The Township of Langley sets construction value from its own per-square-metre schedule, takes most residential and farm permit applications only online through MyTownship eApply, and has extra steps for septic, wells, the Agricultural Land Reserve and the Fort Langley heritage area. Here is what it costs, how to apply and who to call.
Who this is for. Homeowners, farmers and small builders working in the Township 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 (Township of Langley): GeoSource map · Zoning Bylaw No. 2500
| Item | What the Township publishes |
|---|---|
| Permit fee | $52.50 up to $1,000, then $9.75 per $1,000 or part to $50,000, $10.00 to $1,000,000 and $9.50 above; $100 minimum (Bylaw 4616, Schedule 18) |
| Construction value | Set from the Township’s valuation schedule, for example $1,220 per m² for a main storey |
| Processing time | No current figures published; a March 2025 news release said about two weeks on average for smaller permit types |
| How to apply | Online through MyTownship eApply; paper not accepted where online submission is available (since February 3, 2025) |
| Sprinklers | Required in new residential buildings other than detached houses, including duplexes |
| Trade permits | Plumbing and fire sprinkler permits from the Township; electrical and gas from Technical Safety BC |
| Inspections | Booked online in MyTownship by 3:30 pm the business day before |
Langley Building Bylaw 2008 No. 4642 s.5.1 is short: “A Permit is required for all Construction.” The bylaw’s definition of a structure includes swimming pools and storage racking over 2.6 m but excludes paving, fences and landscaping. Section 5.9 says no permit is needed to clear stoppages, replace a hot water tank, or repair leaks that do not involve replacing or re-arranging valves, pipes or fixtures.
The Township’s residential construction guide (January 2025) lists the common cases: a new building or structure; altering, repairing, renovating, relocating or adding to a building; finishing a basement or building a secondary suite; chimneys and wood stoves or inserts; retaining walls over 1.2 m; and new plumbing fixtures or re-arranged piping. Other permit types on the Township’s other building permits page include signs, solar panels, swimming pools and hot tubs, retaining walls, tree cutting, wood stoves, demolition and fire or water damage restoration.
Checked October 9, 2026: Building Bylaw No. 4642 (PDF) · residential construction guide (PDF) · other building permits · tree protection
If you are not sure, call Permits, Licences and Inspections at 604-533-6018 or email buildinginfo@tol.ca.
Building fees are in Schedule 18 of the Fees and Charges Bylaw 2007 No. 4616. We used the consolidation dated August 10, 2026, in which Schedule 18 was last amended by Bylaw 6238 (adopted July 27, 2026). Fees are listed without tax. The Building Bylaw has pointed to Bylaw 4616 for fees since Amendment 6099 (March 24, 2025).
| Construction value | Permit fee (Schedule 18) |
|---|---|
| Up to $1,000 | $52.50 |
| $1,000 to $50,000 | + $9.75 for each additional $1,000 or part |
| $50,000 to $1,000,000 | + $10.00 for each additional $1,000 or part |
| Over $1,000,000 | + $9.50 for each additional $1,000 or part |
| Minimum building permit fee | $100 (by our arithmetic, this applies to work valued at $5,000 or less) |
The construction value comes from the Township’s valuation schedule, not your contract price. Selected rates per m²: main storey $1,220; other storey finished $1,120 (unfinished $385); basement finished $1,050 (unfinished $345); basement finish or secondary suite $1,220; secondary suite conversion $345; finishing a storey or basement $700; renovation of an existing dwelling $545; new foundation $400; garage or closed accessory building $450; carport or open accessory structure $200; greenhouses $200 (glass), $130 (fibreglass) or $100 (plastic). A wood-burning chimney, stove, insert or fireplace is valued at $10,000 per flue and a gas or electric fireplace at $4,000. Anything else is valued with the Marshall & Swift Valuation Plan under Township Policy 07-405. Schedule 18 lists no separate building application fee.
