BC's fastest-growing city runs a busy, well-documented permit counter. Here's the tiered fee schedule, the online estimator, and the cancellation rule that costs applicants real money.
Surrey is BC's fastest-growing city and one of its busiest permit counters. The good news: Surrey publishes a clear tiered fee schedule and runs an online fee estimator, so you can price your permit before you talk to anyone. The catch: the fees stack, and the refund rules bite if you cancel.
New buildings, additions, structural changes, secondary suites and coach houses (huge in Surrey), decks above grade thresholds, demolition, and plumbing alterations. Electrical and gas run through Technical Safety BC, not the city.
Surrey uses tiered flat building-permit fees by construction value:
| Construction Value | Building Permit Fee |
|---|---|
| $0 – $19,999 | $50 |
| $20,000 – $99,999 | $150 |
| $100,000 – $999,999 | $700 |
| $1M – $4,999,999 | $5,500 |
| $5M and up | $25,000 |
On top of the permit fee: a residential Letter of Inquiry is $300, Alternative Solution reviews run $676, plan revisions $333, and there's a $2,500 damage deposit on many projects. Development Cost Charges (DCCs) apply to new construction and are often the biggest line.
Use Surrey's online Building/Sign Permit Fee Estimator to price your job, then apply through the city's online services. Straightforward residential work typically clears in several weeks from a complete application; larger and multi-family projects run months, especially where rezoning or development permits are involved.
| Purpose | Contact |
|---|---|
| Building Division | City Hall, 13450 104 Ave, Surrey, BC V3T 1V8 |
| Fee estimator | surrey.ca → Building Permit Fees & Fee Estimator |
| Jurisdiction check | White Rock is a separate city; parts of the area fall under Metro Vancouver electoral areas |