How long will it take? We track what every Vancouver Island building department publishes about permit processing times, including Nanaimo’s live application queue: BC building permit wait times by city.
The City of Duncan is small, and many “Duncan” addresses are not in it. Here is how to check, what needs a permit, and what the City’s published fees actually add up to.
The City of Duncan is a small municipality in the middle of the Cowichan Valley, and plenty of addresses with “Duncan” in them are not inside it. Many are in the Municipality of North Cowichan or an electoral area of the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD), and each has its own permit office, fees and rules. So the first step is always to confirm the jurisdiction. After that, the City publishes a clear fee sheet and a “Do I need a building permit?” handout, and this guide works from both. Sources are at the bottom; check them before you apply.
Use the City’s “Do I Live in the City of Duncan?” page, check your property tax notice, or type the address into our Permit Finder. If you’re outside city limits, our Cowichan Valley (CVRD) guide is the one you want. North Cowichan runs its own building department.
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 for the permit: look up your address on the map, then read your zone in the bylaw.
Checked October 26, 2026 (City of Duncan): zoning and addressing map (PDF) · Zoning Bylaw No. 3166 (consolidated, PDF)
The City’s handout says a building permit is required before you:
Cabinet replacement, painting (except in the Downtown Development Permit Area, where painting needs a permit), re-roofing without structural work, same-size replacement windows in single-family homes, flooring, landscaping, minor siding repairs, lower fences and retaining walls, and accessory buildings of 8 m² or less within setbacks.
The handout also warns that starting construction without a required permit results in a double permit fee. If you’re unsure, call the Building Department at 250-746-6126.
Swapping an old wood stove? Duncan is inside the CVRD, so you may get up to $2,150 back for a heat pump, $1,550 for a pellet stove or $650 for a newer certified wood stove. Deadline: November 30, 2026. Get a CVRD tracking number before you buy. Check if you qualify · CVRD program page. Last checked: Oct 27, 2026.
Duncan’s Official Community Plan has three Development Permit Areas, including one for environmentally sensitive and hazardous areas such as floodplains. The whole city is also a Development Approval Information Area, which lets the City ask for extra information. If your project is in a DPA, the development permit has to be approved before the building permit can be issued. Ask early. Work on streets, boulevards or sidewalks, including a dumpster or scaffolding on City property, needs a separate Work on City Property Permit.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plan review, value up to $25,000 | $50 per submission |
| Plan review, over $25,000 to $50,000 | $100 |
| Plan review, over $50,000 to $100,000 | $200 |
| Plan review, over $100,000 | $200 plus $1.25 per $1,000 of construction value |
| Building permit, minimum | $50 |
| Building permit, value up to $100,000 | $8 per $1,000 |
| Building permit, value over $100,000 | $800 plus $5 per $1,000 over $100,000 |
| Construction without a permit | Double the building permit fee |
| Plumbing | $12 per fixture, $24 minimum |
| Demolition | $100 |
| Damage deposit, where applicable | $1,150, including a $150 non-refundable damage inspection fee |
Worked example, $50,000 renovation: plan review $100 plus building permit $400 (50 × $8) = about $500 in City building fees, plus plumbing fixture fees and any damage deposit. The fee sheet notes that the City keeps the fees if the project doesn’t go ahead. The permit fee is reduced by 90% of the plan review fee only for projects supervised by a registered engineer or architect. The Building Department can also ask for a professional appraisal of the construction value.
For a new building, the City’s application requirements checklist includes:
Smaller renovations need less. Call the Building Department and ask which items apply before you pay for drawings.
The Zoning Bylaw (No. 3166) directly permits in-house suites and detached suites. The City’s suite page says detached suites need a parcel that meets the minimum lot size, but we found no detached-suite lot-size rule in the bylaw consolidated to August 24, 2026, so confirm with Development Services. Freestanding residential buildings, including garden and carriage suites, need Homeowner Protection Office approval or an exemption through BC Housing. The City also has a policy on exemptions from extra utility charges for suites. For suite questions, contact the Manager of Planning (250-746-6126). Full walkthrough (jurisdiction, zoning and parking under Bylaw 3166, the flood construction level, fees, BC Building Code suite rules and inspections, with two videos): our Duncan secondary suite permit guide.
Removing a tree for your project? Our BC tree-cutting permit checker shows which trees Duncan's Tree Protection Bylaw protects, with fees and official links.
| Purpose | Contact |
|---|---|
| Building permits, inspections and development permits | City of Duncan Development Services · 250-746-6126 · developmentservices@duncan.ca |
| City Hall | 200 Craig Street, Duncan, BC V9L 1W3 |
| Gas and electrical permits | Technical Safety BC · 1-866-566-7233 (as listed by the City) |
| Home warranty / HPO | BC Housing (Homeowner Protection Office) · 604-646-7050 (as listed by the City) |
$8 per $1,000 of construction value up to $100,000 (minimum $50), then $800 plus $5 per $1,000 above that, plus a plan review fee of $50 to $200 or more. A $50,000 renovation comes to about $500.
The City’s handout lists building, covering or enclosing porches and exterior decks as needing a permit, with no height exemption stated. Confirm with the Building Department. Full walkthrough: Duncan deck permit and build guide.
Not for an accessory building of 8 m² or less within the required setbacks. Larger ones need a permit.
North Cowichan’s. Your permit comes from the government you pay property tax to.
How long will it take? We track what every Vancouver Island building department publishes about permit processing times, including Nanaimo’s live application queue: BC building permit wait times by city.
This guide relies on the official pages below. Rules, fees and processes change, so check the authority before you apply or spend money.
Links checked September 25, 2026. Found an error or a broken link? Report it.