A legal secondary suite in the City of Victoria needs building, plumbing and electrical permits and a final occupancy permit. Here’s the City’s process, the zoning checks, the bylaw fees beside the 2026 fee waiver, the BC Building Code 2024 suite rules and each inspection, with two short videos.
This guide covers adding a secondary suite to an existing house in the City of Victoria. The City says secondary suites are permitted in residential buildings and must be built in accordance with the BC Building Code, with all required building, plumbing and electrical permits (City of Victoria, What Can I Do With My Property). Victoria uses the BC Building Code 2024, which has a table of alternate methods for adding a suite to an existing house. Permits, fees and inspections are set by the City’s Building and Plumbing Regulation Bylaw No. 17-113. Every figure below was checked on September 30, 2026 against the City’s bylaws, checklist and permit pages and the BC Building Code, listed under Sources.
General information only. This page is not legal or building-code advice, and it is not published by the City of Victoria. Your building official has the final say. Confirm the rules for your address with the City before you design or build.
Victoria Secondary Suite Permit: Zoning, Plans, Fees & Occupancy, Step by Step (2026)
A step-by-step walkthrough of adding a legal secondary suite in the City of Victoria, checked against the City checklist, Building and Plumbing Regulation Bylaw, the 2026 fee waiver and the BC Building Code 2024. Adding a secondary suite to a house in the City of Victoria? You need building, plumbing and electrical permits, and the suite isn’t legal until the City issues a final occupancy permit. This walkthrough covers what counts as a secondary suite under the BC Building Code, checking your zoning, the permits you need, the plans on the City’s checklist, applying online, the bylaw fees and the 2026 fee waiver, inspections, and the occupancy permit.
Download the video (MP4) · Watch on YouTube (BC Trades & Permits)
Narration uses a synthetic (AI-generated) voice.
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 Victoria): VicMap · Zoning Regulation Bylaw
Look up your property on VicMap to find its zone, then read that zone’s rules. Victoria has two zoning bylaws, and the zone examples below are only examples. Check your own zone.
From the City’s Single Family Dwelling or Duplex eApplication Checklist for interior alterations and change of use, dated September 15, 2026 (checklist, PDF):
Questions: Building and Inspection Services, 250-361-0344 or permits@victoria.ca (checklist, PDF).
Victoria fee waiver (verified on 2026-10-05). The City of Victoria’s Development Fee Waiver Bylaw No. 26-020, s.4, sets the building permit fees in Schedule A of Building and Plumbing Regulation Bylaw 17-113 (items a–f: the application fee, the permit fee, the higher fee for work started without a permit, and extension, plan-revision and re-inspection fees) to $0, along with plumbing permit fees (items h–m), City electrical permit fees (Schedule E of the Electrical Safety Regulation Bylaw) and land-use application fees (Schedule A of the Land Use Procedures Bylaw). Under s.3 it applies to complete applications received after its adoption on January 29, 2026, up to and on the day it is repealed; s.5 repeals it 12 months after adoption (the City gives January 29, 2027). It is not limited to housing. The excavation deposit (Schedule A item g) is not waived, and charges under bylaws the waiver does not list, such as development cost charges, are not covered by it. If your permit will be issued after the repeal date, confirm with the City whether the fee is still $0. The table below shows each bylaw rate beside the waiver. Bylaw 26-020 (PDF)
The bylaw rates and the waiver, side by side. The Development Fee Waiver Bylaw No. 26-020, adopted January 29, 2026, sets City building, plumbing and electrical permit fees to $0 for complete applications received after its adoption, up to and on the date it is repealed. The bylaw is repealed 12 months after the date of adoption (s.5; Development Fee Waiver Bylaw, PDF); the City gives January 29, 2027. The City’s September 15, 2026 checklist still describes paying the $100 application fee. Confirm with the City what you’ll actually pay.
