Please see Part 6 of the City of Kamloops Building Regulation Bylaw No. 11-84 to determine exemptions from requiring a building permit, and Part 13 of the same bylaw to determine when a permit is required. 

Please see Part 13.56 of the City of Kamloops Building Regulation Bylaw No. 11-84.  

There are two different costs for a permit: the application fee and the actual permit fee. The permit application fee is based on the type of application, and the actual building permit fee is based on the value of construction. Please see City of the Kamloops Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 44-14, Schedule "C", for a list of application and permit fees. 

The approved building plans, along with the building permit, form an important element of the building permit inspection process. The plans are likely to have been amended during the processing and approval processes, in order to reflect the requirements of City of Kamloops' bylaws. It is important that the approved plans are available to the Building Official on site when they conduct their inspection, as they may be different from the initial plans.

The City of Kamloops Building Regulation Bylaw No. 11-84 also requires the approved plans to be on site until the inspection is passed. You are asked to have the approved plans on site before the Building Official arrives for their inspection. The Building Official will not perform the inspection unless the approved plans are on site.

It is our policy to apply a re-inspection fee if work is not ready for inspection more than once, or if plans are not available at the time of inspection. The re-inspection fee must be paid before the inspection will be carried out. 

Yes.

See the Development Cost Charges Bylaw No. 48-100 for information on which projects are exempt.

Learn more about how development cost charges work here.

Development cost charges shall be paid in full prior to issuance of a building permit. See the Development Cost Charges Bylaw No. 48-100 for more information.

Learn more about how development cost charges work here.

The Architects Regulation Act in British Columbia provides guidance on when an architect is required for a project based on factors such as occupancy classification, use and building size.  Please refer to the Architects Regulation explanatory guide for specific requirements.

The Community Charter states that "a Building Official may require an engineering report when construction is proposed on land that may be subject to flood, mud flows, debris torrents, erosion, landslip, rock falls and subsidence or avalanche". In Kamloops, we most often encounter a risk of subsidence due to silt bluff and risk of landslip on steep sites.

The report will identify hazards, provide recommendations to address the site conditions, and certify that "the land is safe for the use intended".

The City will rely on the report when making decisions regarding development of the land and the report will be registered on the title of the property with a covenant to advise any future purchasers of the potential risks and the remediation that has taken place.

Drawings submitted for a building permit must be first approved by Public Health when they include a public swimming pool or hot tub (including apartment buildings or care facilities), food store, bakery, food processing, water bottling, daycare for more than ten, a group home for more than seven, a community care facility or a slaughter house.

The Interior Health Authority's inspectors can be reached at 250-851-7340 or by fax 250-851-7341.

Hot tubs 7.5 m² or less in area with a lockable lid do not require building permit.

Hot tubs greater than 7.5 m² in area and capable of being filled with water to a depth of greater than 600 mm (2 ft) are defined as pools in Building Regulation Bylaw No. 11-84 and do require a building permit. Therefore, Part 19 of the City of Kamloops Building Bylaw No.11-84 applies. 

All the requirements for a pool permit are listed in Part 19 of the City of Kamloops Building Regulation Bylaw No. 11-84. 

You can request an inspection 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by calling the inspection line at 250-828-3300. The following information is required: 

• your address
• permit number
• the type of inspection you wish to have

No permit shall be issued for the construction of an accessory building or structure on any site unless the principal building to which the accessory building or structure is an accessory has been constructed or will be constructed simultaneously with said accessory building or structure. The building must also meet all the building bylaw requirements for the property zoning.

Accessory buildings in residential zones which do not exceed 10 m² (108 sq. ft.) in building area may be placed or constructed without the need for a building permit. You are still required to ensure that the building is sited in accordance with Zoning Bylaw No. 55 (as amended from time to time,) and any other applicable enactment. 

A registered professional shall undertake the design and conduct field reviews of the construction of a retaining structure greater than 1.2 m (4 ft.) in height. The following documents must be submitted to the building official:

• sealed copies of the design and plan certification
• field reviews by means of letters of assurance (Schedule B and C-B as referred to in Section 2.6 of Part 2 of the Building Code)

Development cost charges shall be paid in full prior to issuance of a building permit. See Development Cost Charges Bylaw No. 48-100 for more information.

Learn more about how development cost charges work here.

In certain areas of the city a geotechnical engineer is required by covenants placed against the property. Please check your Certificate of Title and associated covenants to see if this applies to you. At the time of inspection, the inspector may request a geotechnical engineer if the inspector feels that the site conditions, soil types, contours, or drainage require special foundation design.

A solid fuel-burning appliance must be connected to either a masonry chimney conforming to the BC Building Code or a factory-built chimney conforming to ULC standard S629. In many cases, the existing chimney (masonry or metal) may not conform to current standards or manufacturers' appliance requirements. Therefore, it would require review by a qualified mason/installer prior to considering installation of a solid fuel-burning appliance. 

Clearances are regulated by the CAN/CSA-B365 Installation Code for Solid-Fuel-Burning Appliances and Equipment. Appliances are tested and certified by the CSA Group or the Underwriters Laboratory of Canada. A label showing the distances from combustible materials of which the appliance was tested is usually attached to the appliance, most often on the back.

The appliance must be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications on the label. It is possible to install brick, ceramic, or sheet metal shielding on your walls or ceiling and reduce the required clearance in accordance with the CSA Group standard.

Clearance is measured from the wall surface. If a shield is installed to protect a wall that is considered to be combustible, the clearance is still measured from the wall.

We only accept certified appliances. Consult your insurance underwriter for non-certified appliance approvals.

The pad under the stove is required to protect the floor from embers when you open the door. The pad must extend 18 inches from the appliance at the loading side and eight inches on the other sides according to the CSA Group installation standard.

A separate demolition permit is required to demolish a building unless you already have an active building permit for reconstruction that includes the demolition work.

Every person submitting an application for a permit to demolish a building shall, as part of their application, provide the Building Inspector with satisfactory evidence that no unsafe condition will be created or permitted and all utility services to the building have been disconnected and all such disconnections have been approved by the appropriate authority.

A Building Permit Application for a demolition is required from the building owner or his/her agent, a site plan, and a Hazardous Assessment Clearance Letter for that property are required for a demolition permit to be issued. A security is to be provided in a form satisfactory to the Building Inspector to ensure that the site of the demolition will be left in a safe, neat condition, free from debris or dust and compliant with neighbourhood properties. The amount of security shall be equal to the estimated cost of the site restoration and shall be acceptable to the Building Inspector. Permit fees shall be in accordance with the Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 44-14, Schedule "C".