BC government unveils new digital building permitting tool for cities to use

After much planning, the Government of British Columbia has launched a new digital Building Permit Hub for municipal governments to streamline and standardize their permitting processes.

According to a release, this is a new digital tool for homeowners and builders to submit applications to municipal governments and First Nations.

“The permitting process can be slow and complicated, delaying the construction of homes we urgently need. This new one-stop shop for local building permits will reduce red tape for homebuilders, local governments, and First Nations, and ultimately save money, speed up construction, and help people get into homes faster,” said Premier David Eby in a statement.

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Ravi Kahlon, BC’s Minister of Housing, added, “We are exploring new ways to speed up the delivery of homes for people in BC. The Building Permit Hub will make the permitting process smoother for builders and local and First Nations governments, ensuring homes are built quicker without unnecessary delays.”

The new tool will result in faster processing and review times. It will standardize building permit submission requirements across jurisdictions, automatically check that the permit application is complete, and automatically check compliance with key parts of the BC Building Code. Previously, these steps would be accomplished through highly time-intensive inquiries by the applicants to municipal staff.

Building Permit Hub launched today on a pilot project basis for 12 municipal governments and two First Nations, including the Metro Vancouver jurisdictions of Burnaby, Langley City, Maple Ridge, North Vancouver, Surrey, and Musqueam First Nation. Here is the full list of initial jurisdictions:

1. City of Burnaby
2. City of Campbell River
3. City of Kamloops
4. City of Langley
5. City of Maple Ridge
6. City of Nanaimo
7. City of North Vancouver
8. City of Surrey
9. City of Victoria
10. Cowichan Valley Regional District
11. District of Saanich
12. Town of Qualicum Beach
13. Musqueam Indian Band

Communities can update the tool for their own local requirements and permitting capability. Additional features, such as permit applications for secondary suites and accessory dwelling units, will be added later this summer.

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• Metro Vancouver cities receiving funding to create efficient building approval processes
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