A renovation building permit

Do you need a commercial building permit for..?

The short answer is probably yes.

The City building department can advise you when your proposed renovation work doesn't require a building permit. With constantly evolving local city bylaws, most existing commercial buildings do not fully comply with the current bylaws. If you simply make changes to the existing building (by assuming that a building permit isn't necessary), you could expose yourself (and your landlord) to a huge liability risk. Many of the commercial buildings in the Greater Vancouver area have had some illegal renovation work performed (by previous tenants).

Important information about renovation permits

The City doesn't HAVE TO ALLOW you to renovate a space for a new business, unless you comply with ALL the building, fire and plumbing code requirements in effect on the date you apply for a building permit. In addition, the City can refuse to give you a business license to operate, until you get final approval from the Fire Department, Health Department, etc.

Why would you lease a space, without knowing you can operate the business you're planning, in that space? Many commercial renovations take far too long and go way over budget, when business owners try to avoid, or simply don't understand, the rules. If you have already signed an offer to lease and expect to start renovating the space in less than 2 months, please DON'T CALL US! We have seen what happens when projects start in a panic. They fail to be cost-effective and everyone is angry about it.

Remember all the time it took to negotiate that lease? That's the time you already wasted by not starting to find out what was going to be required to open in that location.

Local authorities (by-law enforcement inspectors) are becoming far more rigid in their enforcement of the rules for operating a business in their jurisdiction. Just because it's there already, doesn't mean you'll be allowed to leave it there! The bathroom that may have been legal or code compliant for the previous tenant's use, doesn't automatically make it legal for your business. Every change in occupancy or new tenant use may require upgrading the space, for you to legally obtain a business license. If the previous tenant performed renovation work without a building permit, you may be required to remove or upgrade all of the components, before you can open for business.

Beyond fulfilling a legal requirement, it simply makes good economic sense. Trying to save a few dollars by renovating without a permit, could cost you a small fortune (before you can open for business). Unless you already know what the current bylaw, zoning, health/safety regulations and building code requirements are for your particular building, ANY renovation work performed may be illegal! Since only the property (building) owner (or an authorized agent for the property owner) can legally apply for a commercial building permit, your landlord must approve any renovation work that you intend to perform. If your landlord approves your renovation proposal, they will need to sign an Appointment of Agent letter (to be presented with your permit application), before the City building Department will even accept your permit application, and start the approval process. Renovating without your landlord's knowledge and pre-approval, could be a serious and costly mistake.

Commercial Building Permit Issues and Building Code (local bylaw) requirements

This seems to be the biggest challenge for commercial interior designers and commercial tenants, alike! We occasionally get requests to assist an interior designer to apply for a commercial building permit. Although the application process is actually straight forward, the technical construction and local by-law knowledge required, is beyond many interior designers.

Every (Greater Vancouver) city building department has a well defined commercial application process. You can usually find this information on their web-site. Generally, they will require (at least) (3) complete sets of drawings. The drawings will need to be of (minimum) draftsman quality to be accepted.

Pretty pictures and beautiful perspective drawings rarely help the application, if the architectural construction details (that indicate BC building code and bylaw compliance) are not already included. Depending on the proposed use of the tenant space (i.e. restaurants, hairdressing salons, medical offices, etc.), you may also be required to submit Engineer sealed drawings for mechanical and electrical components.

Any structural alterations may also require the submission of sealed structural engineer drawings. You will also need to include a plot or key plan of the property, indicating which building and section of that building you propose to renovate. Parking lot allocation, street access, etc., etc. also need to be shown.

City of Vancouver commercial renovation building permit applications

The City of Vancouver, like every other jurisdiction has a well defined permit application process. In simple terms, your tenant improvements building permit application will be processed under either the T.I.P s* (Tenant Improvements Permits) program, or the Certified Professional Project (CP). Since the process and total project cost will be dramatically different, you should understand the consequences of each.

In brief, the City of Vancouver describes a T.I.P.S renovation project as:

* This is by far the simplest and most cost effective process. However, if the proposed building use is one listed above, you must follow the Certified Professional process.

So what is required under the Certified Professional permitting process?

As the name implies, a Certified Professional will be responsible for every aspect of your project! This means that you will need to provide drawings and responsibility declarations (plans) that have been sealed (a professional engineering stamp) for Architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, etc. BEFORE a permit application for your renovation project, will even be accepted for processing.

A building permit is really about maintaining control of the renovation project.

The City needs to control the tenant use of every commercial building. They do this by making every commercial building owner responsible for the changes that are made to existing commercially occupied buildings. You need to maintain control of your renovation costs and renovation result. If you simply allow a renovation contractor to get a renovation building permit on your behalf, you give up control. We assist our clients to keep their project and their costs under control.

Related commercial building design and renovation planning information

• Important Retail Store Planning Steps
• Your Legal Responsibilities
• Design a Retail Store
• Commercial Lease Space for retail stores
• Retail store Tenant Improvements
• Common Renovation Myths

---

We provide commercial renovation project planning and design services to lease space clients in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Delta, Richmond, Surrey, White Rock, Langley, Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, BC.

---

Find more information about commercial renovation building permits, by pressing any of the search engine names listed below.

Find Multiple Search Engines including: Google . Ask.com . Yahoo.com . Yahoo.ca . Msn.com . Msn.ca . Alta Vista

with a Gigablast search for Commercial Renovation permits in Vancouver ...