The Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs is requesting feedback through a short survey on the value of the Province developing new guidance on the preparation and submission of residential permit drawings to reduce errors and improve project timelines.
This survey aims to understand and inform the development of a standardized Part 9 permit drawing guide that could include recommendations for:
- Standardized sequence of a drawing layout
- Standardized scale of a drawing layout
- Standardized grid lines of a drawing layout
- Standardized location of notes on drawing pages
- Standardized location of calculations on drawing pages
- Referencing local regulatory provisions (i.e., Zoning and infrastructure requirements)
- More cross-referenced information on drawing sets (i.e., lateral design notes on floor plans, elevations, and cross-sections)
- More drawing information related to mechanical systems (i.e., to ensure Step Code compliance)
Interest in developing new guidance for residential permit drawings emerged from discussions between building officials and ministry staff. As BC Building Code requirements have become more complex, differences in residential drawing requirements between jurisdictions may contribute to delays or confusion during permit review and construction due to:
- Drawing errors,
- Missing information, and/or
- Unclear requirements.
The survey closes Friday, September 26, 2025, and takes approximately five minutes to complete.
If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Lily Maase, Communications Coordinator, at Lily.Maase@gov.bc.ca.