Kamloops building permits: ePermit, exemptions and inspections

By Mark Dupuis · Last reviewed: October 26, 2026

Kamloops handles building permits through its online ePermit system, with separate streams for homeowners, residential contractors and commercial contractors. The rules sit in two bylaws: the Building Regulation Bylaw No. 11-84 (when you need a permit and what is exempt) and the Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 44-14, Schedule C (what it costs). This guide pulls together what the City publishes about the process, documents, inspections and common snags. Sources are listed at the bottom; check them before you apply.

On this page

1. Is it the City of Kamloops?
2. Watch out for: before you apply (confirm with the city)
3. Do I need a permit?
4. Step by step with ePermit
5. Documents and approvals to expect
6. What a Kamloops permit costs
7. Inspections
8. Woodstoves and chimneys
9. Who can do plumbing work?
10. Common mistakes
11. Who to contact
12. Kamloops building permit FAQ

Is it the City of Kamloops?

Rural addresses outside city limits usually fall under the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD), which has its own building rules. Check your property tax notice before you start drawings.

Do I need a permit?

The City points to Part 13 of Building Regulation Bylaw No. 11-84 for when a permit is required and Part 6 for exemptions. Specific answers from the City’s building permit FAQ:

• Garden sheds: accessory buildings in residential zones up to 10 m² (108 sq ft) don’t need a building permit, but they must still be sited according to the Zoning Bylaw.
• Other accessory buildings: no permit is issued unless the principal building exists or is being built at the same time.
• Hot tubs: 7.5 m² or less with a lockable lid, no building permit. Larger tubs that can be filled deeper than 600 mm count as pools and need one.
• Retaining walls over 1.2 m: must be designed and field-reviewed by a registered professional, with sealed drawings and letters of assurance (Schedules B and C-B).
• Commercial alterations: yes, a permit is required.
• Demolition: a separate demolition permit, unless an active building permit for the rebuild already covers it.
• Plumbing: permits are required to install, alter or repair a plumbing system.

Step by step with ePermit

1. Pick the right stream on kamloops.ca: homeowner, residential contractor or commercial contractor. Each has its own application types (building, accessory, plumbing, retaining wall, single-family, solar, swimming pool and more).
2. Check the title. In some parts of the city, covenants require a geotechnical engineer. Kamloops notes that its most common hazards are subsidence on silt bluffs and landslip on steep sites. Where a report is required, it gets registered on title.
3. Get outside approvals first where they apply. Public Health (Interior Health) has to approve drawings for things like public pools and hot tubs, food premises, larger daycares, group homes and care facilities before the building permit.
4. Upload a complete package using the City’s building guides and bulletins. There is no counter clerk to catch a missing sheet, so an incomplete upload simply waits.
5. Pay the application fee (set by application type), then the permit fee (set by construction value) before issuance.
6. Pay development cost charges in full before the permit is issued, where they apply (DCC Bylaw No. 48-100).
7. Build and inspect. Keep the approved plans on site and book each inspection.

Documents and approvals to expect

• Scaled drawings for the application type (use the City’s guides and bulletins as a checklist)
• Certificate of Title and any covenants, especially geotechnical ones
• A geotechnical report where a covenant requires it or where the site may be subject to flooding, erosion, landslip or subsidence
• Sealed designs and letters of assurance for engineered items (e.g. retaining walls over 1.2 m)
• For demolition: the application, a site plan, a Hazardous Assessment Clearance Letter, evidence that utility services are disconnected, and a security deposit for site restoration
• Public Health approval for the regulated uses listed above
• An architect, where the Architects Regulation requires one based on occupancy, use and building size

What a Kamloops permit costs

The City lists two costs: an application fee based on the type of application, and the building permit fee based on the value of construction. Both are in Schedule C of Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 44-14 (the City’s consolidation of the 2025 bylaw, effective July 29, 2025). Development cost charges are extra for projects that trigger them.

Schedule C item	Fee
Non-refundable application fee: new single- or two-family dwelling, alteration/addition, accessory building over 10 m², demolition, retaining wall, pool and most other listed types	$175.00
Building permit fee: construction value up to $10,000	$20.00 per $1,000 or part thereof
Building permit fee: construction value over $10,000	$200.00 plus $7.00 per $1,000 or part thereof above $10,000
Alternate solution review	$250.00 each
Special inspection (normal hours)	$125.00
Plumbing permit: minimum / first fixture, then each additional fixture	$50.00, then $8.00 each

Worked example (our arithmetic, not a City quote): a $50,000 addition works out to $175 application fee + $200 for the first $10,000 + 40 × $7 = $280, for a total of $655 before plumbing permits, DCCs or other charges. The City confirms the actual fee when it reviews your ePermit application. Fees can change when the bylaw is amended, so check the current consolidation.

A re-inspection fee applies if work isn’t ready for inspection more than once or the approved plans aren’t on site, and it has to be paid before the inspection happens.

Inspections

• Request inspections 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on the inspection line: 250-828-3300. Have the address, permit number and inspection type ready.
• The approved plans, which may have been amended during review, must be on site. The Building Official will not inspect without them.

Woodstoves and chimneys

Kamloops only accepts certified solid-fuel appliances. Clearances follow the CAN/CSA-B365 installation code and the appliance label; the floor pad must extend 18 inches on the loading side and 8 inches on the other sides. Existing chimneys often don’t meet current standards, so have a qualified installer review yours before you connect a new appliance.

Who can do plumbing work?

According to the City, plumbing work must be done by a BC certified plumber, an indentured apprentice supervised by one, or the registered owner who lives (or will live) in a single-family dwelling. The owner exception does not cover secondary suites, garden suites, commercial or multi-family buildings.

Common mistakes

• Missing a geotechnical covenant on title.
• Uploading an incomplete ePermit package.
• Leaving approved plans off site at inspection time, which triggers a re-inspection fee.
• Demolishing without a clearance letter and service disconnections.
• Assuming a big hot tub is “just a hot tub” when it counts as a pool.

Removing a tree for your project? Our BC tree-cutting permit checker shows when Kamloops' tree bylaw needs a permit, with fees and official links.

Who to contact

Purpose	Contact
Building Section	105 Seymour Street, Kamloops · 250-828-3554 · building@kamloops.ca
Inspection request line (24/7)	250-828-3300
Building floor plans and information requests	250-828-3559 · birbuilding@kamloops.ca
Jurisdiction check	Rural addresses: Thompson-Nicola Regional District

Building Information Requests (a list of outstanding permits on a property) are applied for online. The City aims to reply by email within five to seven business days and cannot rush them. Since December 10, 2025, online requests carry a 2.75% credit card convenience fee; applying in person at 105 Seymour Street and paying by cash, cheque or debit avoids it.

Kamloops building permit FAQ

How much is a building permit in Kamloops?

Under Schedule C of Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 44-14, most applications carry a $175 non-refundable application fee. The permit fee is $20 per $1,000 of construction value up to $10,000, then $200 plus $7 per $1,000 above that. A $50,000 job works out to about $655 in total. DCCs and plumbing permits are extra where they apply.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Not for an accessory building of 10 m² or less in a residential zone, but it must still meet zoning setbacks.

How long is a permit valid?

The City points to Part 13.56 of Building Regulation Bylaw No. 11-84.

Can I do my own plumbing?

Only as the registered owner-occupant of a single-family dwelling, and not for suites, commercial or multi-family work. You still need a plumbing permit.