Langford publishes its fee scale, an online calculator and a clear inspection list. The traps are the 2026 survey-before-framing rule and the Zero Carbon Step Code dates.
Who this is for. Projects inside the City of Langford only. Colwood, View Royal, Metchosin and the Highlands are separate municipalities with their own building departments, and a “West Shore” mailing address doesn’t tell you which one you’re in. Check with the Permit Finder, and use the permit quiz if you’re not sure the work needs a permit.
Langford takes applications through an online portal or at City Hall, publishes an online fee calculator, and aims to do inspections the next day when you ask before noon. Three 2026 rules matter: a BC Land Survey must be approved before a framing inspection can be booked, new Part 9 buildings must meet Zero Carbon Step Code EL-2 from July 1, 2026, and EL-4 applies to new Part 9 and Part 3 buildings from December 1, 2026 (City of Langford: building permits).
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 Langford): parcel information map · Zoning Bylaw No. 300 (PDF)
According to the City, building permits are needed for work that includes:
Check your project against the zoning before you apply. Langford’s Building Bylaw 1160 also covers fences around pools, hot tubs and spas 0.6 m or deeper; see the pool row in our fence checklist. Electrical and gas permits come from Technical Safety BC.
These figures are from Appendix A of Building Bylaw No. 1160, consolidated to June 1, 2026 (Bylaw 1160, PDF). The construction value is the greater of the contract price (including taxes and an allowance for extras) or the Chief Building Inspector’s estimate using Marshall & Swift valuation.
| Construction value | Building-permit fee |
|---|---|
| $1,000 or less | $63.41 |
| Next $99,000 (to $100,000) | $63.41 + $12.66 per $1,000 or part |
| Next $900,000 (to $1,000,000) | + $10.18 per $1,000 or part |
| Next $14,000,000 | + $5.12 per $1,000 or part |
| Over $15,000,000 | + $2.58 per $1,000 or part |
| Other Appendix A items | Fee |
|---|---|
| Application fee, value $200,000 or less | $123.22 (non-refundable, counted toward the permit fee) |
| Application fee, value over $200,000 | $1,196.97 |
| Re-inspection after faulty work, or work not ready | $63.41 per visit, paid before the re-inspection |
| Permit extension | $63.41 |
| Revision (value $500,000 or less / over) | $63.41 / $126.81 |
| Demolition | $63.41 plus deposits and fees as required |
| Moving a building onto a site | Based on value; minimum $126.81 |
| Plumbing fixture | $19.15 each (minimum plumbing permit $19.15); alteration without a fixture $31.70 |
| House storm drain / sanitary sewer connection | $31.70 each |
| Hot water tank | $19.15 |
| Fireplace including chimney | $50.85 |
| Work started without a permit | Double the fee |
If a registered engineer or architect certifies the application and the City relies on it, the permit fee drops by 5%. If you cancel before work starts, the City refunds 50% of the fee, but not less than the application fee.
Worked examples (Appendix A only). A $25,000 deck or alteration: $63.41 + (24 × $12.66) = $367.25. A $60,000 renovation: $63.41 + (59 × $12.66) = $810.35. A $200,000 house: $63.41 + (99 × $12.66) + (100 × $10.18) = $2,334.75. The application fee is paid at intake and counted toward those totals. Langford’s online building permit fee calculator gives the same kind of estimate; if it disagrees with the bylaw, the bylaw governs.
Development cost charges, amenity contributions and planning fees are billed separately; the City’s combined fees sheet lists them (Langford fees, PDF). They aren’t building-permit fees, so ask what else applies before you call a number final.
The City’s checklist for one- and two-family permits, renovations and additions asks for:
Decks need the same drawings on a smaller scale, plus a strata council letter if the property is in a strata (deck checklist). The expedited checklist for complete one- and two-family applications adds sewer authorization from West Shore Environmental and floor-area calculations for each level, the garage, decks and any suite (expedited permit checklist).
Request inspections at 250-474-6692 or building@langford.ca at least 24 hours ahead; requests received before noon are aimed at next-day service. The City’s Required Inspections sheet lists these stages, each before the work is covered:
| Stage | When |
|---|---|
| Forms | Footing and foundation forms complete, before concrete |
| Drainage | Drain pipe, drain rock and damp-proofing in, before backfill |
| Sewer, storm and water services | Installed and bedded, tested before backfill |
| Radon system | Under-slab piping and granular layer; above-ground vent piping to termination |
| Underground plumbing | Rough-in under a 10 ft water head test |
| Slab insulation | Before the slab is poured |
| Rough-in plumbing | DWV filled to the roof line; water piping tested at 150 psi |
| Framing | After framing, plumbing, wiring and ventilation, any engineer’s review, and the BC Land Survey. It won’t be booked without the survey. |
| Insulation, vapour and air barrier | Before interior finishes; exterior papered. Needs the Step Code mid-construction checklist. |
| Fire separation | Drywall up for fire separations (including suites), before taping |
| Rainscreen / stucco | Before cladding; stucco needs two inspections (paper and lath, then scratch coat) |
| Final | Building fully complete; approval needed before occupancy |
Re-inspections after faulty work cost $63.41 and must be paid before the visit. Our deck, shed and fence checklists list what inspectors look for on smaller jobs.
Energy Step Code. Part 9 buildings must meet Step 3 and Part 3 buildings Step 2, with a Certified Energy Advisor modelling before permit and verifying mid-construction and before occupancy. Zero Carbon Step Code: EL-2 for new Part 9 buildings from July 1, 2026, and EL-4 for new Part 9 and Part 3 buildings from December 1, 2026. Projects are exempt from EL-4 as “in-stream” if a development permit was issued before June 1, 2026 and is still valid (or a DP application goes in before December 1, 2026) and the building permit application is in by May 31, 2027.
Removing a tree for your project? Our BC tree-cutting permit checker shows when Langford's Tree Protection Bylaw needs a permit, with replacement rules and official links.
| Purpose | Contact |
|---|---|
| Building Department and inspections | 250-474-6692 · building@langford.ca |
| Office | 2nd Floor, 877 Goldstream Ave, Langford, BC V9B 2X8 (Mon–Fri 8:30 am–4:30 pm) |
| City Hall main line | 250-478-7882 |
| Sewer authorization | West Shore Environmental, 250-478-2187 |
| Fee calculator | feecalculators.langford.ca |
| Electrical and gas | Technical Safety BC |
Pricing materials for a deck, shed or fence first? Use the deck, shed and fence materials calculator.
Under Appendix A of Building Bylaw 1160, a $25,000 job is $367.25, a $60,000 job $810.35 and a $200,000 house $2,334.75, before DCCs and other charges. The application fee ($123.22, or $1,196.97 over $200,000) is paid at intake and counted toward the total.
Since January 1, 2026, Langford won’t book a framing inspection until the BC Land Survey has been received and approved.
Yes for new Part 9 homes: Step 3 modelling at application, plus mid-construction and pre-occupancy verification.
December 1, 2026 for new Part 9 and Part 3 buildings, subject to the City’s in-stream exemption. EL-2 for new Part 9 buildings started July 1, 2026.
Langford doesn’t publish an overall processing time. It aims for next-day inspections when you ask before noon.
Independent information only. This guide is a planning aid, not legal, engineering or building-code advice. Codes and bylaws change, and the building official for your address has the final say. Confirm every requirement before you design, apply or dig.
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 28, 2026. Found an error or a broken link? Report it.