| Fee | Bylaw rate | While Bylaw 26-020 is in force |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit application fee | $100 (Bylaw 17-113 Schedule A, item a) | $0 (Schedule A items a–f waived) |
| Building permit fee | 1.40% of the cost of construction (Schedule A, item b). The City’s Guide to Building Permit Fees and Deposits (August 2026) says the cost excludes the plumbing and electrical permit values. | $0 |
| Building permit fee, work started without a permit | 2.8% of the cost of construction up to $20,000, and 1.4% of the remainder (item c; s.19(8)) | $0 under the waiver’s wording (items a–f); confirm with the City |
| Re-inspection fee | $50 (item f; s.19(7)) | $0 |
| Plumbing permit | $100 application fee plus 1.40% of the cost of the plumbing work (items h and i) | $0 (items h–m waived) |
| Electrical permit, contractor | Based on the total value of the work: $36 for $1–$300, $43 for $301–$500, $50 for $501–$700, $61 for $701–$1,000, $61 + $20 per $1,000 of work value from $1,001 to $20,000, and $441 + 1.25% of the work value over $20,000 (fee schedule, September 3, 2026) | $0 (the waiver covers all fees listed in Schedule E of the Electrical Safety Regulation Bylaw) |
| Electrical permit, homeowner | Based on 2 × material costs: $30–$91 for work under $1,000; 2% of the work + $91 for work over $1,000 (fee schedule) | $0 |
Sources: Bylaw 17-113 Schedule A, PDF; Fees and Deposits schedule, September 3, 2026 (PDF); Guide to Building Permit Fees and Deposits, August 2026 (PDF); Bylaw 26-020, PDF. The cost of construction is the greater of the contract price (including professional fees and a reasonable allowance for extras) and the City’s fair-market-value estimate (Bylaw 17-113 s.19(9)). The application fee is due when you apply, and the other fees when the permit is issued (fee guide).
Our own arithmetic, not a City quote: at the bylaw rate, $40,000 of building work (not counting the plumbing and electrical value) would carry a building permit fee of 1.40% × $40,000 = $560, plus the $100 application fee. While the waiver is in force, both are set to $0 for complete applications.
Development cost charges: section 4(c) of the Development Cost Charges Bylaw No. 24-053 says a development cost charge is not payable where the building permit authorizes a residential development with fewer than four self-contained dwelling units (PDF). Confirm with the City that this applies to your project. The Amenity Cost Charges Bylaw No. 25-048 imposes its charges on a building permit authorizing the construction of a building (s.3; PDF), so also ask whether any amenity or other charge applies.
Building a Secondary Suite in Victoria, BC: Fire Separation, Exits, Alarms & Headroom (2026)
What the BC Building Code 2024 asks for when an existing Victoria house gets a secondary suite, including the code table of alternate methods for existing houses (Division A Table 1.1.1.1.(6)). Adding a secondary suite to an existing house in the City of Victoria? This walkthrough covers the BC Building Code 2024 construction rules: when the code’s table of alternate methods for existing houses applies, how the fire separation rating depends on your smoke alarms (15, 30 or 45 minutes), wall and ceiling assemblies, doors, ducts and heating, bedroom egress windows and shared exits, smoke and CO alarms, ceiling heights and doorways, sound separation, the City’s policy on electrical panels, and inspections through to the occupancy permit.
Download the video (MP4) · Watch on YouTube (BC Trades & Permits)
Narration uses a synthetic (AI-generated) voice.
A secondary suite is built to Part 9 of the BC Building Code. For alterations to an existing building to add a secondary suite (not new additions or new buildings), the code lets you substitute the alternate compliance methods in Division A Table 1.1.1.1.(6) (Sentence 1.1.1.1.(6)). The code’s note says the table isn’t intended to be applied as a retroactive code, nor to new construction (Note A-1.1.1.1.(6)), and an alteration must not decrease the existing level of life safety and building performance (1.1.1.2.(1)). These are summaries, not the code wording; your approved plans and inspector have the final say (BC Building Code 2024).
