How long will it take? We track what every Vancouver Island building department publishes about permit processing times, including Nanaimo’s live application queue: Vancouver Island building permit wait times.
The City of Duncan covers less than two square kilometres. Most "Duncan" addresses aren't in it — and applying to the wrong office costs you weeks.
Here's the local knowledge that saves the most time: a Duncan mailing address frequently means North Cowichan, the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD), or another electoral area — each with its own permit office, fees, and rules. One phone call to confirm jurisdiction is the cheapest insurance in this entire process — or type your address into our Permit Finder. If you're outside city limits, our CVRD guide is the one you want.
Structural changes, plumbing and electrical work, secondary suites, decks higher than 600 mm above grade, demolition, and occupancy changes. You generally don't need one for painting, replacing fixtures without piping changes, fences, or low decks under 600 mm.
| Item | Reality |
|---|---|
| Permit fee | ≈1.4% of construction value (not published online — call) |
| $50,000 renovation example | $700–$900 in permit fees plus application fee |
| Simple renovation | 3–6 weeks from complete application |
| Suite / larger renovation | 6–12 weeks |
| New build / addition | 10–18 weeks |
Free initial staff consultation → meeting with the Building Inspector → site review → plan review against the 2024 BC Building Code → issuance → scheduled inspections. Duncan follows the same 2024 code as every BC jurisdiction; what varies locally is workload and how complete your drawings are.
| Purpose | Contact |
|---|---|
| Office | City of Duncan Building Department, 200 Craig St, Duncan, BC V9L 1W3 |
| Phone | 250-746-6126 |
| developmentservices@duncan.ca |
How long will it take? We track what every Vancouver Island building department publishes about permit processing times, including Nanaimo’s live application queue: Vancouver Island building permit wait times.
Before you apply, take the free one. The 10 Most Expensive Permit Mistakes in BC is our free guide to the errors that cost homeowners the most money and the most time. No charge, and you can read it today.
Working out what the job will really cost? The Renovation Budget and Permit Estimator ($9.99) puts permit fees and the rest of the build on one sheet so nothing gets forgotten.