New Westminster prices permits per $1,000 of construction value, takes small residential jobs through its E-Apply portal, and layers heritage rules over Queen’s Park and soil rules over Queensborough. Here is the process, what it costs, what to submit and who to call.
Who this is for. Homeowners and small builders working inside the City of New Westminster, including Queen’s Park, Sapperton, Uptown, Downtown and Queensborough on Lulu Island. Burnaby, Coquitlam, Surrey and Richmond run their own building departments; if the address is near a boundary, confirm it with the Permit Finder. Not sure the job needs a permit? Start with the permit quiz.
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 New Westminster): CityViews maps · Zoning Bylaw
| Item | What New Westminster publishes |
|---|---|
| Permit fee | $18.50 per $1,000 of construction value to $50,000, $16.40 per $1,000 to $150,000, $14.40 per $1,000 above; $169 minimum (Bylaw 7683, Schedule A; City fees page) |
| Paid when you apply | Non-refundable $169 application fee, plus a plan review fee of 50% of the permit fee (minimum $169, maximum $20,000), which is credited at issuance |
| Processing time | Not published |
| How to apply | Alterations and small projects: E-Apply online with a MyCity profile, or email. New construction: email the full package to bldapps@newwestcity.ca |
| Trade permits | Plumbing, services, hydronic heating and sprinkler permits from the City; electrical and gas from Technical Safety BC |
| Inspections | Book through the MyCity Portal by 2:00 pm on the business day before |
Building Bylaw No. 8125 says no one may start or continue construction, including excavation, or change a building’s occupancy unless the Building Official has issued a permit that is still in force (s.3.1.4). The bylaw’s permit types include building, demolition, sprinkler, swimming or ornamental pool, retaining structure and moving permits. The City’s residential building permits page says owners and builders who renovate, add onto or build a new house need permits, and so do new accessory buildings over 10 m², such as garages.
What the City’s own pages and bylaws say about the common grey areas:
Checked October 9, 2026: City of New Westminster residential building permits · Building Bylaw No. 8125 (PDF) · Zoning Bylaw 6680, section 100 (PDF) · fences guide (PDF) · retaining walls guide (PDF)
If you are not sure, call the Building Division at 604-527-4580. Building and plumbing inspectors are generally available by phone from 8:30 to 9:30 am, Monday to Friday.
New Westminster sets its fees in the Planning & Development Fees and Rates Bylaw No. 7683, 2014. The 2026 Schedule A came in with Amendment Bylaw 8541, adopted September 29, 2025 and in effect January 1, 2026; the City says yearly increases are posted once Council approves them (2026 Fees page). The permit fee is based on construction value:
| Construction value | Permit fee (Schedule A) |
|---|---|
| Up to and including $50,000 | $18.50 for each $1,000 or fraction |
| $50,001 to $150,000 | + $16.40 for each $1,000 or fraction |
| Over $150,000 | + $14.40 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Minimum fee | $169.00 (City’s 2026 Fees page) |
By our arithmetic, the running total is $925 at $50,000 and $2,565 at $150,000. Each fee is collected in two parts. A Building Plan Review Fee of 50% of the permit fee (minimum $169, maximum $20,000) is paid for every application, is non-refundable once review starts and is credited against the permit fee at issuance. The Building Permit Issuance Fee is the remainder. On top of that, every application pays a separate, non-refundable $169 application fee.
Worked examples (our arithmetic from Schedule A; estimates only, confirm with the City). A $15,000 deck: 15 × $18.50 = $277.50 permit fee (the plan review part is the $169 minimum), plus the $169 application fee = $446.50. A $60,000 basement suite: $925 + (10 × $16.40) = $1,089, with $544.50 of it paid as the plan review fee, plus $169 = $1,258. A $250,000 laneway house: $2,565 + (100 × $14.40) = $4,005, plus $169 = $4,174. An $800,000 new house: $2,565 + (650 × $14.40) = $11,925, plus $169 = $12,094. Plumbing permits, engineering fees and deposits, tree permits, development permits and development charges are extra.
Other 2026 lines from Schedule A:
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Discount where an engineer or architect certifies the plans | 1% of the permit fee, up to $513 |
| Work started before a permit was issued | Double the fees, up to $25,625 |
| Paper application (digitizing) | $57 administration fee + $2.70 per page (plus GST) |
| Revision before issuance (3 or more revisions, or a new design) | $169 |
| Revision to an issued permit | $84.60 per hour of staff time, minimum $169 |
| Re-inspections (after two) | $169 for the third, $332 for the fourth, $496 for the fifth, $663 each after (plus tax) |
| Permit extension / transfer | $169 + $84.60 per hour of staff time |
| Demolition of a garage, shed or similar accessory building | $169 per building + $169 application fee |
| Comfort letter (all departments / Building only) | $358 / $169 |
| Credit card convenience fee | 1.75% of the invoice |
Schedule A also lists a Permanent Records fee of 1.0% of construction value ($14 minimum, $317 maximum) for every building permit application. The City’s 2026 Fees web page does not show it, so ask whether it will be on your invoice. Engineering works and services fees and damage deposits are set by the Engineering Department during review and given to you before issuance (604-527-4592).