| Topic | Code requirement (Division B unless noted) | Existing house: Table 1.1.1.1.(6) alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Fire separation between the units and any common spaces | 9.10.9.16.(4): 15 min when all smoke alarms in the house are photo-electric and interconnected (9.10.19.5.(2)(a)); 30 min when an additional photo-electric smoke alarm is installed in each dwelling unit and common space and interconnected (9.10.19.5.(2)(b)); 45 min when neither is done; no rating required if the building is sprinklered. | — |
| 15 min assembly | 9.10.3.1.(2) permits the 9.11.1.1.(2)(a) construction: joist spaces filled with at least 150 mm nominal sound-absorbing material, stud spaces filled, resilient channel on one side at 400 or 600 mm o.c., and at least 12.7 mm gypsum board on ceilings and both sides of walls. | — |
| 30 min assembly | 9.10.3.1.(3): wood studs, joist and stud spaces filled with the listed insulation, resilient channel on one side at 400 or 600 mm o.c., and at least 12.7 mm gypsum board on ceilings and both sides of walls. | Item 7: add resilient metal channel at 400 or 600 mm o.c. and another layer of at least 12.7 mm gypsum board to one side of an existing finished wall with at least 12.7 mm gypsum board on each side, or of an existing floor-ceiling with at least 12.7 mm gypsum on the ceiling side. |
| Supporting elements | 9.10.8.3.(1): loadbearing walls, columns and arches carry the rating of the floor they support. | Item 8: light-frame walls, columns, arches and beams and loadbearing steel supporting floors between the units (and common spaces) protected by at least 12.7 mm gypsum board; heavy timber, masonry and concrete excepted. |
| Doors in the fire separation | Every swing door needs a latch (9.10.13.9.) and a self-closing device (9.10.13.10.). A 30 or 45 min separation needs a 20 min closure (Table 9.10.13.1.); a 45 mm solid core wood door conforming to CAN/ULC-S113 is permitted, with no more than 6 mm clearance beneath and 3 mm at the sides and top (9.10.13.2.), in a wood frame at least 38 mm thick if the frame isn’t tested and rated (9.10.13.3.). | — |
| Ducts and heating | 9.33.1.1.(3): a duct system serving one unit isn’t directly interconnected with other parts of the house unless designed to prevent smoke circulation (9.32.3.2.(4)) and fitted with fire dampers (9.32.3.2.(5)). 9.10.9.9.(6): ducts through fire separations need no fire dampers if noncombustible with all openings in the duct system serving only one fire compartment. 9.32.1.2.(2): a self-contained heating-season ventilation system serving the house complies with Subsection 9.32.3. | — |
| Bedroom egress | 9.9.10.1.: unless the suite is sprinklered, each bedroom has an outside window or exterior door openable from inside without keys, tools or special knowledge; a window gives an unobstructed opening of at least 0.35 m² with no dimension under 380 mm; 760 mm clearance in a window well; a well cover openable from inside. | — |
| Shared exit, single stair | 9.9.9.3.(3): where either unit’s egress door opens onto a shared egress facility served by a single exit stair or ramp (other than the 9.9.9.3.(2) case), a second means of egress isn’t needed if the building is sprinklered or each unit has separate, direct access from each storey to a balcony or to a window with an opening at least 1 m high and 0.55 m wide, its sill no more than 1 m above the floor and no more than 7 m above adjacent ground (9.9.9.3.(3), applying the window rules in 9.9.9.1.(2)(a) and (b)). | Items 5 and 6: protecting openings near unenclosed exterior exit stairs and ramps, and near exit doors, isn’t required when all smoke alarms in the house are photo-electric and interconnected. |
| Smoke alarms | In each dwelling unit and in ancillary and common spaces (9.10.19.1.); on each storey including basements, in each sleeping room and between the sleeping rooms and the rest of the storey (in the hallway if there is one) (9.10.19.3.); permanently wired with no disconnect switch and battery backup for 7 days plus 4 minutes of alarm (9.10.19.4.); a silencing device for no more than 10 min (9.10.19.6.). | — |
| CO alarms | 9.32.4.2.: with a fuel-burning appliance in a suite, a CO alarm inside each bedroom or within 5 m of each bedroom door (4); with one in a service room outside the suites, CO alarms in each adjoining suite and in the service room (5); in a house with a secondary suite, CO alarms are interconnected (7). | — |
| Ceiling height | At least 2.1 m over the minimum area in Table 9.5.3.1. (9.5.3.1.(1), as quoted in Table 1.1.1.1.(6)). | Item 2: at least 1.95 m over the required area, with travel between the required areas of all rooms without dropping below 1.95 m; at least 1.85 m under beams and ducting, including over stairs (except as 9.9.3.4.(3) requires). |
| Doorways and stairs | Doorways for doors at least 1,980 mm high (9.5.5.1.); 1,950 mm clear height over stairs (9.8.2.2.(3)). | Items 3 and 4: doorways within the suite for doors at least 1,890 mm high, except exit doors and doors serving public and exit corridors; 1,850 mm over stairs under existing beams and ducting, except stairs in a public or exit corridor. |
| Sound | 9.11.1.1.(2): the basic assembly above, construction rated at least STC 43, or a separating assembly and adjoining construction rated at least ASTC 40. | Item 9: resilient metal channel at 400 or 600 mm o.c. and another layer of at least 12.7 mm gypsum board on one side of an existing finished assembly, in place of the basic assembly. |
| Grab bars | 3.8.5.1.(2): one bathroom in a suite reinforced for future grab bars. | Item 1: not required in existing bathrooms serving the suite. |
The City’s Electrical Permits page links an Electrical Inspections Policy, Service and Panels in Secondary Suites. It’s a 2011 policy (date of issue August 18, 2011) and cites rule numbers from an older Canadian Electrical Code, so confirm it with the City (policy, PDF; electrical permits page). It says:
Related: Secondary suite permit how-to (BC) · Vancouver secondary suite permit guide · Nanaimo secondary suite permit guide · Duncan secondary suite permit guide · Victoria building permit guide · Victoria deck permit and build guide · 30-second permit quiz
Most houses, suites, decks and garages fall under Part 9 of the BC Building Code 2024: buildings of 3 storeys or less, up to 600 m², with residential or certain other uses (Division A, 1.3.3.3). Bigger buildings fall under Part 3, which always needs registered professionals and Letters of Assurance (Division C, 2.2.7.1).
