Building Department

The Building Department administers the City's Building, Zoning, Safe Premises and Sign Bylaws and oversees building permits and inspections.

The department ensures that the construction of buildings and structures meets the standards of the Building Bylaw, BC Building Code and applicable federal regulations.

The department deals primarily with the regulation and inspection of new construction, renovations, alterations, additions, and changes in occupancy of existing buildings. Residents looking to connect to sewer and upgrade or repair water lines should also contact the Building Department for assistance.

Inspection Bookings - Updated January 14, 2021

In an effort to continue to improve our customer service levels, we are updating our Inspection Booking procedure.

Effective on February 1, 2021, our inspection booking deadline will be 3:00 p.m. the day prior.

For example: to book an inspection for a Tuesday, the request needs to be received by 3:00 p.m. on the Monday prior, for a Monday inspection the request is needed before 3:00 p.m. on the Friday prior.

Please continue to book your inspection by phone or email including site address, permit number, contact name and phone number and the specific inspection. Inspections are booked in the order that they are received and assigned to an area inspector for the requested day. Special requests will be noted, but can not be guaranteed. If you are not ready for your inspection or need to cancel for any reason, please contact us to cancel your request as early as possible. Please be sure to submit any required documentation to our office prior to requesting your inspection.

COVID-19 Procedures - Updated Nov. 2, 2020

City Hall has re-opened to the public in limited capacity and is encouraging people to conduct business online and by phone as much as possible. The City of West Kelowna requires non-medical masks covering the nose and mouth to be worn at City-operated facilities to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 across our community and with our loved ones. Visit westkelownacity.ca/COVID-19 to see the latest updates to COVID-19 safety protocols.

New Applications

Applications for Building Permits are being accepted at City Hall during regular business hours Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

If you are unable to attend City Hall in person, please contact the Building Department to make alternate arrangements.

Please ensure all forms are filled out prior to attending City Hall in person. Form(s) can be printed from the Applications and Forms tab found under the Building Permits page.

All application submissions will be screened for completeness prior to being submitted for a full plan check for compliance with City of West Kelowna Bylaws and the BC Building Code.

If you are unsure of what documents you will need to provide for your project, please contact the Building Department for direction or visit the Permit and Application Information tab found under the Building Permits page.

Permit Issuance

Once your permit has been plan checked and is ready for issuance you will be contacted by staff to advise that the permit is ready for pickup and associated costs.

If you are unable to attend City Hall in person to pick up the permit, please contact the Building Department to make alternate arrangements.

Payment Options

There are three payment options available:

Cheque
Debit
Cash

** Please note that we do not accept credit cards.

Inspections

We will continue to provide building inspection services to the maximum extent possible. We kindly ask the following:

Depending on the type of inspection, the site representative may be contacted to review the request and complete the screening questionnaire.
Only one representative on site during an inspection, a vacant site would be preferred.
Owners and trades adhere to social distancing regulations and take all precautions.
If anyone on the property has been exposed, is under quarantine, or exhibiting symptoms, please do not request a building inspection. If an inspector does not feel that the necessary precautions are being met, the inspection will be cancelled.
To reduce surface contact we ask that any documents that would typically be available on site such as floor layouts, roof layouts or professional reports be submitted electronically a day in advance of any inspection requests. Please make sure the building site address as well as the permit number is clearly indicated.

With efforts to protect both residents and staff, we ask that clients with occupied buildings consider postponing their inspections until regular business can resume. We recognize this may be challenging, and may not work to meet your needs in all situations. As such, we will be working with clients on a case by case basis where deemed necessary and ask that you call our office to discuss your project needs.

In order to bring our type of inspections inline with the mandatory inspections outlined in our Building Bylaw we will no longer be performing the following inspections:

Underslab Radon Piping Air/Vapour Barrier
Custom shower installations & testing

Although the City will not be conducting these inspections, it is still a requirement that the builder do all construction and design pursuant to the BC Building Code.

Administration and technical staff are available for questions and assistance via phone and email.

Meetings will be held by phone or conference call and will be booked in advance.

Contact: Building Department Phone: 778-797-8820 or email building@westkelownacity.ca

Property Information Requests

Property Owner's and Contractor's

You can submit your request to us in writing to building@westkelownacity.ca or visit City Hall to request City documents and plans from the Building Department regarding a specific property. If you are a contractor, please have the property owner provide us with written authorization so we can release information to you directly. We will send you the requested information via email or you may come and pick it up at City Hall.

Real Estate Agents

Please submit to us your signed listing contract or accepted offer to purchase to building@westkelownacity.ca or visit City Hall to request City documents and plans from the Building Department regarding a specific property. We can send you the requested information via email or you may come and pick them up at City Hall.

Education Opportunities

We are pleased to share educational opportunities with our Building Community.

The Canadian Home Builders Association - Central Okanagan is offering BuildCO 2021 - on online event which will include building, renovation and business development experts. This event runs on Friday, January 29, and is completely online. Get all of the education you need without needing to leave your home.

Find further information and registration information here:

https://www.chbaco.com/chba_events/buildco-industry-education-day/

As a bonus, all participants in BuildCO will receive complimentary access to the streaming of the Okanagan Housing Awards of Excellence.

Cold Weather Construction Requirements

That time of year is approaching again. Time to be prepared on your job site for cold weather!

Please ensure that any snow and ice is removed from Inspection areas prior to your Inspector's arrival.

See our Bulletin for construction requirements through the cold weather and winter months.

BC Codes Free Online Access

The Province of BC is now offering the BC Building, Plumbing and Fire Codes online at no charge. To access visit the Province of BC Codes website at bccodes.ca.

Customer Service

Inspectors are available for general inquiries from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on simple buildings and structures (ie: single family dwellings, accessory buildings, sign permits). Inquiries involving more complex projects (ie: commercial, industrial, institutional, multi-family) require an appointment with an Inspector. Please call 778-797-8820 to arrange an appointment. Alternatively, we encourage you to email your inquiry to us. All inquiries are directed to the appropriate team member for review and response. Please do not send inquiries through multiple channels. All process, property inquiry and administrative type questions will be addressed by our Building Administrative Team at the front counter throughout the business day. Email correspondence is encouraged for these queries.

When making an inquiry, we need the following information:

Site location
Type of project proposal
Your detailed question(s)
Contact name, phone number, email

Contact Us

FRONT COUNTER SUBMISSIONS

Documents for active Building Permit Applications on simple buildings and structures will be accepted by our Building Administrative Team during regular office hours. No appointment is necessary. Please ensure your documents are labelled with the project address and building permit number.
Document submission for complex applications will require an appointment, where the necessity of meeting with the Building Permit Review Committee will be assessed.
Complex applications will require approval prior to acceptance.