Construction material represents more than one-third of Victoria’s landfilled waste. To salvage valuable wood and construction materials, Victoria introduced the Demolition Waste and Deconstruction Bylaw.
Reusing building materials is an important step in helping the City achieve its 2040 waste reduction targets outlined in Zero Waste Victoria.
Contact zerowaste@victoria.ca for more information or for helpful resources including: a deconstruction and reuse directory and a bylaw summary brochure.
The second phase of the Deconstruction Bylaw comes into effect May 12, 2025. The bylaw will now apply to the demolition permits for all single-family homes and duplexes built before 1960, including those being replaced by multi-family buildings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Demolition permit applicants pay a refundable fee of $19,500. This fee is refunded after the permit holder salvages the target amount of wood for reuse during their demolition. The target is aligned with the size of the house: 40 kilograms per square metre of above-ground floor area. Fulfilling the salvage target is generally achieved through deconstruction practices, or in some cases house moving. Permit holders must document and report the amount of wood salvaged and how it will be reused. Reusing might include:
• donation to a charitable organization that sells building materials for reuse • direct reuse in a new build • remanufacture for applications such as architectural finishings or furniture
The new rules are being phased in to give industry time to prepare for the new requirements. The first phase applies to permit applications submitted on or after September 12, 2022. This phase includes demolition of single-family dwellings and duplexes built before 1960 unless they are being demolished to build multi-family housing.
The bylaw’s refundable fee does not have to be paid with permit applications submitted before September 12, 2023.
The second phase of the bylaw, beginning May 12, 2025, applies to demolition of all single-family dwellings and duplexes built before 1960, including those being demolished to build multi-family housing.
Sept 12, 2022
Bylaw phase 1 in effect
Refundable fee not charged
Sept 12, 2023
Grace period ends
Refundable fee charged
May 12, 2025
Bylaw phase 2 in effect
The bylaw is being phased in to avoid impacts to new housing supply.
Staff expect contractors and builders to adopt material salvage as common practice during the first phase of the bylaw. This will enable all pre-1960 single-family home and duplex demolitions to be brought under the bylaw in the second phase without impacting housing affordability.
There are between 20 to 40 buildings demolished every year in Victoria. Approximately three quarters of these are houses and duplexes.
Almost all demolished houses were constructed before 1960. Older homes contain valuable salvageable materials, including old-growth lumber.
Deconstructing single-family homes and duplexes in Victoria in addition to salvaging entire homes through structure moves provide an opportunity to divert hundreds of tonnes of valuable wood from the landfill every year once the bylaw is fully implemented, moving Victoria closer to it's 2040 waste reduction target.
Staff worked with developers, builders and deconstruction service providers to develop the bylaw. The City also consulted used material resellers and housing charities. This was done to develop an approach to regulate the salvage of building materials across Victoria. Staff continue to work with these stakeholders to support implementation of the Bylaw.
Addressing construction waste is identified as a priority in the CRD’s Solid Waste Management Plan. The City of Victoria is working closely with the CRD on an approach that supports the region.
