instead.

Step 4: Submit the application online

Burnaby lists the core documents for a new home, including the Schedule F Owner’s Undertaking and Agent Authorization, the R1 zoning summary, electrical load calculations, a heritage and archaeology checklist, a landscape and tree plan, and a demolition waste diversion plan where an old house comes down. Vancouver generates a personalized document checklist when you create your project online.

Step 5: Review, conditions and charges

Once accepted, your application goes to several City review teams (zoning, building, engineering, energy, landscape and trees). They send back a list of comments or conditions, and your designer revises the drawings. Changes before issuance are treated as resubmissions, so quick, complete responses keep things moving.

Before issuance, the City tells you what’s still owed. Depending on the project, this can include:

• Permit and application fees, often based on project value
• Development cost levies or charges (DCLs/DCCs), and in Burnaby amenity cost charges, collected at building permit issuance
• Damage deposits for City property such as sidewalks and boulevards
• Engineering servicing fees, or a cash-in-lieu contribution for offsite works

Amounts vary by city, project size and number of units, so we haven’t quoted figures here. Ask the City for an estimate early so they’re in your budget.

How long does the permit take?

Processing time depends on the project’s complexity, how complete the application is and how busy the City is. Some reference points:

• Vancouver reports that processing for single-detached homes fell to about 160 days in 2025 (from 250 days in 2022), and laneway homes to about 100 days (from 200). A streamlined process for certain multiplexes cut their processing times by about half.
• Burnaby does not publish a standard processing time. The Engineering pre-application alone typically takes about 15 business days.

The permit stage comes before construction and is separate from it. Once the permit is issued, building the home itself on a straightforward lot (relatively flat, no significant trees, little slope) takes about 10 months from foundation to finish, not counting design, permits or elaborate landscaping.

Step 6: After the permit is issued

• Start on time: in Vancouver, work must begin within 6 months or the permit becomes invalid.
• Trade permits: electrical, plumbing, gas, heating and sprinkler work need their own permits. In Burnaby these are applied for by a Burnaby-licensed sub-trade contractor.
• Keep documents on site: the permit and stamped drawings must be on site for inspectors.
• Book inspections at each stage, with at least 24 hours’ notice in Burnaby.
• Occupancy: after the final inspection (and, in Burnaby, once retained and replacement trees are planted) the City issues an occupancy permit or certificate. You can’t move in before then.

How to keep your permit on track

• Check zoning and site constraints before you commit to a design.
• Order the survey, arborist and geotechnical reports early, since the design depends on them.
• Make the major design decisions before you apply; changes mid-review cost time.
• Use the City’s checklists and submit a complete package the first time.
• Answer review comments quickly and completely.
• Use the review period to select finishes and order long-lead items such as windows.

Related reading

• Building inspections for a new home in Vancouver and Burnaby
• Tree bylaws and arborist reports in Vancouver and Burnaby
• Demolition before you rebuild
• How long does it take to build a custom home?
• Building permits & approvals support