---
title: "Tahsis building permits: when you need one and how to apply"
question: "Do I need a building permit in Tahsis, and how do I apply?"
place: Tahsis, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/tahsis
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: municipal
owner_body: Village of Tahsis
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tahsis/building-permit/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tahsis/building-permit.json"
---

# Tahsis building permits: when you need one and how to apply

**Question:** Do I need a building permit in Tahsis, and how do I apply?

**Short answer:** In Tahsis you need a building permit to build, alter, repair, demolish or move a building, and an occupancy permit before using it. Building inspections are done by the Strathcona Regional District's senior building official. Call the SRD at 250-830-6713 to check whether your project needs one.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Tahsis, https://villageoftahsis.com)  
**Cost:** See the building-permit-fees answer.  
**How long:** Not stated in the Building Bylaw or on the Village's pages. A permit expires if work does not start within six months.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Strathcona Regional District building inspection, 250-830-6713
- Email: Strathcona Regional District building inspection, building@srd.ca
- In person: Municipal Office, 977 South Maquinna Dr., Tahsis, BC V0P 1X0 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Phone 250-934-6344.)

## Key facts

- **Needed for:** A building permit is needed to construct, alter, repair, demolish, move or change the occupancy of a building or structure, and an occupancy permit before it is used. The Village-hosted guide lists new buildings, additions, structural repairs, garages, sheds and decks, secondary suites and new bathrooms or kitchens. Masonry fireplaces and wood stoves need their own permit.
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 525, 2006, ss. 6.1-6.2, 8.1](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/525-2006-Village-of-Tahsis-Building-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "No person shall commence or continue any construction, alteration, placement, reconstruction, demolition, removal or relocation or change the occupancy of any building or structure" … "a fireplace and chimney permit prior to the construction of a masonry fireplace or the installation of a wood burning appliance or chimney"
  - Source: [When do I need a building permit?, Village-hosted SRD guide](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/permit.pdf)
  - Official wording: "A BUILDING PERMIT IS REQUIRED FOR NEW BUILDINGS" … "ADDITIONS" … "STRUCTURAL REPAIRS" … "BUILDING OR ALTERING A GARAGE, SHED OR DECK" … "ADDING A SECONDARY SUITE TO AN EXISTING HOME" … "ADDING A NEW BATHROOM OR KITCHEN, MOVING PLUMBING"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Not needed for:** The bylaw does not apply to retaining structures under 1.5 m high, clearing blocked pipes or fixing leaks without rearranging pipes, or work exempted by Part 1 of the BC Building Code. Fences are not "structures". The guide also lists flooring, cosmetic repairs, painting and drywall repair, plumbing repairs and fixture replacement, and accessory buildings under 10 m² (107.6 sq ft) that shelter no occupancy.
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 525, 2006, ss. 2.1 "Structure", 5.2](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/525-2006-Village-of-Tahsis-Building-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "(b) to retaining structures less than 1.5 meters in height;" … "(a) to buildings or structures exempted by Part 1 of the Building Code" … "but specifically excludes landscaping, fences, paving, and retaining structures less than 1.5 meters in height."
  - Source: [When do I need a building permit?, Village-hosted SRD guide](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/permit.pdf)
  - Official wording: "MANY SMALL PROJECTS AND REPAIRS DO NOT REQUIRE A PERMIT" … "REPLACING FLOORING" … "PAINTING AND DRYWALL REPAIRS" … "PLUMBING REPAIRS, REPLACING FIXTURES" … "ACCESSORY BUILDINGS UNDER 10 m2 (107.6 sq ft) THAT DO NOT SHELTER AN OCCUPANCY"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **How to apply:** Apply on the form provided by the Building Official. Building inspections for Tahsis are done by the Strathcona Regional District's senior building official; to check whether a permit is needed, contact the SRD at 250-830-6713 or building@srd.ca.
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 525, 2006, s. 8.2](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/525-2006-Village-of-Tahsis-Building-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "An application for a permit required under this Bylaw shall be made in the form"
  - Source: [Zoning and Building](https://villageoftahsis.com/government/zoning-building/)
  - Official wording: "Building inspections are conducted by the senior building Official for the Strathcona Regional District."
