How to get a building permit in District of North Vancouver, BC

Step by step in District of North Vancouver

1. 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 — District of North Vancouver won't issue until land use is settled.

2. 2

   Work out which permits you need

   Structural work needs a building permit from District of North Vancouver. Electrical and gas are separate and are issued by The District of North Vancouver runs its OWN electrical AND gas permit and inspection programs (NOT Technical Safety BC). Plumbing is usually part of the building permit.

3. 3

   Prepare drawings and documents

   District of North Vancouver asks for: Electronic submission only; contact building@dnv.org to arrange a building-permit intake; Building Permit Application Form (required for all applications); Building Requirements Questionnaire (required for all applications); Project-specific application checklist (New Construction SF, Renovation/Addition & Deck, Interior Renovation & Secondary Suite, Coach House, Swimming Pool/Accessory, Retaining Walls, Photovoltaic Solar); GEN 101 Authorization to Represent Owner form (if agent applying); Site plan and survey forms graded Simple/Moderate/Complex (BLD 106/107/108 site plan; BLD 103/104/105 survey); BLD 101 Letter of Assurance and Schedule-style forms; professional (AIBC/EGBC) sealed drawings for complex work; architect required where Architects Regulation applies (e.g. mezzanine additions); Documents must be named per the District's building permit submission instructions or they are rejected; WorkSafeBC hazmat clearance certificate required for alterations to buildings built before 1990 before any inspection; Development permit generally required BEFORE building permit if property is in a Development Permit Area (DPA); Slope/geotech reports for sloping sites (SPE 104 >10 deg, SPE 105 >20 deg), flood (SPE 106), creek (SPE 107), wildfire (SPE 115), stormwater/geotech (SPE 112); Trades permits (electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas) applied for AFTER the building permit is issued; Start work within 6 months of permit; complete within 2 years.

4. 4

   Submit your application

   Email intake to building@dnv.org (no self-serve online building-permit portal). Trades permits (electrical, gas, plumbing, heating) use dedicated online application forms at dnv.org/page/electrical-permit-application-form etc. Payment link emailed after review; account portal is MyDNV. Permit lookup: dnv.org/page/look-up-a-permit.

5. 5

   Pay the permit fee

   50% non-refundable estimated permit fee paid at application; remaining balance, securities and charges paid before permit issuance. Fees set by the DNV Fees and Charges Bylaw (gas permits calculated by fixture; construction-value based for building). New-construction single-family permits take approx. 12-16 weeks. Confirm the current schedule with District of North Vancouver before you budget.

6. 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.

Permit types in District of North Vancouver

District of North Vancouver permit questions