If you’re constructing a new building, you’ll need a Building Permit from the Municipality the property is in, whether it’s Oak Bay, Victoria or one of the many Saaniches. Same goes if you’re altering an existing structure, demolishing one, lifting one, or finishing an undeveloped space like a basement.
The building permit is essentially the proposal for the work to be done. At this stage it ensures that the work is compliant with safety and legal requirements such as required distance from the property line, building height and required aspects of the construction.
The building permit sets in motion the series of building inspections that ensure the work is structurally sound and legally compliant.
Consequences
If you fail to obtain a permit, the city has a few options:
Stop Work Order
The Stop Work Notice is one of the city’s more frequently used tools for dealing with builders who don’t have permits. As stated in the Building and Plumbing Bylaw, a building official or building inspector may enter the property at any time to order the cessation of work.
The Stop Work Notice is a directive from the government to stop working on the project, and can be issued for not only regulatory non-compliance, but hazardous materials, safety violations, and environmental concerns. The builder will need to comply and take action before the Stop Work Notice is lifted.
Fines
The City will often use fines as well to punish builders who don’t acquire permits. But the fines can vary widely. The fine in BC could reach 2.8% of the cost of construction up to $20,000. But if the offence is continuing, that amount could be applied per day. The size of a fine will be heavily influenced by the construction project itself, including the project size, nature of construction, and length of time spent building.
Demolition
In the worst of cases, the City holds the right to demolish your building project. If what you’ve done is deemed unsafe or unfixable, there may be no other option besides total demolition. This can also happen if a building doesn’t comply with special covenants such as limitations on building heights.
Other Risks
While the city’s actions can be harsh for those who don’t obtain permits, getting away with it could be just as costly.
It’s important to remember that the building permit is for you, not your general contractor. Building permits and inspections protect you from substandard work that can cost you money down the road. Think of the inspector as the independent party who holds your contractor accountable to meet minimum requirements under the provincial building code as well as specific municipal code enhancements.
Lack of Record
Without an inspection, you have no record or assurance of what has actually been done, which can have big financial implications when you try to make an insurance claim or resell your home later on.
Difficulty Selling
Potential buyers of your home will be skeptical from the jump when they discover the home is missing critical paperwork. For good reason, potential buyers will be concerned about the safety of the structure. Plus they may worry about legal trouble. If the buyer is willing to look past it, the offer will likely end up being far below what you’d hoped for.
Insurance Issues
It will be very difficult (if not, impossible) to acquire homeowner’s insurance without final inspections and an occupancy permit. This will expose you the homeowner in the event of damages or losses to your home or belongings. Even if you already have insurance, unpermitted work can easily make the policy void.
Responsibilities of the Owner
Acquiring Permits
Permit fees vary from municipality to municipality. Applying for a permit in Victoria costs $100. The permit fee will depend on the scale of your project, and represents 1.4% of the total cost of construction. Permit extensions, revisions, and re-inspections will also cost you.
In Saanich, permit fees are based on the value of the project, beginning with a non-refundable application fee of 25% of the value of the project and final permit fees assessed with fees levied on a sliding scale on each $1,000 of value.
Each municipality has a slightly different process for permit application and fee assessment. An experienced contractor will be familiar with each of these and will have established relationships with each department.
A Building Permit is just one of the permits you’ll likely need. There are also separate permits for plumbing, electrical, blasting, signage, and more. A well organized project with an experienced contractor will help keep these costs reasonable. Delays are not only frustrating, they can be expensive.
Other Responsibilities
Aside from obtaining the necessary permits for construction, the homeowner has a number of responsibilities to be aware of. To start, the permit holder must ensure all construction complies with the Building Code. They must also post and maintain permits on the property, and be able to provide all permits, plans, specifications and supporting documents on which the permit was based. Finally, the owner will be responsible for any cost of damage necessary to repair municipal works such as water lines, sewer lines, sidewalks, electrical lines, landscaping, storm drains, and more.
At Horizon Pacific Contracting, we coordinate the entire municipal permit and approvals process for you. That means you can offload the responsibility onto us. And when we hit an obstacle (and we will), we’re highly skilled at navigating through it.
Contact Horizon Pacific Contracting today to collaborate on your custom home or renovation, and rest easy knowing the permitting and inspections are all under professional control.