Development Permit Fees: Vancouver vs Burnaby vs Surrey

Development permit fees for a home addition vary significantly between Metro Vancouver municipalities, with the City of Vancouver being the most expensive, followed by Burnaby and Surrey offering comparatively lower fee structures. Understanding these differences is important because permit fees are just one layer of the total soft costs that can catch homeowners off guard when budgeting for an addition.

In the City of Vancouver, development permit fees for a residential addition are calculated based on a combination of flat fees and the declared construction value. As of the 2026 fee schedule (which saw a 4.5% increase over the prior year), a standard development permit for a one- or two-family dwelling addition runs approximately $1,560 to $4,200 depending on the scope of the project. If your addition triggers a rezoning or a development variance, the fees climb substantially — a development variance permit alone costs approximately $2,500 to $3,800 on top of the base development permit fee. The City of Vancouver also charges Development Cost Levies (DCLs) when you add significant new floor area, and these can range from $15 to $40 per square foot of new space depending on the neighbourhood and the type of development. For a typical 400-square-foot addition, DCLs alone could add $6,000 to $16,000 to your permit costs. Vancouver also applies Community Amenity Contributions on certain project types, though these primarily affect larger developments rather than single-family additions.

On top of the development permit, you still need a building permit, which Vancouver calculates as a percentage of declared construction value — roughly $12 to $15 per $1,000 of construction value. For a $200,000 addition, that translates to approximately $2,400 to $3,000 in building permit fees. Add in plan processing surcharges, and the total permit cost for a mid-sized addition in Vancouver can easily reach $8,000 to $25,000 before you pour a single footing.

In Burnaby, the fee structure is more modest. Burnaby charges a building permit fee based on construction value, typically around $10 to $12 per $1,000 of declared value, plus flat fees for plan examination. A development permit for a single-family addition in Burnaby generally runs $800 to $2,500 depending on whether the project falls within a development permit area under the Official Community Plan. If you need a development variance permit — say your addition pushes lot coverage beyond the standard 40% maximum or encroaches into a setback — the variance application fee is approximately $1,500 to $3,000. Burnaby does not currently apply development cost charges (DCCs) on most small-scale residential additions in the same aggressive way that Vancouver does, which is one of the biggest cost differences between the two cities. Total permit costs for a typical addition in Burnaby run $3,000 to $8,000 — roughly half of what you would pay in Vancouver for the same project.

Surrey tends to be the most affordable of the three for permit fees. Building permit fees in Surrey are calculated at approximately $8 to $11 per $1,000 of construction value, and the development permit process for standard residential additions is streamlined compared to Vancouver. A straightforward addition that complies with the zoning bylaw may not require a separate development permit at all — the building permit application covers the zoning review in many cases. When a development permit is required, fees range from $500 to $2,000. Development cost charges in Surrey apply to new dwelling units rather than additions to existing homes, so a home addition typically avoids the substantial DCC hit you face in Vancouver. Total permit costs for a typical addition in Surrey run $1,500 to $5,000.

Beyond the municipal permit fees themselves, you need to budget for the professional costs required to obtain those permits. Architectural drawings compliant with each municipality's submission requirements run $5,000 to $15,000 for an addition, and structural engineering adds another $2,000 to $5,000. Energy modelling for BC Step Code compliance adds $1,500 to $3,000. A geotechnical report, if required by site conditions, costs $2,500 to $5,000. An arborist report for tree protection adds $500 to $1,500. These professional fees are largely the same regardless of which municipality you are building in.

One practical tip: each of these municipalities offers a preliminary plan review or pre-application consultation, either free or for a nominal fee. Taking advantage of this service before you invest in full design drawings can save thousands of dollars by identifying zoning issues, setback conflicts, or lot coverage problems early — before your architect has produced a complete drawing set that needs to be revised. In Vancouver especially, where the development permit timeline can stretch to six months or more, a pre-application meeting is well worth the effort.

---

Find a Home Addition Contractor

Vancouver Home Additions connects you with experienced contractors through the https://vancouverconstructionnetwork.com:

• Heilman Renovations ✓
• True North Strong Contracting Ltd ✓
• Greenshield Construction inc ✓