Kelowna and Kamloops run their own building departments. Rural addresses in the Central Okanagan and Thompson-Nicola go to their regional districts, which publish different rules and timelines.
In BC, building permits are issued by local governments, not the Province. The province has 161 municipalities and 27 regional districts. A municipality runs its own building department. Outside municipal boundaries, in rural electoral areas, the regional district is usually the permit authority, if it offers building inspection there at all. So the first question is always: which local government is your address in? Check your property tax notice, or type the address into our Permit Finder. Electrical and gas permits are separate and come from Technical Safety BC.
| Permit authority | Covers | Official page and notes |
|---|---|---|
| City of Kelowna, City of West Kelowna, District of Lake Country, District of Peachland | Land inside each municipality | Each runs its own building and inspection services (per the RDCO). Kelowna and Kamloops guides below. |
| Okanagan Indian Band and Westbank First Nation | Their own lands | The RDCO says these First Nations oversee building and inspection on their lands. |
| Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) | Electoral Area East and Electoral Area West | RDCO: building permits and inspections. Building Bylaw No. 1482; apply online or in person. |
| Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) | All TNRD electoral areas | TNRD: building permits. building@tnrd.ca, 250-377-8673. |
| City of Kamloops and other municipalities | Land inside each municipality | See the Kamloops guide below. |
Online portal steps, document lists and inspection booking.
ePermit steps, exemptions, geotechnical covenants and the inspection line.
Apprenticeship, Red Seal and trade certification are run province-wide, so the same rules apply here as anywhere in BC. To find foundation programs and intakes at colleges near you, start with the BC trades seat finder. Then see how to register an apprenticeship, the Red Seal guide, BC trade salaries and apprentice funding.
Jobs that need a licence or certificate instead of an apprenticeship follow the same rules everywhere in BC. See the licensed and certified jobs index.
This page relies on the official pages below. Rules, fees and processes change, so check the authority before you apply or spend money.
Links checked November 1, 2026. Found an error or a broken link? Report it.