The City of Langley prices permits on a construction-value ladder, takes a $200 application fee up front for house projects and credits it at issuance, and still takes building permit applications on paper. Here is what it costs, what to submit, what zoning allows and who to call.
Who this is for. Homeowners and small builders working inside the City of Langley. Not sure the job needs a permit? Start with the permit quiz, or confirm the right office for an address with the Permit Finder.
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 Langley): zoning map (PDF) · Zoning Bylaw No. 3300
| Item | What the City publishes |
|---|---|
| Permit fee | $200 up to $10,000 of construction value, then a ladder of $10.56, $10.23, $9.63 and $10.00 per $1,000 or part (Bylaw 2837, Schedule 4) |
| Paid when you apply | Application fee: $200 for house work (new, additions, alterations). Credited against the permit fee at issuance (Building Bylaw s.11.6) |
| Processing time | Not published |
| How to apply | Paper package from the City’s Building Permits page, submitted to the Building Division at City Hall. Permit fees can be paid online |
| Sprinklers | Required in all buildings except single-family and two-family dwellings and some smaller alterations |
| Trade permits | Plumbing and fire sprinkler permits from the City; electrical and gas from Technical Safety BC |
| Inspections | 24-hour request line 604-514-2804, by 3 pm the day before |
The City’s guide for additions and alterations to a house (April 12, 2022) says a permit is needed to repair, renovate or add to a building; remove, relocate, alter or build interior walls; finish an unfinished area; build or remove a secondary suite; build, cover or enclose a porch or sundeck; convert a carport to a garage or living space; demolish a building; build a chimney or install a wood stove or insert; build a retaining wall over 1 m high; install new plumbing fixtures or a backflow preventer; or build a swimming pool. Building Bylaw 2498 requires a separate permit for each building (s.7.4).
The same guide says a permit is not needed for non-structural minor work such as replacing cupboards, painting, re-roofing, repairing or replacing exterior finishes, replacing windows, and landscaping or sidewalks.
Checked October 9, 2026: City of Langley building permits · addition and alteration guide (PDF) · Building and Plumbing Bylaw No. 2498 (PDF) · Zoning Bylaw No. 3300 (PDF) · Tree Bylaw No. 3321 (PDF)
If you are not sure, call the Building Division at 604-514-2804 or email inspections@langleycity.ca.
Building fees are in Schedule 4 of the Fees and Charges Bylaw, 2010, No. 2837. The consolidations of December 9, 2024 and December 15, 2025 have the same Schedule 4, and the City’s separate Schedule 4 PDF shows the same figures. Amendment No. 38 (Bylaw 3327, January 26, 2026) changed only tree fees. All fees are subject to applicable taxes. The permit fee is based on construction value, which includes excavation and site preparation:
| Construction value | Permit fee (Schedule 4) |
|---|---|
| $0 to $10,000 | $200 |
| $10,001 to $50,000 | $200 + $10.56 per $1,000 or part over $10,000 |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $576 + $10.23 per $1,000 or part over $50,000 |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $1,088 + $9.63 per $1,000 or part over $100,000 |
| $500,001 and up | $5,286 + $10.00 per $1,000 or part over $500,000 |
The ladder is not smooth where the bands meet. By our arithmetic a $50,000 job is $622.40 but a $50,001 job is $586.23, and a $500,000 job is $4,940 but a $500,001 job is $5,296. We apply the schedule exactly as published; if your value is near $50,000 or $500,000, confirm the figure with the City.
An application fee is paid with the application:
| Application fee (Schedule 4) | Fee |
|---|---|
| Single-family dwelling: new, additions, alterations and renovations | $200 |
| Multi-family, commercial, industrial or institutional: new building or addition | $2,200 |
| Multi-family, commercial, industrial or institutional: alterations, renovations or tenant improvements | $170 |
| Plumbing permit without a building permit; fire sprinkler permit | $100 each |
| All other permits | $200 |
The application fee is not extra. Building Bylaw 2498 s.11.6 says it “shall be credited against the building permit fee when the permit is issued”, and is non-refundable if the application is cancelled. The City’s guides describe the same thing: a non-refundable fee at application, and the remainder of the permit fee calculated after plan review.
Worked examples (our arithmetic from Schedule 4; estimates only, confirm with the City). A $15,000 deck: $200 + (5 × $10.56) = $252.80, of which $200 is paid as the application fee and $52.80 at issuance. A $60,000 renovation: $576 + (10 × $10.23) = $678.30. A $250,000 addition: $1,088 + (150 × $9.63) = $2,532.50. A $900,000 new house: $5,286 + (400 × $10.00) = $9,286. Plumbing and sprinkler permits, damage deposits, engineering and servicing costs, tree permits and development cost charges are extra.
