Northern BC building permits: Prince George and Fraser-Fort George

By Mark Dupuis · Last reviewed: November 1, 2026

In BC, building permits are issued by local governments, not the Province. The province has 161 municipalities and 27 regional districts. A municipality runs its own building department. Outside municipal boundaries, in rural electoral areas, the regional district is usually the permit authority, if it offers building inspection there at all. So the first question is always: which local government is your address in? Check your property tax notice, or type the address into our Permit Finder. Electrical and gas permits are separate and come from Technical Safety BC.

On this page

1. Who issues permits in the North
2. Region notes (RDFFG)
3. Our permit guides in this region
4. Training and trades in this region

Who issues permits in the North

Region notes (RDFFG)

• Fee: $6 per $1,000 of the true value of construction, including material and labour, as calculated by Building Inspection Services. The RDFFG’s own example: a $300,000 value means an $1,800 permit fee. A $100 non-refundable application fee applies to every application, and a security deposit is charged at issuance.
• Exempt: fences, buildings under 10 m² (107.6 ft²) such as sheds, roof repairs with no structural change, and like-for-like plumbing fixture replacement. Exempt buildings must still meet zoning setbacks.
• Needs a permit: decks attached to a building, any roofed deck, and freestanding decks more than 0.6 m (24 in) above grade.
• Expiry: a permit expires if work has not started within 270 days, or is not finished within three years. Two one-year extensions are available before expiry: $300 for the first, $600 for the second, or $600 each if the permit has already expired.
• For published processing times by city, see BC building permit wait times.

Our permit guides in this region

Training and trades in this region

Apprenticeship, Red Seal and trade certification are run province-wide, so the same rules apply here as anywhere in BC. To find foundation programs and intakes at colleges near you, start with the BC trades seat finder. Then see how to register an apprenticeship, the Red Seal guide, BC trade salaries and apprentice funding.

Jobs that need a licence or certificate instead of an apprenticeship follow the same rules everywhere in BC. See the licensed and certified jobs index.