You must submit a completed Planning Compliance form with every building permit application. Development permit areas (DPAs), Agriculture Land Designation (ALR), zoning bylaw regulations and charges on title all play crucial roles and can significantly impact the location of the building site. Proper consideration of these elements is essential for any construction project to ensure legal adherence, environmental responsibility, and the overall success of the building project.
Check zoning designations and compare this to the information provided in Zoning Bylaw No. 2950 to understand the permitted uses, building regulations, and any other zoning-related details.
Identify Development Permit Areas
Determine if the property lies with the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR).
Review Zoning Bylaw Regulations:
Review the Zoning Bylaw No. 2950 for setbacks, lot coverage, and building height restrictions.
Complete the form accurately, referring to the municipal interactive mapping and Zoning Bylaw No. 2950 as needed to ensure your responses are in line with the current regulations and designations.
Verify, sign and submit:
Once complete, submit this form with the building permit application package.
Step 2: Design your project
General design requirements
Homeowners and/or contractors are responsible for ensuring that designs and construction meet applicable codes.
Permits are required for kits, packages and pre-assembled structures larger than 10 sq m. (107 sq ft).
Application requirements:
Site plan
Manufacturer package specifications and/or construction guide provided by the product manufacturer
Schedule B
Floor plan must show location of all plumbing fixtures
A Highway Access Permit is required if a new driveway access is required to serve the new detached garage / shed. The proposed driveway location must be shown on the site plan and include the width of the driveway and the distance from each adjacent property pin.
Professional surveyor
A surveyor will be required to locate the proposed foundation if the proposed building is within 1 foot of a required setback and the property pins are available or if the proposed building is within 5 feet of a required setback and the property pins are not available.
Upload the required checklist documentation via ShareLink.
Once received, your request will be processed
Step 4: Building permit fees
Once a building permit has been approved a fee slip will be provided for payment.
The permit fee is set out in the Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 3784. Please contact the Building Department to confirm amount owed
Permit fees are payable by:
cash, interact, cheque or money order - made payable to the Corporation of the District of North Cowichan
online payment - please use “North Cowichan – A/R” as the payee, using folder number BP00…. as your account to identify the fee you are paying. We request that you email a copy of your Fee Slip to finance@northcowichan.ca when payment has been made and copy the email to building@northcowichan.ca. Applicants may need to contact their financial institution for vendor account formatting.
Credit cards are not accepted.
A fee slip with be sent to the applicant once the permit is approved.
The permit fee does not include the Development Permit fee if one is determined to be required.
Important information about permits
Inspections may be required at various stages of your project. Call 250-746-3102 to request an inspection or to confirm all required permits and paperwork is complete.
