White Rock is officially known as “my city by the sea” – a beautiful place to build the house of your dreams. However, as with most municipalities, building a home can be a convoluted process if you are unfamiliar with the city’s bylaws and regulations. By hiring a professional home builder you will avoid unnecessary delays and/or mistakes when it comes to the initial phases of applying for a building permit. A home builder will have experience working with different municipalities and will understand specific timelines to make the initial phases of creating your dream home that much easier. Below we have provided information on navigating through the City of White Rock’s processes to prepare you for building your home.
1. Pre- Application
A building permit is required by the City of White Rock in order to build a new home, renovate or add on to an existing home. You may have an existing structure on the piece of land you own that will need to be demolished prior to commencing construction, in which case the City of White Rock requires you to obtain a demolition permit.
Click here for a list of items required for a demolition permit.
2. Building Permit Application Checklist
Otherwise, you are ready to prepare your application to obtain a building permit from the city. Applications are accepted by the planning and development department located at city hall. Insurance, drawings and professional surveys are all due at the time of your building permit application. It is important that you fill out the building permit application accurately, as any errors or omissions will result in a delay in receiving your permit.
For a full list of items required for your application, click here.
Drawings submitted to the City of White Rock must be completed as per the guidelines provided by the City. 2 sets of building plans signed and sealed by an engineer, 2 sets of fire suppression system signed and sealed by an engineer, 2 sets of building envelope details signed and sealed by an engineer must all be included in your drawing set in order for the City to review them.
For a detailed explanation of drawing requirements click here.
3. Application Review Phase
Prior to receiving your building permit, a site inspection and review of your plans will occur prior to your plans being forwarded to the engineering department for further review. The engineering department will review driveway applications and permits, sanitary and storm sewer connections, and installation of roadway structures (culverts, bulkheads and driveway crossings).
4. Issuance of Permit
Once the plans have been fully reviewed and are in accordance with the current B.C. Building Code and City of White Rock’s municipal bylaws, a building permit will be issued.
5. Inspections
As you complete different steps of the work you are required to book an inspection. It is important that you do not proceed with any further work until each step has been inspected. Inspections include: Forms (concrete work); Service Connection; Poly Inspection (for radiant heating); Building Height; Exterior Framing/Sheathing; Rough Plumbing; Framing; Insulation and Vapour Barrier; Final Inspection for Plumbing and Final Building Inspection. Your Final Building Inspection should be called in when all construction work is complete and before occupancy.
For a detailed list of inspections click here.
Each step of the process is an important one towards the final construction of your dream home. It is important to pay close attention to each step and ensure you are meeting all of the requirements in order to avoid delays. A home builder will take the lead on this process and is considered to be an efficient way to avoid having to redo certain steps, all which can cost you more money and delay the construction timeline. Ultimately it is important to build a relationship with your builder and learn to trust their judgment and expertise once the process begins. At SC Morgan, we work with you to ensure your dream home is built in a stress free and timely manner.