Worked examples (our arithmetic from Schedule 18; estimates only, confirm with the Township). Work valued at $15,000: $52.50 + (14 × $9.75) = $189.00. At $60,000: $530.25 at $50,000 + (10 × $10) = $630.25. At $250,000: $530.25 + (200 × $10) = $2,530.25. A 60 m² basement finish valued at $700 per m² ($42,000): $52.50 + (41 × $9.75) = $452.25. A new house with a 150 m² main storey ($183,000), a 100 m² finished upper storey ($112,000) and a 50 m² garage ($22,500), valued at $317,500: $530.25 + (268 × $10) = $3,210.25.
A new house pays more on top: $200 energy documentation review; file records at 0.025% of value (about $79.38 here; minimum $53.75, maximum $107.75); the Sustainable Construction Fee at issuance ($0.95 for the first $1,000, $0.50 per $1,000 to $50,000 and $0.35 per $1,000 to $500,000, which by our reading is $119.25 here); and, where civil drawings are needed, development engineering review at 0.055% (minimum $150, maximum $400). Then come refundable bonds and deposits (below), plumbing permits, development cost charges and servicing.
Other Schedule 18 lines:
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Plumbing | $28.75 each for the first two fixtures, then $20.75 each; septic, sewer or water connection $75.25; minimum plumbing or sprinkler permit $100 |
| Re-inspection | $165 per inspection |
| Permit renewal / change of owner or registered professional | $100 / $125 |
| Demolition | $150 |
| Revisions before or after issuance | $100 per hour (minimum 1 hour); 50% of the permit fee when an application needs 3 or more revisions |
| Change of use | $225 |
| File records, additions, accessory and agricultural permits | 0.015% of value (minimum $32.25, maximum $107.75) |
| Streamside protection review | $250 |
| Damage and compliance bond (refundable) | $3,000 per house where the street has sidewalk or curb, $1,500 where it does not, $500 for accessory buildings, additions under 90 m², pools and similar |
| Other bonds (refundable) | Final lot grading $3,500; energy efficiency performance $2,500 per dwelling unit (maximum $25,000); second dwelling security deposit $25,000 |
Schedule 18 also reduces the permit fee by 2.5% where registered professionals provide letters of assurance, and lists Green Building rebates for new houses that beat the required Step Code level ($1,000 to $4,000) and for retrofits ($30 per GJ saved, up to $2,000), paid at the Township’s discretion while funding lasts. Properties with a secondary suite pay an annual Secondary Suite Infrastructure Fee with property taxes (Schedule 5 lists $245 for 2025 and $145 for 2026 and later).
The Township does not publish an online fee calculator. For a planning figure, our BC permit fee estimator applies the same Schedule 18 ladder to the value you enter.
Checked October 9, 2026: Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 4616, Schedule 18 and Schedule 5 (consolidation dated August 10, 2026, PDF) · Building Bylaw No. 4642
No current processing times are published. A Township news release dated March 14, 2025 said that, after new staff positions, workflow changes and the online application system, “smaller permit types have seen a significant improvement in wait times with an average turnaround time of only two weeks”. It gave no figures for houses or larger projects, and the Township’s permit pages show no current targets. Under Building Bylaw s.5.11(g), the Township can cancel an application 30 days after written notice of its intent to cancel, so answer requests promptly. Compare cities on our BC building permit wait times page.
Checked October 9, 2026: applications and guides · eApply guide (PDF) · digital applications bulletin (PDF) · digital application FAQs · Building Bylaw s.5
More on packaging files: how to submit building permit drawings in BC.
Zoning Bylaw No. 2500 has many residential, suburban and rural zones, each with its own setbacks, heights and lot coverage, so look up your zone in GeoSource and read that zone before you draw.
The Township does not publish a deck size or height below which no permit is needed. Its Building Bylaw requires a permit for all construction, and its residential guide asks for decks to be shown on the site plan. Treat a new, rebuilt or covered deck as needing a building permit, applied for as an addition or alteration, and ask Permits, Licences and Inspections (604-533-6018) before you build anything small.
