The City of Chilliwack prices a house permit on a sliding per-$1,000 scale, charges a separate application fee, and bills plan changes by the hour. Here is how the numbers work and what to check first.
Building permits inside Chilliwack city limits are issued by the City’s building department, which sits in Development and Regulatory Enforcement Services. If your address is in a rural area outside the City, the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) is the permit authority instead; see our Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley page. The figures below come from the City’s Building Regulation Bylaw 2003, No. 2970 and its fee schedules. The consolidated copies the City links were last consolidated on March 16, 2021, so confirm current amounts with the building department before you budget.
Bylaw 2970 requires a permit to construct, alter, repair, move or demolish a building, and to install plumbing. Section 15 exempts a short list of work, provided the siting meets the zoning bylaw:
The fee schedule still lists a $50 siting fee for an ancillary building of 10 m² or less, or a pool, so an exempt shed can still need a siting check. Ask the counter before you pour anything.
Is my project allowed? Zoning decides setbacks, height, lot coverage and whether a suite is allowed on your lot. Check it before you draw or apply: look up your address on the City map, then read your zone in Zoning Bylaw 5000.
Checked November 1, 2026 (City of Chilliwack): online mapping · Zoning Bylaw 5000
For single-family, two-family, residential ancillary and agricultural buildings, the permit fee is based on the construction value:
| Construction value | Permit fee |
|---|---|
| Up to $1,000 | $40 |
| $1,000 to $100,000 | $100 for the first $1,000, plus $6.50 per additional $1,000 or part |
| $100,000 to $250,000 | $6.20 per $1,000 for the portion in this band |
| Over $250,000 | $5.80 per $1,000 for the portion over $250,000 |
Other buildings use a flat percentage of value: townhouses 0.95%, multi-family apartments and commercial 1.1%, temporary buildings 0.6%.
Worked example (using the fees in the March 16, 2021 consolidation of Bylaw 2970, Schedule B): a $150,000 house project. First $1,000 is $100. The next $99,000 is 99 × $6.50 = $643.50. The $50,000 above $100,000 is 50 × $6.20 = $310. Permit fee: $1,053.50. The schedule also lists a $300 permit application fee as a separate line, so budget for both, and ask whether the application fee is credited. Our reading of the banded wording is the most common one; staff calculate the final number.
Check current fees with the City of Chilliwack. The figures on this page ($1,053.50 permit fee on a $150,000 job, the $300 application fee and $75/hr revision reviews) come from the March 16, 2021 consolidation of Bylaw 2970, which is still the copy the City posts (City of Chilliwack regulatory bylaws). We could not confirm they are current; call the building department before you budget.
How value is set: Schedule C gives the values the City uses, per square metre: house with basement $1,640, first storey with no basement $1,170, each additional storey $940, attached garage $820, carport $360, ancillary building over 10 m² $360. Try your own numbers in the BC permit fee estimator.
The City publishes checklists for single- and two-family dwellings and pre-design and post-design checklists. Its General Notes add requirements that catch people mid-build:
Apply through the City’s online portal; the building page says hard copies are still accepted. The page also shows the submission date of the applications currently under review, which gives you a rough sense of the queue. Not sure how to package drawings? See how to submit permit drawings in BC.
A note on drafters: the City sets review fees, not drafting fees. Whoever prepares your plans bills for drawing and redrawing at their own rate, and there is no official published rate, so get a written quote that covers revisions.
Book inspections online through eInspections or by phone, before 3:30 pm and at least one business day ahead.
City of Chilliwack building department, 8550 Young Road, Chilliwack BC V2P 8A4 · 604-793-2905 · building.department@chilliwack.com. Electrical and gas permits come from Technical Safety BC, not the City.
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.