Notes in Schedule 4: the permit fee is doubled if work starts before the permit is issued; it is reduced by 10% (up to $250) where a registered professional certifies the design; and it is zero for leaky-condo repairs to multi-family buildings built from 1983 to 1998. Other Schedule 4 lines:
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Plumbing permit | $100 base + $40 per fixture |
| Fire sprinkler permit | $100 + $4 per head |
| Demolition permit; permit transfer or renewal | $200 each |
| Re-inspection | $150 |
| Legalizing an existing secondary suite / removing a suite | $250 / $200 |
| Building Code alternative solution | $650 ($330 per revision) |
| Plan revisions; voluntary inspections | $100 per hour (revisions minimum $100) |
| Interim occupancy, residential | $50 per unit for 60 days, then $25 per 30 days |
Before a permit is issued, Building Bylaw s.12.1 also asks for a damage deposit: $500 for a new house, $200 for additions, renovations or alterations to a house (except suite work), $500 per unit for multi-family (maximum $20,000), and 2% of value (minimum $1,000, maximum $20,000) for new commercial, industrial or institutional work.
The City does not publish an online fee calculator. For a planning figure, our BC permit fee estimator applies the same Schedule 4 ladder and shows the application fee as credited.
Checked October 9, 2026: Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2837 (consolidated December 15, 2025, PDF) · Schedule 4 (PDF) · Amendment No. 38, Bylaw 3327 (PDF) · Building Bylaw s.11 and s.12
Not published. None of the City’s building permit pages gives a processing time or target. The City posts monthly building permit reports, but they list permits issued, not how long review took. Under Building Bylaw s.7.5 an application can be cancelled if fees are not paid or plans are not amended within 6 months of the City’s notice, so answer review comments promptly. Compare cities that do publish times on our BC building permit wait times page.
Checked October 9, 2026: building permits · addition guide · online services · Building Bylaw s.7 and s.13
More on packaging files: how to submit building permit drawings in BC.
The siting numbers below are from the R1 Suburban Residential zone in Zoning Bylaw No. 3300 (adopted March 9, 2026). Other residential zones have their own numbers, so check your lot’s zone first. Some of the City’s permit guides date from 2022 and still refer to the old zoning; where they differ, the current Zoning Bylaw governs.
The City’s residential deck guide (April 14, 2022) says a permit is needed for a new deck more than 2 feet (0.6 m) above the surrounding finished grade, for repairs or additions to an existing deck, and for a cover over a deck, whether manufactured or site-built. Inspections are forms (footings), framing and final, and a BC Land Surveyor’s survey may be needed at the forms inspection to confirm setbacks. Zoning Bylaw 3300 does not allow roof-top patios in R1.
The City’s accessory building guide says detached buildings under 10 m² (107.64 ft²) do not need a building permit but must meet the zoning setbacks; new buildings and additions of 10 m² or more need a permit. In R1, accessory buildings can total no more than 60 m², may be no taller than 4.6 m, must sit at least as far back as the house and 1.0 m from it, and need setbacks of 6.0 m front, 1.5 m rear, 1.5 m interior side and 3.0 m exterior side (Zoning Bylaw 3300, s.2.4 and the R1 zone).
A detached garage is an accessory building, so the R1 limits above apply. Converting a carport to a garage, or a garage to living space, needs a permit, and the City has a separate guide for it. A carriage home above a garage is allowed in R1 (see below).
A suite needs a building permit (secondary suite guide, with a suite declaration). Under Zoning Bylaw 3300 s.2.4(c), the registered owner must live on the lot; the suite must comply fully with the BC Building Code, be no larger than 100 m² and 40% of the building’s floor area, and have one off-street parking space on top of the two the house needs; and it is inspected through a building permit and recorded in the City’s suite registry. The City’s 2022 suite guide still quotes a 90 m² limit from the old zoning; the 2026 bylaw says 100 m². The guide’s construction notes include a fire separation, sound separation (STC 43), interconnected smoke and CO alarms and separate ventilation. Legalizing an existing suite costs $250 and removing one $200, and a suite permit expires 6 months after issue.
Zoning Bylaw 3300 implements the province’s small-scale multi-unit housing rules (housing page). In R1 (lots of 557 m² or more, 16 m frontage), up to 4 units are allowed, or 6 within 400 m of a frequent-transit bus stop, as a house with a suite, garden suite or carriage home, or a plex home (duplex, triplex or fourplex). Inside a Transit-Oriented Area only one house plus one suite, garden suite or carriage home is allowed, and plex homes are not permitted there; the bylaw maps TOAs around the Willowbrook and Langley City Centre SkyTrain stations and the Langley Centre bus exchange. R1 limits: lot coverage 36%; height 9.0 m for the main building (9.8 m for a three-storey building with a sloped roof), 6.8 m for a carriage home and 4.6 m for a garden suite; garden suites and carriage homes up to 100 m² on the ground floor, with the owner living on the lot. Carriage homes need 4.5 m rear and interior side setbacks (3.0 m with clerestory windows only).