Accessory buildings are an online permit type, with their own checklist and a Declaration of Intended Use; the Township may also ask for a letter of intent before issuance (residential guide). We found no published size below which a shed is exempt, so ask before you build. In the R-1 residential zones, accessory buildings and structures that are not dwellings may be no taller than 3.75 m (Zoning Bylaw Section 400); some residential zones leave accessory buildings under 9.3 m² (100 ft²) out of the lot coverage calculation. They are valued at $450 per m² (enclosed) or $200 per m² (open) for the fee.
A detached garage is an accessory building. A coach house is defined as an accessory dwelling unit located only in the second storey of a detached garage (Zoning Bylaw Section 102); where a zone allows one, it has its own height limit. On rural (RU) lots, an old house replaced by a new one may be converted to an accessory building if it meets the accessory rules; on suburban residential (SR) and residential (R) lots it must be demolished (conversion restrictions).
A building permit is required for every secondary suite (secondary suites page). Zoning Bylaw Section 102 (as amended by Bylaw 6147, July 21, 2025) defines a suite as complying with the BC Building Code and no larger than 120 m² of gross floor area, and allows it in a single family dwelling, two family dwelling, semi-detached dwelling, manorhome, townhouse, rowhouse or SSMUH development; in the ALR a suite must also comply with Agricultural Land Commission rules. The Township’s suite guide (January 2025) still says suites are limited to detached single-family houses, which the July 2025 bylaw change has overtaken; the SSMUH page confirms suites are now allowed in duplexes. Parking is one space per suite. On septic, a ROWP must seal the floor plan and complete the referral form. Properties with a suite pay the annual Secondary Suite Infrastructure Fee.
Zoning amendments adopted November 18, 2024 brought in the province’s SSMUH rules (SSMUH page). A lot is eligible only if it is inside the Urban Containment Boundary, connected to municipal water and sewer, not heritage-designated by bylaw, outside a Transit-Oriented Area, and no larger than 4,050 m² (1 acre) in a zone whose minimum lot size is no larger than that. Eligible lots get 3 units (280 m² or less) or 4 units (over 280 m²); other lots get one house plus a secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit, depending on zoning. SSMUH needs at least one parking space per unit and two per lot. Since Council adopted Schedule 4 of the Official Community Plan on April 27, 2026, a development permit is required for SSMUH unless it meets the exemptions, and a building permit is always required. The only Transit-Oriented Area is the 800 m around the Willowbrook SkyTrain station on 196 Street. Remember the sprinkler rule for duplexes and plexes.
New Part 9 homes must meet Step 4 of the Energy Step Code and EL-3 of the Zero Carbon Step Code for applications after March 31, 2025 (Building Bylaw s.7.5), backed by a $2,500 per unit energy efficiency bond.
Checked October 9, 2026: Zoning Bylaw 2500, Section 100 (PDF) · Section 400 residential zones (PDF) · secondary suites · suite guide (PDF) · SSMUH · Building Bylaw s.7.5
Much of the Township is rural and in the Agricultural Land Reserve. The Township’s building page asks owners of ALR land to review the Agricultural Land Commission’s rules, including its bulletin on residences in the ALR.
Checked October 9, 2026: Agricultural Construction Guide (PDF) · agricultural building permits · agricultural land use · building · Building Bylaw s.14
The Township’s septic and waste water referral bulletin (July 2025) explains that under the provincial Sewerage System Regulation only an “Authorized Person” (a professional engineer or Registered Onsite Wastewater Practitioner) can design, install, repair, maintain or inspect a septic system.
The Township has two heritage conservation areas: Fort Langley and Murrayville (development permits page). In a heritage conservation area, a Heritage Alteration Permit is required before any demolition, subdivision or redevelopment, and may also be needed for changes to a protected heritage building or projects under a heritage revitalization agreement. The permit follows the same steps as a development permit, but every Heritage Alteration Permit must be issued by Council. The criteria are in the Fort Langley Community Plan (Bylaw 2527) and the heritage conservation area section of the Official Community Plan.
The Township’s heritage recognition and protection page adds that a Heritage Alteration Permit may vary other land use rules but not use or density, and that buildings on the Community Heritage Register may use the BC Building Code’s Heritage Building Supplement and apply to the Township’s heritage building incentive program. A property with a heritage designation by bylaw is not eligible for SSMUH.
