The Ministry of Housing rolled out the digital Building Permit Hub on May 27, promising the new service will address a range of problems that have led to costly delays in building homes.

The Building Permit Hub will address challenges such as:

• inconsistent building permit submission requirements from one community to another; and
• different interpretations of compliance with BC Building Code requirements. 

Builders will submit their permit applications online in the hub, which:

• standardizes building-permit submission requirements across the province;
• automatically checks that the permit application is complete; and
• automatically checks compliance with key parts of the BC Building Code.

The result will be complete and consistent applications that are straightforward for local governments and First Nations to approve.

Twelve local governments and two First Nations will pilot the first version of the Building Permit Hub. These communities include:

• City of Burnaby
• City of Campbell River
• City of Kamloops
• City of Langley
• City of Maple Ridge
• City of Nanaimo
• City of North Vancouver
• City of Surrey
• City of Victoria
• Cowichan Valley Regional District
• District of Saanich
• Town of Qualicum Beach
• Musqueam Indian Band
• Tsleil-Waututh Nation

The hub is being further developed with additional features for more types of housing, such as permit applications for secondary suites and accessory dwelling units.

The hub will eventually be available throughout BC, allowing every community to digitally process building permits.

Summer 2024

• Digital building permit applications are available for low-density housing up to four units.
• Checklist of what’s required for a building permit specific to each pilot community that automatically updates when a builder inputs the project address.
• Completeness check includes a building permit application completeness check.
• Building Code compliance check. An automated check for compliance with the energy-efficiency requirements of the BC Building Code (Energy Step Code and Zero Carbon Step Code).

Fall 2024

• More communities beyond the 14 Phase 1 pilot communities can use the Building Permit Hub.
• Digital permits applications will be available for more building types, including residential buildings up to eight units, accessory dwelling units and secondary suites.
• Test integration of the Building Permit Hub with existing local government permitting systems.

Spring 2025

• Digital permits will be available for all housing types.
• Automated Building Code compliance checks for the parts of the Building Code that cause the most confusion and delays in the permitting approvals process.
• Additional features based on user feedback.

Visit the Building Permit Hub.

Read the government news release, New Building Permit Hub launched to speed up homebuilding.

If you have questions about the new building permit hub, contact Harriet Permut, director of government relations at hpermut@gvrealtors.ca.