October 12, 2023
Victoria, B.C. — British Columbia is looking to make applying for building permits simpler. A new digital building permit tool is in the works and is expected to begin testing in partnership communities by March 2024. The pilot project will expand into other communities, following the partnership with the province, 16 local governments, and one First Nations government.
“This is an important initiative that is designed to help get more housing built faster and to mitigate costs related to delays,” said Tom Dyas, mayor of Kelowna. “The City of Kelowna has been working on a similar system over the past year and is eager to share our learnings as well as learn what else can be done by working collaboratively across governments.”
Many jurisdictions in B.C. currently rely on a paper-based application process for new housing developments. Once completed, the new digital building permit tool will make it faster for builders and developers to digitally submit permits for new housing and for local governments to receive and process applications. The tool is expected to automatically review the submission to ensure compliance with key parts of the BC Building Code.
Read More: https://plumbingandhvac.ca/b-c-transitioning-to-digital-building-permits/