Building Permits

You can pay your installments in cash or certified cheques made out to the City of Victoria.

A letter of credit is a binding financial document issued by a qualified financial institution that guarantees payment of  DCC and ACC instalments.  A letter of credit must:

• be payable to the City of Victoria
• be in Canadian funds
• be the original copy
• identify the project and applicable file number
• be clean, irrevocable, unconditional and without limitations
• include automatic renewal provisions and prior notice requirements
• enable the City of Victoria the right to demand payment
• allow for partial or full drawings as needed  

Read the City of Victoria Letter of Credits Policy for detailed requirements and template.

A surety bond is three-party financial contract through an insurer that guarantees the City of Victoria will receive payment if a developer does not fulfill the financial obligations of the ACCs and DCCs installment agreement.  Surety bonds are only accepted if they meet and adhere to City of Victoria terms and policy.

View the surety bond template. Original documents must be submitted for surety bonds.

Requests to pay for Development Cost Charges (DCC) and Amenity Cost Charges (ACC) in installments must be made to a Permit Services Representative only after an applicant receives a summary of required fees and deposits. Requests are reviewed in accordance with the Local Government Act and applicable City of Victoria’s bylaws.

If approved, the total charges can be paid in full before building permit issuance, or in installments. 

If paying by installments, a minimum of 25 percent of the total charges must be paid at the time building permit issuance. The remaining 75 percent of the total charges must be paid prior to issuance of required occupancy permits or within four years of the building permit issuance date, whichever occurs first, in accordance with the Local Government Act (BC).

• BCBC F3 declaration
• Climatic and seismic Data
• Deck example plans 2013
• Demolition waste and deconstruction bylaw
• Fire alarm system FAQ
• Fixture hydraulic load calculation for water service pipe form
• Glass guards in part 9 buildings
• Letters of credit policy
• Major Occupancy Types
• Permit package information forms
• Revision After Issuance Form 
• TECA checklist for forced air systems
• TECA checklist for an HRV
• TECA checklist for CRV systems
• TECA Checklist for exhaust fans and passive inlets

When does the Zero Carbon Step Code come into effect?

Any building permit for a new building that is submitted on or after the following dates must
demonstrate compliance with Emissions Level 4 of the Zero Carbon Step Code.

July 1, 2024: Emissions Level 4
All multi-unit residential buildings six storeys or less, shall
demonstrate compliance with Emissions Level 4 of the Zero Carbon Step Code. Applications will also 
need to demonstrate compliance with Step 3 of the BC Energy Step Code.

November 1, 2024
Emissions Level 4: All buildings that are classified as a Group C, Group D or Group E 
Major occupancy shall demonstrate compliance with Emissions Level 4 of the Zero Carbon Step Code. 
Most of these buildings will need to demonstrate compliance with Step 2 of the BC Energy Step Code. All multi-unit residential buildings six storeys or less shall demonstrate compliance with Step 3 of the BC 
Energy Step Code.
What do I need to submit with my building permit application?

1. Part 3 Design Checklist.
   a. Must include both Step Code Summary and the Part 3 Energy Checklist.
   b. .pdf AND .xlsx format.
2. Energy Modelling Report (optional).

What do I need to submit for my occupancy permit?

1. Part 3 Design Checklist reflecting any changes from design.
   a. Airtightness test results.
   b. Must include both Step Code Summary and the Part 3 Energy Checklist.
   c. .pdf AND .xlsx format.
2. Energy Modelling Report reflecting any changes from design (optional).

What does Emissions Level 4 require? 

To comply with emissions level four a building must meet the requirements of EL-4 in table 10.3.1.3 of the 2024 BC Building Code. There are different requirements for different occupancies, they are as follows:

• residential occupancies that are hotels and motels must have a greenhouse gas emissions intensity of  2.0 kgCO2e/m2/year (kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent, per meter squared, per year) or less.
• all other residential occupancies must have a maximum greenhouse gas emissions intensity of  1.8 kgCO2e/m2/year or less.
• offices must have a greenhouse gas emissions intensity of  1.5 kgCO2e/m2/year or less.
• other business and personal services and mercantile occupancies must have a greenhouse gas emissions intensity of  2.0 kgCO2e/m2/year or less.
   

What are my Energy Choices?

• any energy source that has an emissions factor provided in the BCBC or accompanying guides or bulletins may be used for compliance purposes.
• renewable natural gas may not be used to demonstrate compliance. 
• details on how compliance is demonstrated for district energy connected buildings is provided through the City of Vancouver Energy Modeling Guidelines 2.0. For details on how to model mixed-use buildings and other information: beyond the building code itself, click here to learn more about compliance information. 

Additional guidance can be found in the Vancouver Energy Modelling Guidelines 2.0, and AIBC’s Practice Guideline: BC Energy Step Code – Application.

Download this information as a PDF.

Solar Panels meeting all of the following conditions do not require a building permit.

• The installation is on the roof a BCBC Part 9 building
• The systems does not exert a distributed load greater than 24.4 kg/m2 (5lbs/ft2) on the 
  roof
• Attachment point loads do not exceed 22.7 kg (50lbs)
• The solar panels and mounting hardware are installed according to manufacturer’s 
  instructions
• Panels and related hardware do not project more than 400mm (16”) above the surface 
  of the roof

Solar Panel installations that do not meeting all the above conditions require a Building
Permit. 

Additional Solar Panel requirements:

• All Photo Voltaic (PV) Solar Panel installations require an electrical permit
• All Non-PV Solar Panel installations connected or integrated with a potable water 
  system require a plumbing permit

Download this information as a PDF. 

Amenity Cost Charges (ACCs) allow local governments to collect funds from new development that increases demand for community amenities.

• Rates set in the ACC bylaw take effect Oct. 2, 2025.  
• Charges are collected at the time of building permit issuance or may be collected at the time of subdivision approval for low-density lot creation.
• Development permits, rezonings and building permit applications considered complete and accepted by the City prior to adoption of the ACC bylaw October 2, 2025 are exempt from Amenity Cost Charges.  
• Subdivision applications that were in-stream as of October 2, 2025, the date the ACC bylaw was adopted, are exempt from ACCs for 12 months, until October 2, 2026.