City of Burnaby

How to get a building permit in Burnaby, BC

Where to apply, what Burnaby asks for, what it costs, and who issues electrical and gas permits — with links to the city's own forms.

Where to apply in Burnaby

My Permits Portal — https://mypermits.burnaby.ca/ (register, apply, check status, pay by credit card). All residential building permit applications and new commercial building permit applications MUST be submitted online through My Permits Portal; paper applications are no longer accepted. Exceptions applied in person at City Hall: restoration permits and commercial tenant-improvement permits. Electrical, gas and plumbing permits can also be applied for online via My Permits Portal, including inspection booking.

Official City of Burnaby permit page

Building Division: 604-294-7130; City Hall, 4949 Canada Way, Burnaby BC V5G 1M2.

Who issues electrical and gas permits

Burnaby runs its OWN electrical, gas AND plumbing permit and inspection programs (delegated authority — like Vancouver and Surrey; NOT Technical Safety BC for standard residential work). Burnaby issues five residential trade permit categories itself: Electrical, Gas, Plumbing, Heating (forced-air/hydronic), and Fire Sprinkler. IMPORTANT EXCEPTION: gas installations exceeding 409,000 BTU must be permitted through the Provincial Safety Authority (Technical Safety BC) rather than the City. Burnaby conducts its own trade inspections. So: electrical = City of Burnaby; plumbing = City of Burnaby; gas = City of Burnaby (except >409,000 BTU → Technical Safety BC).

electrical: City of Burnaby
gas: City of Burnaby

Step by step in Burnaby

1
Confirm zoning before anything else
Check the property's zone, setbacks, height and lot coverage, and whether it sits in a Development Permit Area. If it does, that approval has to come before the building permit — Burnaby won't issue until land use is settled.
2
Work out which permits you need
Structural work needs a building permit from City of Burnaby. Electrical and gas are separate and are issued by Burnaby runs its OWN electrical, gas AND plumbing permit and inspection programs (delegated authority — like Vancouver and Surrey; NOT Technical Safety BC for standard residential work). Plumbing is usually part of the building permit.
3
Prepare drawings and documents
City of Burnaby asks for: All residential and new-commercial building permit applications submitted online via My Permits Portal (no paper); Building permit application forms downloadable from the city site (e.g. Additions/Alterations to Existing Residential Buildings; Demolition — residential and multi-family/commercial); Site plan and construction drawings; BC Energy Step Code compliance for new residential/commercial construction; Letters of Assurance (Schedule A/B/C) from registered professionals on complex/engineered work; Geotechnical report where required; Home warranty insurance (Homeowner Protection Act) for new homes, or owner-builder exemption; Owner authorization where applicant is not the owner; Revisions may be dropped at the Building Division front counter (Mon–Fri 8am–4pm, Thu to 7pm).
4
Submit your application
My Permits Portal — https://mypermits.burnaby.ca/ (register, apply, check status, pay by credit card). All residential building permit applications and new commercial building permit applications MUST be submitted online through My Permits Portal; paper applications are no longer accepted. Exceptions applied in person at City Hall: restoration permits and commercial tenant-improvement permits. Electrical, gas and plumbing permits can also be applied for online via My Permits Portal, including inspection booking.
5
Pay the permit fee
Fees set by Burnaby's fee bylaws and schedules; building fees based on construction value, and each trade permit (electrical/gas/plumbing/heating/sprinkler) has its own fee and inspection-fee schedule downloadable per category from the city site. Payable in My Permits Portal by credit card (Visa/MC/Amex) or in person by cash/cheque/debit. Confirm the current schedule with Burnaby before you budget.
6
Plan review, then build to inspections
The building department reviews against the BC Building Code and zoning; answer any comments quickly. Once issued, post the permit on site and book inspections at each stage — footings, framing, rough-in, insulation, final. Don't cover work before it's inspected.

What Burnaby asks for

All residential and new-commercial building permit applications submitted online via My Permits Portal (no paper)
Building permit application forms downloadable from the city site (e.g. Additions/Alterations to Existing Residential Buildings; Demolition — residential and multi-family/commercial)
Site plan and construction drawings
BC Energy Step Code compliance for new residential/commercial construction
Letters of Assurance (Schedule A/B/C) from registered professionals on complex/engineered work
Geotechnical report where required
Home warranty insurance (Homeowner Protection Act) for new homes, or owner-builder exemption
Owner authorization where applicant is not the owner
Revisions may be dropped at the Building Division front counter (Mon–Fri 8am–4pm, Thu to 7pm)

Permit fees in Burnaby

Fees set by Burnaby's fee bylaws and schedules; building fees based on construction value, and each trade permit (electrical/gas/plumbing/heating/sprinkler) has its own fee and inspection-fee schedule downloadable per category from the city site. Payable in My Permits Portal by credit card (Visa/MC/Amex) or in person by cash/cheque/debit.

Fees change and vary by project — confirm the current schedule with City of Burnaby.

Burnaby permit forms

Open a form here and fill it in without leaving the page.

Pick a form to open it here.

Worth knowing about Burnaby

Burnaby is one of the few BC municipalities that permits and inspects electrical, gas, plumbing, heating and sprinkler work itself. Watch the 409,000 BTU gas threshold (above it → Technical Safety BC). Fire-sprinkler and heating permits historically required in-person application (online rollout in progress). eCheck digital building-permit review tool used for plan review. Certified Professional (CP) Program available to streamline complex permits.

Burnaby permit questions

Where do I submit a building permit application in Burnaby?

Who issues electrical and gas permits in Burnaby?

How much does a building permit cost in Burnaby?

What do I need to apply for a building permit in Burnaby?

City of Burnaby asks for: All residential and new-commercial building permit applications submitted online via My Permits Portal (no paper); Building permit application forms downloadable from the city site (e.g. Additions/Alterations to Existing Residential Buildings; Demolition — residential and multi-family/commercial); Site plan and construction drawings; BC Energy Step Code compliance for new residential/commercial construction; Letters of Assurance (Schedule A/B/C) from registered professionals on complex/engineered work; Geotechnical report where required; Home warranty insurance (Homeowner Protection Act) for new homes, or owner-builder exemption; Owner authorization where applicant is not the owner; Revisions may be dropped at the Building Division front counter (Mon–Fri 8am–4pm, Thu to 7pm).

Anything else to know about permits in Burnaby?

Sources

General information only, not legal or code advice. Requirements vary by project and change over time — always confirm what applies to your job with City of Burnaby before you build.

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