The City does not publish an online fee calculator. For a planning figure, our BC permit fee estimator applies the same Schedule A ladder.
Checked October 9, 2026: Fees and Rates Bylaw No. 7683, Schedule A (PDF, consolidated to Bylaw 8541) · 2026 Fees page
Not published. None of New Westminster’s building permit pages gives a processing time or target. The City’s development application page says review time depends on the project’s type, scale and complexity, how many applications are under review, approvals from outside agencies, a complete application and how quickly you answer staff comments. Building Bylaw s.5.5 lets the Building Official cancel an application that is incomplete or substantially inactive for 60 days or longer, so answer requests promptly. Compare cities that do publish times on our BC building permit wait times page.
Checked October 9, 2026: residential building permits and E-Apply · detached accessory building package (PDF) · Building Bylaw 8125 s.5.12
More on packaging files: how to submit building permit drawings in BC.
The accessory-building limits below are from the RS-1 Single Detached Residential District (Zoning Bylaw 6680, section 310). Other zones, including RS-4 in Queen’s Park and the new RGO-A and RGO-B infill zones, have their own numbers, so check your lot’s zone first.
The City’s Guide for Residential Deck Construction (June 2025) covers attached decks on single detached houses and duplexes. A deck permit needs a site plan (1/8″ = 1′), a floor plan showing beam and joist spans, spacing, footings and decking, and a section showing grades, guards, footing depth and connections (1/4″ = 1′), plus a letter of authorization, a title search no older than 48 hours, colour photos of all sides of the house and a tree permit application. A Schedule B is needed only if an engineer designs the deck. The City publishes no height below which an attached deck is exempt, and it may take a Site Development Undertaking Deposit, refunded after final inspection.
New accessory buildings over 10 m² need a permit. In RS-1, all detached accessory buildings together are capped at 10% of the site area (s.310.16). A detached accessory building without a dwelling unit must be one storey with no dormers, no taller than 4.57 m with a peaked roof or 3.6 m with a roof pitch of 4:12 or less (measured from its finished floor), outside the required front yard, at least 1.52 m from a side or rear lot line on a street and 4.57 m from a street-and-lane corner, and it may have no plumbing beyond one toilet and one sink (s.310.21).
The City’s detached accessory structure package asks for an application form, a letter of authorization signed by everyone on title, a title search, an Erosion and Sediment Control submission and drawings (two full-size 24″ × 36″ sets plus two 11″ × 17″ sets), with sealed structural drawings, a Schedule B and a truss layout where they apply. In RS-1, a garage or carport must be at least 6.71 m (22 ft) from the lane, less the lane’s width. The City’s laneway house FAQ says a lot can have either a laneway or carriage house or a detached garage, not both.
Suites are allowed in most single detached houses (secondary suites page), one per house, as they have been since July 6, 1998. A suite needs a building permit and a tree permit, cannot be strata-titled, sold or used as a short-term rental, and paying the suite utility charge does not make a suite legal. The City’s Secondary Suite Guide (August 2025) summarizes Zoning Bylaw section 190.29: at least 350 sq ft, an external entry with weather protection, private outdoor space, two off-street parking spaces (one per unit), and in Queensborough no suite below the flood construction level. The guide predates the June 2026 infill zoning, so confirm parking with Planning (plnpost@newwestcity.ca). In Queen’s Park, exterior changes to a Protected house also need a Heritage Alteration Permit.
Laneway houses (lots with a lane) and carriage houses (lots without one) are allowed on many single detached lots, but not in Queensborough. In RS-1 the unit is capped at 89 m² (958 sq ft) plus any Step Code bonus and 7 m in height (s.310.19). Since January 1, 2025 they must meet Step Code 4 with Zero Carbon Step Code Emissions Level 4, or Step Code 5 with Emissions Level 2. A development permit under the Laneway and Carriage House guidelines is needed, and a lot can have both a suite and a laneway or carriage house (laneway and carriage houses).
New Westminster met the Province’s small-scale multi-unit housing rules through its Infill Housing Program, adopted in June 2026 (Infill Housing Program). About 1,900 single detached and duplex properties were pre-zoned RGO-A (up to four units) and about 1,100 RGO-B (up to six units), so no rezoning is needed, but every infill project needs a development permit. No more than two infill units may stack, and units can be stratified. Queensborough was left out pending a servicing study. In Transit Oriented Development Areas, infill is considered only where lot consolidation is not possible, and in the Queen’s Park HCA. The City warns that projects with more than three units built ahead of its own civil work must pay for any needed infrastructure upgrades, which may be cost-prohibitive. Remember the sprinkler rule.
Checked October 9, 2026: Zoning Bylaw 6680, section 300 (RS-1) · deck guide · garage package · suites · laneway houses · infill housing · provincial housing legislation pages
New Westminster is BC’s oldest incorporated city (1859), and heritage rules can add a step before your building permit. The City lists several kinds of protection (heritage protection and development):
There is no fee for an HAP for changes to a protected building; fees apply to HAPs for demolition and for design review of new construction in Queen’s Park. Owners of Protected properties can book a free one-on-one meeting with an area planner at 604-527-4532. Check your lot on the Heritage Protection Map and in the Queen’s Park HCA guide and property list.