On a Part 9 project, the Code requires a registered professional (an engineer or architect who seals drawings and signs Letters of Assurance) only for parts outside Part 9. Examples are beams with point loads, girder trusses, engineered products, soil or foundation conditions beyond Part 9, and retaining walls that support a foundation. The province also recommends professional design for other retaining walls over 1.2 m. For the rest, the Code doesn’t say who must draw the plans. The city sets the drawing standard.
Victoria’s house checklist asks for plans prepared to professional drafting standards, but it covers new projects, additions and exterior work. Ask the city what an interior suite needs.
Checked October 26, 2026: BC Building Code 2024 (PDF) · Guide to Letters of Assurance (PDF) · Letters of Assurance (gov.bc.ca) · EGBC guidelines · AIBC: does your project need an architect? · eApplication checklist (PDF)
Yes. The City says a secondary suite needs all required building, plumbing and electrical permits, and is legal once that work is completed and inspected and the City issues a final occupancy permit. Bylaw 17-113 s.6(1) bans altering a building or changing its occupancy without a valid permit.
At the bylaw rates, a $100 application fee plus a building permit fee of 1.40% of the cost of construction (the City’s Guide to Building Permit Fees and Deposits says the cost excludes the plumbing and electrical permit values), with separate plumbing and electrical permit fees. The Development Fee Waiver Bylaw No. 26-020, s.4, sets those fees to $0 for complete applications received after its January 29, 2026 adoption, up to and on its repeal date 12 months after adoption (s.3 and s.5; the City gives January 29, 2027; verified on 2026-10-05). Confirm with the City what you’ll pay.
For alterations to an existing house to add a suite, BC Building Code 2024 Division A Table 1.1.1.1.(6) allows at least 1.95 m over the required area of each room, with travel between rooms at no less than 1.95 m, and at least 1.85 m under beams and ducting, including over stairs. The general Part 9 rule is 2.1 m.
Zoning Bylaw 2018 (Part 5, Table 1) requires no parking space for a secondary suite. The Zoning Regulation Bylaw’s Schedule C also lists none, unless two suites (secondary or garden) are on the same lot, which adds 1.0 space. Check the bylaw that applies to your zone.
No. The Zoning Regulation Bylaw defines a secondary suite with the BC Building Code meaning and says it does not include a strata lot. The code requires both units to be a single real estate entity.
Section 4(c) of the Development Cost Charges Bylaw No. 24-053 says a development cost charge is not payable for a residential development with fewer than four self-contained dwelling units. Confirm with the City that this applies to your project, and ask whether any amenity cost charge (Bylaw No. 25-048) or other charge applies.
Book through MyCity until 7 a.m. on the day of the inspection, or by the online form or by phone at 250-361-0344 until 4 p.m. on the business day before. Give at least 24 hours’ notice and keep the permit package on site. Plumbing and electrical inspections are booked through MyCity.
Independent information only. This guide is a planning aid, not legal, engineering or building-code advice. Codes and bylaws change, and the building official for your address has the final say. Confirm every requirement 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 1, 2026. Found an error or a broken link? Report it.