Secondary Suites

• While planning your project, please review the submission checklist below to assist you in determining what documents will be needed when you apply for your permit;
• Once you have your completed application form and supporting documents as identified in the submission checklist, please come to City Hall to apply for your permit with your application fees, as outlined in the Fees & Charges Bylaw, Schedule G; 
• After your application has been submitted, you may review the progress of your application through the Building Permit Status webpage; 
• During the review of your application, our team members may contact you to request additional information, seek clarification or identify required changes; 
• If additional information is requested or required changes have been identified, our team will work to review the completed re-submissions in a timely manner; 
• Once it has been identified that your application complies with the City’s bylaws and associated regulations, our team will be able to issue your permit. Please note construction may not commence until a permit has been issued; 
• Book your Building Inspection online prior to completing each stage of work to avoid needing to uncover completed works for review by the Inspection team.

Submission Checklists are required to be completed with your building permit application.

• Submission Checklist - Residential - Secondary Suite
• Submission Checklist - Residential - Suite Removal
• Drawing Checklist - Residential - Secondary Suite

Please note that the City's Secondary Suite Guide is currently being revised and is not available at this time.

Apply for Building Permits Online

Related Forms

• Owner's Authorization Form

Fees are determined through Schedule "G" of the Fees and Charges Bylaw, 2006.

Permit Fees

A $100 non-refundable application fee applies at time of submission of a building permit application. This application fee will be credited towards the final building permit fees calculated after the plan review.

In addition, the following processing fees also apply and will be due at issuance:

Annual Infrastructure Fee

A $260 infrastructure fee will be added to property taxes on an annual basis.

Please note that all necessary permits must be in place for a secondary suite. In addition, permits are required for all building and plumbing alterations and improvements and must meet BC Building Code compliance standards.

If the City becomes aware of an unauthorized suite, either through a Bylaw complaint or other means, a thorough investigation will be conducted by City Bylaw Officers to determine whether a suite removal permit is required.

Property owners with unauthorized suites may be subject to a $500 fine per day under the Bylaw Enforcement Bylaw No. 3017-2020 for every day that a suite is not registered. To avoid being fined, property owners must register their secondary suites with the Building Permits & Licences Division.

After issuance of a building permit for suite removal, an inspection is done by a City official to confirm the suite has been removed.

Once the City has confirmed that the suite is removed, the property tax base is changed. Any suites not removed by May 1 will have the $260 infrastructure fee included in the property tax notice for that current year.