Chetwynd building permit fees

How much does a building permit cost in Chetwynd?

Chetwynd, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-08

Short answer

In Chetwynd a building permit costs $9 per $1,000 of construction value on the first $10,000, plus $6.50 per $1,000 on the rest, with a $75 minimum. Value is the contract cost or the bylaw's per-square-foot rates, whichever is greater.

Key facts

Lowest fee	$75 (minimum building permit fee, for retaining walls and similar small jobs).Building Bylaw No. 973, 2012, consolidated to Bylaw 1028, Appendix 1, Building Permit Fees · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 Official wording Minimum Building Permit Fee (retaining walls, etc.) $75.00
How the fee is worked out	$9 per $1,000 of construction value on the first $10,000, plus $6.50 per $1,000 on the remainder over $10,000. Value is the contract cost or the bylaw's per-square-foot rates, whichever is greater. The fee is cut 10% if an engineer provides a sealed design and on-site supervision.Building Bylaw No. 973, 2012, consolidated to Bylaw 1028, Appendix 1; Building Bylaw No. 973, 2012, consolidated to Bylaw 1028, Appendix 2 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 Official wording First $10,000 of construction value $9.00 per $1,000 of value Remainder of construction value over $10,000 $6.50 per $1.000 of value Building Permit cost will be reduced by ten percent (10%). Value of residential construction will be calculated as per the contract cost if whichever is the greater amount.
Application or plan review fee	None set. The Building Bylaw lists no separate application or plan review fee.Read: Building Bylaw No. 973, 2012, consolidated to Bylaw 1028
Other fees	Re-inspection $40; inspection outside regular hours $65; starting without a permit $400. If a stop work order is issued, penalty of double the permit fee, up to $1,500 (work under $1 million; 15% up to $15,000 above). Damage deposit $500, $250 or $1,000. Move or demolish: $625 under 200 sq ft, $1,250 over (75% refundable).Sources differ: The $400 charge in Appendix 1 and the 'double the permit fee' penalty in s. 4.15 both address starting without a permit; the bylaw does not say how they fit together. Temporary structure permits have a $250 refundable security deposit and a $200 long-term permit fee (Bylaws 993 and 1010). General bylaw offences carry a fine of $500 to $10,000 (s. 4.11).Building Bylaw No. 973, 2012, consolidated to Bylaw 1028, Appendix 1; Building Bylaw No. 973, 2012, consolidated to Bylaw 1028, s. 4.15 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 Official wording Re-Inspection Fee $40.00 Inspection outside of regular working hours $65.00 Charge for starting construction without permit $400.00 Single Family Dwellings $500.00 Renovations or buildings valued less than $10,000 $250.00 All other projects $1,000.00 Under 200 square feet $625.00 200 square feet and over $1,250.00 Failure to control debris and rubbish from leaving site pay a penalty equal to double the permit fee for construction valued up to 1,000,000 (one million dollars), such penalty not to exceed $1,500 (one thousand five hundred dollars) such penalty not to exceed $15,000 (fifteen thousand dollars) shall, if a ‘Stop Work Order’ notice is issued, pay a penalty equal to double the permit fee for construction valued up to
How to pay	Fees are paid before the permit is issued: once plans are approved a permit is issued subject to receipt of the fees. The method of payment (cash, card, cheque) is not stated for building permits.Building Permit Guide, October 2024, Guide, Step 5; Building Bylaw No. 973, 2012, consolidated to Bylaw 1028, s. 9.2(c) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 Official wording Once your plans have been approved, a permit will be issued subject to receipt of applicable fees. the owner or representative has paid all applicable fees as specified in Appendix ‘1’ to this Bylaw
Bylaw	Building Bylaw No. 973, 2012, Appendix 1 (Fees and Charges) and Appendix 2 (Formula for Estimating Value of Construction).Building Bylaw No. 973, 2012, consolidated to Bylaw 1028, Appendix 1 and Appendix 2; Appendix 1, Fees, Appendix 1 (stand-alone PDF) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 Official wording FEES AND CHARGES FORMULA FOR ESTIMATING VALUE OF CONSTRUCTION BUILDING BYLAW NO. 973, 2012 FEES AND CHARGES

How it works

Fees are set in Appendix 1 of the District of Chetwynd's Building Bylaw No. 973. Appendix 2 sets per-square-foot values used to estimate construction value; the contract cost or those rates, whichever is greater, is the value used. The fee is reduced by 10% if an engineer provides a sealed design and on-site supervision, and by 25% when the permit relies on professional Letters of Assurance.

Steps

Ask the Building Inspector (250-401-4100) for your fee once you know the value of the work.
Pay once plans are approved; the permit is issued subject to receipt of the fees. The bylaw and guide do not say which payment methods are accepted.

Good to know

Minimum permit fee: $75 (for retaining walls and similar small jobs).
Re-inspection $40; inspection outside regular hours $65.
Starting work without a permit: $400. If a stop work order is issued, the penalty is double the permit fee, up to $1,500 for work under $1 million.
Damage deposit: $500, $250 or $1,000. Move or demolish: $625 under 200 sq ft, $1,250 over, with 75% refundable.
An 85% refund can be requested within one year if construction has not started.
The bylaw lists no separate application or plan-review fee. Offences under the bylaw can carry a fine of $500 to $10,000.
These amounts come from a bylaw copy consolidated in 2015. Confirm current fees with the District.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Tumbler Ridge · Fort St. John · Taylor · Dawson Creek · Pouce Coupe · Mackenzie

Building permit fees in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

Building Bylaw No. 973, 2012, consolidated to Bylaw 1028 (PDF), District of Chetwynd (read 2026-11-08)
Appendix 1, Fees (PDF), District of Chetwynd (read 2026-11-08)
Building Permit Guide, October 2024 (PDF), District of Chetwynd (read 2026-11-08)

Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 1 is recorded as not set. How answers are checked.