Oak Bay building permits: fees, suites, decks and sheds

By Mark Dupuis · Last reviewed: November 1, 2026

On this page

1. Permit fees
2. How to apply
3. Decks, sheds and fences
4. Secondary suites
5. Who to contact

Permit fees

Fees come from Planning, Building and Development Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 4845, 2023 (PDF):

• Construction value of $100,000 or less: $150 plus 1.3% of the project value.
• Over $100,000 and up to $500,000: $1,500 plus 1.3% of the amount over $100,000.
• Over $500,000: $5,000 plus 1.3% of the amount over $500,000.

Under Building and Plumbing Bylaw 4247 (PDF), 20% of the permit fee is paid when you apply. It is a non-refundable application review fee, and it is credited against the total if the permit is issued. Other rules in the same bylaw:

• Fees are doubled if work starts before the permit is issued.
• If you surrender a permit before construction starts, you get 80% back.
• Each inspection after the second, when only one was needed, costs $50.
• The fee is cut by 10% when the permit relies on letters of assurance from registered professionals.

Worked example: a $60,000 deck and renovation is $150 + 1.3% × $60,000 = $930. The review fee due at application is 20% of that, or $186. Other charges can be added when the final fee is due, such as tree permits, engineering permits, development cost charges, damage deposits and other securities. Amenity contribution and development cost charges apply only to new housing units beyond what already existed.

How to apply

1. Get the Building Permit Application form online or at Municipal Hall, 2167 Oak Bay Ave.
2. Email the form, plans and supporting documents to inspections@oakbay.ca. The form’s checklist asks for:
   • A title certificate no more than 30 days old, plus legal notations (covenants, rights-of-way).
   • An agent consent form if you are not the owner, and strata approval where it applies.
   • Letters of assurance where they are required.
   • Drawings at 1/4″ = 1 ft: elevations, floor plans with room uses, a site plan, a cross-section and project data, in digital format with a maximum of 8 MB.
3. Ask Parks at 250-592-7275 whether you need a tree management plan; most applications do. If one is required, protective tree fencing must go up before the permit is issued.
4. Staff send an invoice for the application fee. The review starts only after it is paid; the District says to allow several weeks.
5. Pay the balance, then book the mandatory inspections as you build.

In the Uplands, exterior work must also pass the Uplands Design Guidelines before a permit is issued.

Decks, sheds and fences

• Deck or gazebo: needs a permit. So do hot tubs, swimming pools and replacement windows.
• Shed, accessory building or detached garage: a permit is needed over 10 m². Under 10 m² it is exempt, except in the Uplands.
• Retaining wall: a permit is needed over 1.2 m high, or for multiple walls.
• Repairs under $500: no permit.
• Fences: the District’s permit page does not mention fences. Ask the building department before you build.

Work that doesn’t need a permit must still meet municipal bylaws and the BC Building Code (District of Oak Bay: Building Permits).

Secondary suites

Building a new suite, or legalizing one built without approval, needs a building permit. The District’s rules:

• The suite must be inside the main house, not in a detached building or joined by a breezeway or hallway.
• The owner must live in the main home or the suite.
• One suite per home, and no suite together with a boarding use.
• No extra parking is required, but you need an outdoor, labelled, powered outlet for e-vehicles, scooters or bikes.

Apply with an Owner Declaration of Secondary Suite form. A suite is legal only when its building, plumbing and electrical permits are approved, the inspections are passed, and Oak Bay issues an occupancy permit (District of Oak Bay: Secondary Suites).

Who to contact

Building inspections: inspections@oakbay.ca, 250-598-2042 ext. 7496. Inspectors take counter questions at Municipal Hall (2167 Oak Bay Ave.) Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 10:00 am. Electrical and gas permits come from Technical Safety BC.

We could not confirm these on an official page, so we left them out: fence permit rules, fees specific to suites, and current review times.