City of Victoria

How to get a building permit in Victoria, BC

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

Where to apply in Victoria

eApply (Prospero) online submission portal — https://tender.victoria.ca/WebApps/eApply/Prospero/Dashboard/Template/Welcome.aspx ; inspection requests and account access via 'MyCity' — https://tender.victoria.ca/WebApps/LoginManager/

Official City of Victoria permit page

Building & Inspection Services: 250-361-0344, permits@victoria.ca; electrical permits: electricalpermits@victoria.ca; 1 Centennial Square, Victoria, BC V8W 1P6; open 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Mon–Fri

Who issues electrical and gas permits

SPLIT — Victoria is a delegated 'Electrical only' municipality: the CITY OF VICTORIA issues its own ELECTRICAL permits and does its own electrical inspections (NOT Technical Safety BC). Apply as a registered electrical contractor online, or as a homeowner by email to electricalpermits@victoria.ca. GAS permits are NOT delegated to Victoria — gas is issued by Technical Safety BC (technicalsafetybc.ca, 1-866-566-7233). Confirmed against Technical Safety BC's jurisdiction list, which shows 'City of Victoria (Electrical only).'

electrical: City of Victoria
gas: Technical Safety BC

Step by step in Victoria

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 — Victoria won't issue until land use is settled.
2
Work out which permits you need
Structural work needs a building permit from City of Victoria. Electrical and gas are separate and are issued by SPLIT — Victoria is a delegated 'Electrical only' municipality: the CITY OF VICTORIA issues its own ELECTRICAL permits and does its own electrical inspections (NOT Technical Safety BC). Plumbing is usually part of the building permit.
3
Prepare drawings and documents
City of Victoria asks for: Submit through the eApply online portal (checklist package specific to permit type); Confirm project does NOT need, or has completed, rezoning or a Development Permit BEFORE applying for the building permit; For Part 3 buildings: Part 3 Design Checklist including BC Energy Step Code Summary and the Part 3 Energy Checklist, plus optional Energy Modelling Report; Airtightness (blower-door) test results required for occupancy permits on applicable buildings; Climatic and seismic data documentation; Acknowledgements of hazardous-materials handling, EV-readiness, and stormwater-management requirements; Ownership information / owner authorization; agent must have owner authorization; Manufacturer's instructions for solar installations; all PV solar installs also require a (city-issued) electrical permit.
4
Submit your application
eApply (Prospero) online submission portal — https://tender.victoria.ca/WebApps/eApply/Prospero/Dashboard/Template/Welcome.aspx ; inspection requests and account access via 'MyCity' — https://tender.victoria.ca/WebApps/LoginManager/
5
Pay the permit fee
Building permit fee is 1.40% of construction value (excludes plumbing and electrical permit fees, which are billed separately). Full details in the 'Guide to Building Permit Fees and Deposits' (victoria.ca/media/file/guide-building-permit-fees-and-deposits) and the Fee Schedule; a fee summary with deposits is issued once the permit is approved. Electrical permits have their own fee schedule. Confirm the current schedule with Victoria 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 Victoria asks for

Submit through the eApply online portal (checklist package specific to permit type)
Confirm project does NOT need, or has completed, rezoning or a Development Permit BEFORE applying for the building permit
For Part 3 buildings: Part 3 Design Checklist including BC Energy Step Code Summary and the Part 3 Energy Checklist, plus optional Energy Modelling Report
Airtightness (blower-door) test results required for occupancy permits on applicable buildings
Climatic and seismic data documentation
Acknowledgements of hazardous-materials handling, EV-readiness, and stormwater-management requirements
Ownership information / owner authorization; agent must have owner authorization
Manufacturer's instructions for solar installations; all PV solar installs also require a (city-issued) electrical permit

Permit fees in Victoria

Building permit fee is 1.40% of construction value (excludes plumbing and electrical permit fees, which are billed separately). Full details in the 'Guide to Building Permit Fees and Deposits' (victoria.ca/media/file/guide-building-permit-fees-and-deposits) and the Fee Schedule; a fee summary with deposits is issued once the permit is approved. Electrical permits have their own fee schedule.

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

Victoria permit forms

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

Pick a form to open it here.

Worth knowing about Victoria

Development Permit / rezoning must be resolved before the building permit. Uniquely for these four cities, Victoria runs its OWN electrical permit + inspection program (one of only ~10 delegated BC municipalities) — trades pull electrical permits from the City, not Technical Safety BC. Gas still goes to Technical Safety BC. Heritage/character considerations apply in many Victoria neighbourhoods. Pre-application meetings available; email permits@victoria.ca for permit-type guidance.

Victoria permit questions

Where do I submit a building permit application in Victoria?

Who issues electrical and gas permits in Victoria?

How much does a building permit cost in Victoria?

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

City of Victoria asks for: Submit through the eApply online portal (checklist package specific to permit type); Confirm project does NOT need, or has completed, rezoning or a Development Permit BEFORE applying for the building permit; For Part 3 buildings: Part 3 Design Checklist including BC Energy Step Code Summary and the Part 3 Energy Checklist, plus optional Energy Modelling Report; Airtightness (blower-door) test results required for occupancy permits on applicable buildings; Climatic and seismic data documentation; Acknowledgements of hazardous-materials handling, EV-readiness, and stormwater-management requirements; Ownership information / owner authorization; agent must have owner authorization; Manufacturer's instructions for solar installations; all PV solar installs also require a (city-issued) electrical permit.

Anything else to know about permits in Victoria?

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 Victoria before you build.

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