Inspections are booked online through eInspections in MyTownship. Request an access code for your permit with the same email used for inspection notices, then book by 3:30 pm on the business day before; next-day inspections are not guaranteed (building inspections page).
Trade permits. The Township issues plumbing and fire sprinkler permits. Electrical and gas permits come from Technical Safety BC: the Township of Langley is not on Technical Safety BC’s list of 10 local governments that issue their own electrical or gas permits, and the Township’s other building permits page says “For gas and electrical permits, refer to Technical Safety BC.”
| Purpose | Contact |
|---|---|
| Building permits, inspections and inquiries (Permits, Licences and Inspections) | 604-533-6018 · buildinginfo@tol.ca |
| Community Development (zoning, SSMUH, development and heritage permits) | 604-533-6034 · cdinfo@tol.ca |
| Electrical and gas permits | Technical Safety BC: 1-866-566-7233 |
| Permits office | 20338 65 Avenue, Langley, BC V2Y 3J1 · applications 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, permit pickup and payment 8:30 am to 3:00 pm, Monday to Friday |
Checked October 9, 2026: building · residential guide contact block · SSMUH questions · inspections
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 City of Langley guide. Comparing nearby cities? See Surrey, Abbotsford, Burnaby and Richmond.
This page is for the Township of Langley, which covers Willoughby, Walnut Grove, Aldergrove, Murrayville, Fort Langley, Brookswood and the rural areas. The City of Langley is a separate municipality in the middle of the Township with its own bylaws, fees and building department. Both use "Langley, BC" in mailing addresses, so check the address in the Township's GeoSource map or the City's Property Information search. City addresses: see our City of Langley guide.
Schedule 18 of Fees and Charges Bylaw 2007 No. 4616 (consolidation dated August 10, 2026) charges $52.50 for work valued up to $1,000, plus $9.75 for each additional $1,000 or part up to $50,000, $10.00 per $1,000 from $50,000 to $1,000,000 and $9.50 per $1,000 above, with a $100 minimum. The value is set from the Township's valuation schedule (for example $1,220 per m² for a main storey). By our arithmetic a $15,000 deck is $189 and a $250,000 addition is $2,530.25, before other fees. Confirm with the Township.
The Township does not publish current processing times. A Township news release dated March 14, 2025 said smaller permit types had an average turnaround of about two weeks after the move to online applications, but it gave no figures for larger projects. Ask Permits, Licences and Inspections (604-533-6018) for a current estimate.
Online. Sign in to or create a MyTownship account (mytownship.tol.ca), choose the eApply template for your permit type from the Township's Building Permit Applications and Guides page, upload the complete package and pay online. Since February 3, 2025, paper applications are no longer accepted for permit types that can be submitted digitally, including houses, additions, suites, basement finishes, accessory buildings, agricultural buildings, pools, retaining walls, demolition and plumbing.
Yes. The Township's Agricultural Construction Guide says a building permit is required to build a new agricultural building, barn, stable, lean-to, loafing shed or structure, or to repair, renovate or add to one. Applications are online. Buildings housing animals must be at least 15 m from all property lines and 30 m from all wells, including neighbours' wells, and other setbacks apply to greenhouses, mushroom barns, manure storage and fur farms.
For a property on septic, the Township's guides ask for a Fraser Health Record of Filing from a Registered Onsite Wastewater Practitioner (ROWP) or professional engineer, or the Township's Building Permit Referral Form where no work on the system is needed; the Record of Filing must be in before the permit is issued. Where municipal water is not available, Building Bylaw 4642 s.5.2(c) requires an acceptable private well on the property and certification that the water meets the Canadian drinking water standard.
Technical Safety BC. The Township is not one of the 10 local governments on Technical Safety BC's list that issue their own electrical or gas permits, and the Township's own permit page tells applicants to go to Technical Safety BC for gas and electrical permits. The Township issues building, plumbing and fire sprinkler permits.
Check with the Township before you build. This is independent information, not the Township 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 Township’s Permits, Licences and Inspections 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.