When is a Building Permit Required?

B.C. Building Regulations require you to obtain a Building Permit if you are planning to:

• construct a new single family dwelling;
• construct an accessory building having a foot print area exceeding 100 square feet;
• make structural changes or repairs to a dwelling;
• adding an addition to an existing building;
• add a retaining wall/guard over 4ft. in height;
• improve unfinished areas of a dwelling;
• demolish all or a portion of a structure or dwelling IE Balcony (decks) construction and replacement;
• move a building either within a lot or onto another lot (with a special permit needed for moving on roadways);
• install a wood or oil burning appliance, a fireplace insert, or a hearth stove.

What is the purpose of the Building Permit and Inspections Procedure application?

A Building Permit and subsequent inspections enable the RDEK to:

• ensure all building and construction comply with safety, structural, health and zoning regulations of the Province of B.C., and the R.E.D.K.;
• inspect buildings at each stage of construction to ensure they are being built in accordance with the approved drawings and specifications (D & S);
• ensure that a newly constructed building has been constructed to a point where it is substantially completed and in compliance with applicable codes, regulations and bylaws, before an occupancy permit is issued.

The Site Plan drawing should include: location of the proposed building, any existing building(s) on the property with dimensions and setback distances to property lines; existing and finished ground elevations; the location of domestic water system and sanitary sewer system (including septic tank disposal field where applicable); lot grading and drainage, landscaping and driveway.

In addition, the applicant must stake out the proposed building(s) and driveway location on the lot.

Septic and foreshore approvals may be required if work is occurring in these areas, please refer to the following links.

SEPTIC
FORESHORE

VIOLATION

2.02 Every person who violates any provision of this Bylaw, or who causes or suffers or permits any act or thing to be done in contravention of, or in violation of, any provision of this Bylaw, or who neglects to do or refrains from doing anything required to be done under provisions of this Bylaw, shall be guilty of an offence of this Bylaw.

PENALTY

2.03 Every person guilty of an offence of this Bylaw shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty not exceeding two thousand dollars ($2,000.00) for each offence and costs of prosecution.

Here are some of the basic single family residential zoning bylaws. For more in-depth information please go to the RDEK web site www.rdek.bc.ca

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RDEK SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ZONE – R1

Permitted Uses

• Single Family Dwelling
• Uses permitted under Section 4.03 of this Bylaw (see rdek link above)

Accessory Uses

• Home Based Business
• Other Uses, buildings and structures accessory to a permitted use.

Parcel Area

Subject to Section 5.02 of this Bylaw (see rdek link above), no parcel shall be created in the R-1 zone which is less than 555 m² (5974.2 ft²) in area.

Density

No person shall site more than one (1) single family dwelling on a parcel in the R-1 zone.

Siting

• No person shall site a principal building in the R-1 zone which has:
  1. a front yard less than 7.5 m (24.6 ft);
  2. a rear yard less than 6 m (19.7 ft);
  3. a side yard less than 1.5 m (4.9 ft), nor less than 4.5 m (14.8 ft) where adjacent to a highway right-of-way other than a lane.
• No person shall site an accessory building or structure in the R-1 zone which has:
  1. a front yard less than 7.5 m (24.6 ft);
  2. a rear yard less than 1.5 m (4.9 ft), nor less than 4.5 m (14.8 ft) where adjacent to a highway right-of-way other than a lane;
  3. a side yard less than 1.5 m (4.9 ft), nor less than 4.5 m (14.8 ft) where adjacent to a highway right-of-way other than a lane.

Eaves

• can project 2'0" into side yard;
• 3'3" into the front or rear yards.

Decks

• can protrude 1.8 m into a front yard
• can protrude 50% into a side yard

No person shall site a principal building in the R-1 zone which exceeds a height of 4.9 m (16 ft).
Parcel coverage in the R-1 zone shall not exceed 30%.

The height restriction of 16ft in IBE is one restriction that differs from the RDEK.
All other RDEK bylaws are applied to IBE as well.