GovHandbook

Invermere building permits: when you need one and how to apply

Do I need a building permit in Invermere, and how do I apply?

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

Short answer

In Invermere you need a District building permit to construct, alter, repair or demolish a building or structure, and no stage of the work may start until it is issued. Accessory buildings under 10 m² are outside the Building Bylaw. Apply with the form, dropped off at 914 8th Avenue.

Key facts

Needed forA permit is needed to construct, alter, repair or demolish a building or structure, and no stage (including demolition or excavation) may start before it is issued. Building a retaining wall over 1.22 m or a swimming pool also needs a building permit.Building Services, Building Services page; Building Bylaw No. 1677, 2026, ss. 11.1, 14.1; definition of retaining wall · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Building permits are required in order to construct, alter, repair or demolish a building or structure within the District of Invermere.
You may not start any stage of a project, including demolition or excavation, until a building permit has been obtained.
No person may construct, or structurally repair, a retaining wall without a building
a person must not construct, or structurally repair, a swimming pool without a valid building permit
retaining wall means a structure exceeding 1.22 metres in height that holds or retains soil
Not needed forThe Building Bylaw does not apply to: a fence (except retaining walls); an accessory building with a floor area under 10 m²; a trellis, arbour, wall holding soil under 1.22 m or similar landscape structure on a single-family parcel; and CSA Z240/Z241/A277 units except as the Building Code regulates them.Building Bylaw No. 1677, 2026, s. 3.3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
This bylaw does not apply to
except as set out in Part 11 [Retaining Walls] of this bylaw, a fence;
an accessory building with a floor area of less than 10 square metres;
a trellis, an arbour, a wall supporting soil that is less than 1.22 metres in height, or
How to applyComplete the Building Permit Application Form and drop it off in person at 914 8th Avenue, Invermere. A plan check deposit is required at that time.Building Services, Building Services page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
To make an application please complete the Building Permit Application Form and drop it off in person to 914 8th Avenue, Invermere.
A plan cheque deposit is required at that time.
What to submitSigned application form, owner's acknowledgment (Appendix B), title search within 30 days, survey plan (may be waived), site plan and floor plans, in duplicate. The form also asks for a BC Energy Step Code pre-construction compliance report, and a development permit application if the site is in a development permit area.Building Bylaw No. 1677, 2026, ss. 10.2 and 10.4; Building Permit Application Form, Application form, page 3 'Documents to be included' · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
be accompanied by the owner’s acknowledgment of responsibility and undertaking
include a copy of a title search for the relevant property made within 30 days of the
include a copy of a survey plan prepared by a British Columbia land surveyor except
include a site plan showing
include floor plans showing the dimensions and uses of all areas, including: the
Title search. A copy of a title search, accompanied by referenced covenants, made within 30 days
Plans, in duplicate, which include:
Application for a development permit is also required
Processing timeNot confirmed. The official pages do not state this detail.
InspectionsBook by calling the District office at 250-342-9281. For simple buildings the owner must give at least 48 hours' notice and request each inspection in writing.Building Services, Building Services page; Building Bylaw No. 1677, 2026, ss. 10.32-10.33 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
To book an inspection, please contact the District of Invermere office at 250-342-9281.
the owner must give at least 48 hours’ notice to the District of Invermere when requesting an inspection
has requested the inspection in writing in accordance
ContactBuilding Services: Manager of Building and Protective Services, 250-342-9281 ext. 1226, inspections@invermere.net; Building Official, 250-342-9281 ext. 1227, building@invermere.net.Building Services, Building Services page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Manager of Building and Protective Services 250-342-9281 ext. 1226 inspections@invermere.net
Building Official 250-342-9281 ext. 1227 building@invermere.net
BylawBuilding Bylaw No. 1677, 2026Building Bylaw No. 1677, 2026, s. 1.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Building Bylaw No. 1677, 2026

How it works

The District of Invermere's building staff check your plans against the Building Bylaw No. 1677, 2026 and the BC Building Code. A permit is needed to construct, alter, repair or demolish a building or structure, and you may not start any stage, including demolition or excavation, before it is issued. A retaining wall over 1.22 m and a swimming pool also need a building permit.

The bylaw does not apply to a fence (except retaining walls), an accessory building under 10 m², a trellis, an arbour, a wall holding soil under 1.22 m or similar landscape structure on a single-family parcel. Being outside the bylaw does not exempt the work from zoning setbacks or heights.

Steps

  1. Call the Building Official (250-342-9281 ext. 1227) before you apply to confirm what your project needs.
  2. Fill in the Building Permit Application Form and gather the documents listed above.
  3. Drop the application off at 914 8th Avenue and pay the plan check deposit.
  4. Pay the permit fee before the permit is issued.
  5. To book an inspection, call 250-342-9281. For simple buildings give at least 48 hours' notice and request each inspection in writing.

Good to know

  • If the site is in an Official Community Plan development permit area, a development permit is needed first.
  • The bylaw lists the stages that must be inspected before work is covered (s. 10.32).
  • The District's page and the bylaw do not say how building permit fees can be paid; ask the office.

What you'll need

  • Signed Building Permit Application Form and owner's acknowledgment (Appendix B)
  • Title search made within 30 days
  • Survey plan (may be waived)
  • Site plan and floor plans, in duplicate
  • BC Energy Step Code pre-construction compliance report (the form asks for it)
  • Development permit application, if the site is in a development permit area
  • Letters of assurance from registered professionals, for complex buildings

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Radium Hot Springs · Canal Flats · Kaslo · Elkford · Kimberley · Cranbrook

Building permits in British Columbia: how to apply, by municipality →

Sources

  1. Building Services, District of Invermere (read 2026-11-08)
  2. Building Bylaw No. 1677, 2026 (PDF), District of Invermere (read 2026-11-08)
  3. Building Permit Application Form (PDF), District of Invermere (read 2026-11-08)
  4. Fees and Charges Amendment Bylaw No. 1687, 2026, Schedule G (PDF), District of Invermere (read 2026-11-08)

Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 7 of 8 facts was matched to the official text; 1 could not be confirmed. How answers are checked.