Development permits may be required under the Official Community Plan. Under the Development Application Procedures Bylaw No. 3335 (adopted April 13, 2026), development permits for residential projects of 6 units or fewer are delegated to the Director of Development Services unless hazard or environmentally sensitive area guidelines apply (Bylaw 3335). Remember the sprinkler rule for buildings with three or more units.
Checked October 9, 2026: Zoning Bylaw No. 3300 (PDF) · deck guide · accessory building guide · suite guide · housing · Bylaw 3335 (PDF)
Request inspections on the 24-hour line at 604-514-2804 by 3 pm the day before, giving the address, permit number, inspection type, a contact name and phone number, and a morning or afternoon preference. Required documents go to the Building Division counter 24 hours before the inspection, and no work may be covered until it is approved (Guide for Residential Building Inspections, April 14, 2022).
Trade permits. The City issues plumbing and fire sprinkler permits. Electrical and gas permits come from Technical Safety BC: the City of Langley is not on Technical Safety BC’s list of 10 local governments that issue their own electrical or gas permits, and the City’s permit guides list Technical Safety BC (1-866-566-7233) for gas and electrical.
| Purpose | Contact |
|---|---|
| Building permits, inspections and inquiries | 604-514-2804 · inspections@langleycity.ca |
| Planning (zoning, suites, SSMUH, development permits) | 604-514-2831 · planning@langleycity.ca |
| Engineering (service disconnections, utility upgrades, trees) | 604-514-2997 · engineering@langleycity.ca |
| Bylaw enforcement | 604-514-2800 · bylaw@langleycity.ca |
| Fire department (fire safety, sprinklers) | 604-514-2880 |
| Electrical and gas permits | Technical Safety BC: 1-866-566-7233 |
| City Hall | 20399 Douglas Crescent, Langley, BC V3A 4B3 · 604-514-2800 · Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm |
Checked October 9, 2026: contact us · permits and licensing · permit guide contact sheet · tree bylaw
Planning a deck, shed or fence as well? The deck, shed and fence checklists and the deck, shed and fence materials calculator help you price and prepare the job. Use the Permit Finder to confirm the right office for an address. Next door: our Township of Langley guide. Comparing nearby cities? See Surrey, Abbotsford, Burnaby and Richmond.
This page is for the City of Langley only. The Township of Langley is a separate municipality with its own bylaws, fees and building department, covering Willoughby, Walnut Grove, Aldergrove, Murrayville, Fort Langley and Brookswood. Both use "Langley, BC" in mailing addresses, so check the address in the City's Property Information search or interactive map, or in the Township's GeoSource map. Township addresses: see our Township of Langley guide.
Schedule 4 of Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2837 (consolidated December 15, 2025) charges $200 for construction value up to $10,000, then $200 plus $10.56 per $1,000 or part over $10,000 up to $50,000, $576 plus $10.23 to $100,000, $1,088 plus $9.63 to $500,000 and $5,286 plus $10.00 above. By our arithmetic a $15,000 deck is $252.80 and a $900,000 house is $9,286. A $200 application fee for house work is paid when you apply and credited against the permit fee. Confirm with the City.
No. Building and Plumbing Regulation Bylaw No. 2498, s.11.6, says the application fee is credited against the building permit fee when the permit is issued. You pay it up front, it is non-refundable, and the balance of the permit fee is paid at issuance.
Not published. The City's building permit pages give no processing times or targets. It publishes monthly building permit reports, but they list permits issued, not review times. Ask the Building Division (604-514-2804).
Download the guide and application package for your project from the City's Building Permits page, assemble the complete package (application form, Form 1 owner's acknowledgement, a title search no older than 48 hours, two sets of plans at 11 by 17 inches or larger) and submit it to the Building Division at City Hall, 20399 Douglas Crescent, paying the application fee at the time of application. The City says incomplete applications will not be accepted. We found no online building permit submission on langleycity.ca; permit fees can be paid online.
A deck more than 2 feet (0.6 m) above finished grade, repairs or additions to an existing deck and a cover over a deck all need a permit, according to the City's deck guide. For sheds, the City's accessory building guide says a detached accessory building under 10 m² does not need a permit but must still meet zoning setbacks; 10 m² or more needs one.
Technical Safety BC. The City of Langley is not one of the 10 local governments on Technical Safety BC's list that issue their own electrical or gas permits, and the City's permit guides list Technical Safety BC (1-866-566-7233) for gas and electrical. The City issues plumbing and fire sprinkler permits.
Check with the City before you build. This is independent information, not the City of Langley. It is a planning aid, not legal, engineering or building-code advice. Bylaws, fees and processes change, and the building official for your address has the final say. Confirm every requirement with the City of Langley Building Division 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 October 9, 2026. Found an error or a broken link? Report it.