First, jurisdiction. The City of Victoria services only the immediate city footprint. Saanich, Oak Bay and Esquimalt each run their own building departments with their own fees and their own timelines. If your property is outside the core, stop reading and find your actual municipality with our Permit Finder — the fees below will not apply to you.
When you need a permit
New construction, additions and accessory buildings; secondary and garden suite modifications; structural changes; interior alterations that touch plumbing or framing; exterior modifications; demolition; and solid-fuel appliance installations — yes, your wood stove.
Electrical and gas work runs through Technical Safety BC, a separate provincial process the City does not handle. If you are not sure whether your specific job crosses the line, we have a plain job-by-job breakdown: do I need a building permit for this?
What it costs
| Item | Cost | When |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $100 | Paid when you apply, not when you are approved |
| Building permit fee | 1.40% of construction cost, excluding the value of plumbing and electrical work | Due before the permit is issued |
| Sealed plans discount | 5% reduction, capped at $500 | When sealed plans and professional letters of assurance are submitted per the bylaw |
| Re-inspection fee | $50 | Each time an inspection has to be repeated |
| Work started without a permit | 2.8% of construction cost up to $20,000, then 1.4% on the remainder above $20,000 | On application for the retroactive permit |
Worked example. A $60,000 kitchen and structural renovation, with $10,000 of that being plumbing and electrical. The permit fee is charged on $50,000, so 1.4% = $700, plus the $100 application fee. Total $800. Start the same job without a permit and the first $20,000 is charged at 2.8% ($560) with the remaining $30,000 at 1.4% ($420) — $980, before you count the cost of opening finished walls back up for inspection.
The five application types
Victoria does not have one building permit form. Picking the wrong one is a common reason an application goes back to the start of the queue. The five are:
- Single Family Dwelling or Duplex Building Permit — new builds, additions and exterior work on houses and duplexes.
- Complex Building Permit — new projects, additions and exterior or interior alterations on everything larger.
- Complex Building — Interior Only — interior alterations and changes of use.
- Demolition Permit.
- Interior Strip-out Permit — for gutting an interior ahead of the main permit.
Each type has its own checklist. Read the checklist for your type before you draw anything, not after.
The order that trips people up
This is the single biggest scheduling mistake in Victoria: any development permit has to be approved before you apply for the building permit. Not at the same time — before. If your property sits in a development permit area, is heritage-designated, or you need a variance, that whole process runs first, and it is measured in months, not weeks. We cover it separately in the Victoria development permit guide.
Applications are submitted online. Once your permit is approved you receive a fee summary, and the permit fee is payable before issuance.
Partial permits
If you are waiting on the full permit but need to get moving, Victoria can issue a partial permit allowing excavation or foundation work to start ahead of full issuance. Worth asking about on a project where the ground has to be open before winter — but it is at the City’s discretion, not automatic.
What holds applications up
The City does not publish a standard processing time, and it is honest to say so rather than invent one — the range genuinely depends on your project. What we can tell you is what puts applications back in the queue:
- Incomplete submissions. Missing drawings, missing letters of assurance, missing energy compliance documentation. Every checklist item exists because something went wrong once.
- Applying before the development permit is approved. See above.
- Wrong application type for the scope of work.
- BC Building Code 2024 and the Zero Carbon Step Code. Energy compliance documentation is required for applicable buildings, and it catches people who designed to older assumptions.
- Heritage. Victoria has one of the densest concentrations of heritage-designated property in BC. A heritage alteration permit is a separate application with its own fee.
Inspections
Inspections are booked through the City’s MyCity portal, or by phoning Building and Inspection Services. Book ahead — not the morning you want the inspector. Failing an inspection costs $50 to redo, and more importantly it costs you the trades who were scheduled to follow.
Who to contact
| For | Contact |
|---|---|
| Building permits and inspections | 250.361.0344 · permits@victoria.ca |
| Development permits, variances, rezoning | 250.361.0382 · DevelopmentServices@victoria.ca |
| Delegated permit applications | zoning@victoria.ca |
| Official City permit pages | victoria.ca building permits |
Common questions
How much does a building permit cost in Victoria BC?
The City of Victoria charges a $100 application fee when you apply, plus a building permit fee of 1.40% of the cost of construction, excluding the value of plumbing and electrical work, payable before the permit is issued. A $60,000 renovation with $10,000 of plumbing and electrical would be charged on $50,000, so $700 plus the $100 application fee.
What is the penalty for building without a permit in Victoria?
The permit fee is charged at 2.8% of the cost of construction on the first $20,000, then 1.4% on the remainder above $20,000 — double rate on the first portion. That is on top of having to open up finished work so an inspector can see what is behind it, and the risk of the work surfacing during a future sale.
How long does a building permit take in Victoria BC?
The City does not publish a standard processing time, because it varies with the complexity of the project and the completeness of your application. The delays that are within your control are submitting an incomplete application, choosing the wrong application type, and applying for a building permit before your development permit has been approved.
Do I need a development permit as well as a building permit?
If your property is in a development permit area, is heritage-designated, or your project needs a variance, then yes — and the development permit has to be approved before you apply for the building permit. It is a separate application with a separate and considerably larger fee.
Does the City of Victoria handle electrical and gas permits?
No. Electrical and gas permits in Victoria run through Technical Safety BC, a provincial body, separately from your City building permit. Note also that the value of plumbing and electrical work is excluded when the City calculates your 1.40% building permit fee.
Can I start foundation work before the full permit is issued?
Sometimes. Victoria can issue a partial permit that allows excavation or foundation work to begin ahead of full permit issuance. It is at the City’s discretion rather than automatic, so ask early if your schedule depends on it.
Before you apply. Our free download The 10 Most Expensive Permit Mistakes in BC covers the errors that cost the most money on Vancouver Island permits — including the two most common Victoria ones.