Checked October 9, 2026: heritage protection and development · Queen’s Park HCA · building or renovating in Queen’s Park · infill housing FAQ
Queensborough, on Lulu Island, is part of New Westminster, so permits go through the same Building Division. The City says its soils and high water table bring special requirements: drainage plans, fill requirements, pile foundations, geotechnical reports and soil-gas (methane) measures, and nothing from fill placement to demolition may start without a permit (building in Queensborough).
Book building and plumbing inspections through the MyCity Portal with your permit folder number and access code, by 2:00 pm on the business day before; required documents are due by the same time (inspections page). Only the owner or agent may book. The City does not confirm bookings (check that the status changes from “Not started” to “Scheduled”), does not guarantee times and does not inspect on statutory holidays. For small and medium projects an inspection checklist comes attached to the site copy of the approved plans; book only the inspections on it.
Trade permits. The City issues plumbing, services, hydronic heating and sprinkler permits (plumbingapps@newwestcity.ca, or online through E-Apply; plumbing permits). Electrical and gas permits come from Technical Safety BC: New Westminster is not on Technical Safety BC’s list of 10 local governments that issue their own electrical or gas permits, and the City’s own deck guide lists Technical Safety BC for natural gas and electrical inspections. The City’s Electrical Utility (604-527-4528) handles service connections and metering, not permits.
| Purpose | Contact |
|---|---|
| Building Division, general inquiries | 604-527-4580 · buildingdept@newwestcity.ca |
| Submit a building permit application | bldapps@newwestcity.ca |
| Documents or questions on an active permit | inspections@newwestcity.ca |
| Submit a plumbing permit application | plumbingapps@newwestcity.ca |
| Inspectors by phone | 604-527-4580, generally 8:30 to 9:30 am, Monday to Friday |
| Planning Division (zoning, suites, laneway houses, infill, heritage) | 604-527-4532 · plnpost@newwestcity.ca |
| Tree permits | 604-636-4318 · treebylaw@newwestcity.ca |
| Engineering (erosion control, servicing, fees and deposits) | 604-527-4592 · engpost@newwestcity.ca |
| Electrical Utility (service connections and metering) | 604-527-4528 |
| MyCity account help | mycity@newwestcity.ca |
| Electrical and gas permits | Technical Safety BC: 1-866-566-7233 |
| City Hall | 511 Royal Avenue, New Westminster, BC V3L 1H9 · 604-521-3711 |
Checked October 9, 2026: building permits · inspections · secondary suites contacts · laneway house contacts · deck guide
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. Comparing nearby cities? See Burnaby, Surrey, Richmond, Coquitlam and Vancouver.
Schedule A of the Planning and Development Fees and Rates Bylaw No. 7683 (2026 fees, in effect January 1, 2026) charges $18.50 for each $1,000 of construction value or fraction up to $50,000, $16.40 per $1,000 from $50,001 to $150,000 and $14.40 per $1,000 above $150,000, with a $169 minimum on the City's fees page. A non-refundable $169 application fee is extra. By our arithmetic a $15,000 deck is $277.50 plus the $169 application fee, and a $60,000 basement suite is $1,089 plus $169. Confirm with the City.
Not published. The City's building permit pages give no processing times or targets. Its development pages say review time depends on the project type, scale and complexity, the number of applications under review and how quickly the applicant responds. Ask the Building Division (604-527-4580) for a current estimate.
Alterations and small projects to a house, duplex, accessory building or laneway house can be applied for online through E-Apply with a MyCity profile, paying the non-refundable application fee by credit card, or by email. New construction is emailed as a complete package to bldapps@newwestcity.ca, with every document attached as a PDF (no links or cloud shares).
The City has a residential deck guide and asks for a site plan, floor plan and section for a deck permit; it publishes no height below which an attached deck is exempt. New accessory buildings over 10 m², such as garages, need a building permit. A smaller shed still has to meet the Zoning Bylaw, so confirm with the Building Division before you build.
Technical Safety BC. New Westminster is not one of the 10 local governments that issue their own electrical or gas permits, and the City's own deck guide lists Technical Safety BC for natural gas and electrical inspections. The City issues plumbing, services, hydronic heating and sprinkler permits itself.
Queen's Park is New Westminster's only Heritage Conservation Area. For a Protected property, a Heritage Alteration Permit is needed for exterior changes visible from the street (front, sides or roof) and for a laneway or carriage house. For a Non-protected property, renovations and demolition need no HAP, but a new house or a laneway or carriage house does. There is no fee for an HAP for changes to a protected building.
On many lots, yes. Through the Infill Housing Program adopted in June 2026, about 1,900 single detached and duplex properties were zoned RGO-A (up to four units) and about 1,100 RGO-B (up to six units), so no rezoning is needed, but a Development Permit is. Queensborough was not included, and Transit Oriented Development Areas have extra limits.
Check with the City before you build. This is independent information, not the City of New Westminster. 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 New Westminster 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.