For fire recovery information, please visit the McDougall Creek wildfire recovery page.
Building regulation and inspection services are provided to:
- Electoral Area East including Ellison, Joe Rich and the south end of Lakeshore Road
- Electoral Area West including Brent Road, Trepanier and Westside Road communities
For properties within a local municipality, please contact their office directly for information on their bylaws and processes.
Building permits are required for the construction, addition, alteration or demolition of any building or structure. Accessory buildings less than 10 square meters are exempt.
For more information or for general building and permit inquiries, please contact Inspection Services by phone 250-469-6211 or by email.
Building permits
| Building bylaws |
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Our building inspectors follow Building | Bylaw No. 1482 which administers the regulations of the BC Building Code, including local regulations, permits and building inspections. The bylaw is enforced on a continual basis and applies to the Electoral Area East and Electoral Area West of the RDCO. For permit fees please see the Development Application Fees and Charges | Bylaw No. 1483 |
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Apply for a building permit |
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Building permit applications can now be submitted online. Please select your permit type and you will be prompted to provide required application files and application details. Only PDF documents will be accepted. Please note, only complete applications will be accepted. Online building permit application Please ensure your building permit application complies with current zoning on the subject property. For your reference, please find links to the GIS Mapping and Planning and land use for additional information. If you require assistance with your online application, please call Inspection Services at 250-469-6211 or email inspection@rdco.com. Please note, emailed applications will not be accepted. If you prefer to apply in person, applications can be submitted to Inspection Services at the Regional District of Central Okanagan office located at 1450 KLO Road on the 2nd Floor. We are open from 8:00am to 4:00pm, Monday to Friday, excluding holidays. Building permit processing times may vary depending on the time of year, complexity of project and various other factors. Fees for building permits range according to type of application and construction value. For building permit fees, please review the Development Application Fees and Charges | Bylaw No. 1483 Please refer to the building permit application checklist to ensure all required documentation is included with your application. Only complete applications will be accepted. Note: Preferred size for drawings: 11 x 17 and submission of digital plans (PDF format) |
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Property information requests |
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A property information request provides homeowners, contractors and real estate agents information regarding building permit history and zoning on a particular property. Please note: As of January 2, 2024, the fee for these requests is $45 (GST included). To submit a property information request, please submit a Service Request, select Building permits and inspections, then select Property information requests. Attach a signed listing agreement or Owners authorization form to avoid delays in your request. Due to the high number of requests and inquiries that we are receiving as a result of wildfire property damage in the region, response times may vary and may take longer than usual. Requests will be processed in the order that they are received. |
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Re-inspection fee |
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The re-inspection fee is only for active building permits where an additional fee is required throughout the inspection process, determined by the building inspector. Follow the prompts on the re-inspection page to make payment. Once the re-inspection fee has been paid, follow the link below to schedule the next inspection on your building permit. |
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Secondary Suites |
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A secondary suite is a self-contained unit within the primary dwelling that has its own separate kitchen, sleeping and bathing facilities. Secondary suites must follow the regulations in the Secondary Suite Brochure Secondary Suite Design Requirements:
Note: For properties located within the Joe Rich area are still required to apply for a Land Use Amendment application to allow for a secondary suite. For additional information, please visit: Planning and Land Use - Secondary Suites - Joe Rich
Planning and Land Use - Secondary Suites Provincial Housing Legislation Changes Review building permit application requirements and process here: Apply for a Building Permit
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Wildfire Covenants |
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Construction within a Wildfire Interface Development Permit Area requires registration of a wildfire covenant prior to building permit issuance. Contact your notary public or lawyer for assistance with registering a wildfire covenant on your property.
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Resources |
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Application Documents: Bylaws: Booking an inspection
For Electrical Permit information, contact Technical Safety BC at 1-866-566-7233 For Septic information, contact Interior Health at 250-979-7665
To request a Title Search and Title documents, please contact: Land Title & Survey Authority of BC: 1-877-577-5872, OR Speedy Search: 250-763-9977 or speedysearch.ca
Online versions of the BC Building, Plumbing and Fire Codes are now available free of charge. To access the BC Codes, visit the following website: BC Publications website. |
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Statistics for approved building permits |
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Click here to view a map of current approved building permits: Approved building permits map
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Inspections
| Building inspection checklist |
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In accordance with the building Bylaws, the items listed on this inspection checklist will be reviewed by the building inspector while completing an inspection. Inspections are required at various stages in the construction process to ensure that construction conforms to the minimum standards of the BC Building Code. Please review your permit package for inspections required on your approved building permit. If you have any questions on the inspections required, please contact Inspection Services by phone at 250-469-6211 or by email |
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Book an inspection |
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Inspections are required at various stages in the construction process to ensure that construction conforms to the minimum standards of the BC Building Code. Please review your permit package for inspections required on your approved building permit. If you have any questions on the inspections required, please contact Inspection Services by phone at 250-469-6211 or by email The building permit package must be on site for all inspections. If these documents are not available for inspectors reference, no inspections will be made. Same day inspections are not available. If the date is not specified, the next inspection day for that area will be booked. 48-hour advance notice is required for your inspection booking. Inspection request MUST include:
To book an inspection:
Please note: confirmation of inspection bookings is auto-generated through the service request system. We do not provide call backs for booking. If you require confirmation, please submit a service request. |
| Inspection day schedule |
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Inspection schedule is as follows: Electoral Area West (Brent Road, Trepanier, Westside Road communities)
Electoral Area East (Ellison, Joe Rich, south end of Lakeshore Road)
Inspections are carried out between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on each scheduled inspection day. Where a second re-inspection is required due to non-compliance to code or bylaw provisions, a re-inspection fee shall be paid prior to the re-inspection.
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BC Energy Step Code
The BC Energy Step Code is the new performance-based standard for the BC Building Code that establishes measurable energy-efficiency requirements for new construction. The BC Energy Step Code groups these performance requirements into a series of “steps” of increasing energy efficiency. To comply with these steps, applicants must use energy modelling software and on-site air tightness testing to demonstrate that both their design and the constructed building meet Step Code requirements.
As of January 1, 2023, all building permit applications for new construction under Part 9 of the Building Code must meet Step 3 of the Energy Step Code.
- Learn more with our BC Energy Step Code Information Bulletin
| Videos about Step Code |
| Timelines for Step Code |
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Program-qualified energy search tool |
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Rebates and incentives |
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Incentive programs for enhanced compliance:
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More information |
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Please visit energystepcode.ca for more information about the Energy Step Code. For further inquiries related to retrofitting or renovating, contact RDCO staff, who can help you with available rebates and incentives in our region. |