  - Source: [When do I need a building permit?, Village-hosted guide "When do I need a building permit?" (Strathcona Regional District)](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/permit.pdf)
  - Official wording: "When in doubt, contact the SRD. 250-830-6713 or building@srd.ca to determine if you are required to have a permit for"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **What to submit:** A completed application with all supporting documents and plans showing the designer's name and address. Complex buildings need letters of assurance from registered professionals; residential buildings need the home warranty evidence required by the Homeowner Protection Act. The Building Official may ask for a geotechnical or riparian report. A plan-processing fee goes with the application.
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 525, 2006, ss. 8.3, 8.5, 12.2, 13.1-13.2](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/525-2006-Village-of-Tahsis-Building-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "All plans submitted with permit applications shall bear the name and" … "a completed application, including all required supporting documentation has been submitted;" … "The Building Official may require a geotechnical report completed by a" … "unless the owner provides the evidence required by section 30(1) of the" … "The applicable plan-processing fee prescribed in Schedule "A" shall"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Processing time:** Not confirmed. The published pages do not say how long a permit takes.
- **Inspections:** Give the Village at least two weeks' notice when requesting an inspection, and get the work accepted before concealing it (for example drain tile and damp-proofing before backfilling, ground preparation before a concrete slab).
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 525, 2006, s. 17.4](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/525-2006-Village-of-Tahsis-Building-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "shall give at least two week's notice to the Village when requesting an inspection" … "installation of perimeter drain tile and damp-proofing, prior to backfilling;"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Contact:** Strathcona Regional District building inspection: 250-830-6713, building@srd.ca. Village Municipal Office: 250-934-6344, reception@villageoftahsis.com.
  - Source: [When do I need a building permit?, Village-hosted guide "When do I need a building permit?" (Strathcona Regional District)](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/permit.pdf)
  - Official wording: "When in doubt, contact the SRD. 250-830-6713 or building@srd.ca to determine if you are required to have a permit for"
  - Source: [Bylaws and Policies, Municipal Office contact box](https://villageoftahsis.com/bylaws-policies/)
  - Official wording: "Address 977 South Maquinna Dr. P.O. Box 219 Tahsis, BC V0P 1X0 Phone (250) 934-6344 Fax" … "(250) 934-6344 Fax (250) 934-6622 Email reception@villageoftahsis.com Hours Open 8:30 - 4:30 Monday - Friday. Closed Stat Holidays"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Village of Tahsis Building Bylaw No. 525, 2006
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 525, 2006, s. 1.1](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/525-2006-Village-of-Tahsis-Building-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited as the "Village of Tahsis Building Bylaw 525, 2006"."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

Tahsis's [Building Bylaw No. 525, 2006](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/525-2006-Village-of-Tahsis-Building-Bylaw.pdf) says no one may start or continue building, altering, placing, rebuilding, demolishing, removing or moving a building or structure, or change how it is occupied, without a permit. The Village-hosted [guide](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/permit.pdf) lists new buildings, additions, structural repairs, garages, sheds and decks, secondary suites, and new bathrooms or kitchens. Masonry fireplaces and wood stoves need their own permit.

The Village's building inspections are done by the Strathcona Regional District's senior building official.

## Steps

1. Call the SRD building inspection office (250-830-6713, building@srd.ca) to check whether your project needs a permit.
2. Apply on the form provided by the Building Official, with the supporting documents and plans showing the designer's name and address. A plan-processing fee goes with the application.
3. Complex buildings need letters of assurance from registered professionals. Residential buildings need the home warranty evidence required by the Homeowner Protection Act. The Building Official may also ask for a geotechnical or riparian report.
4. Give the Village at least two weeks' notice when you want an inspection, and get the work accepted before you cover it up (for example drain tile and damp-proofing before backfilling).

## Good to know

- No permit is needed for retaining structures under 1.5 m high, clearing blocked pipes or fixing leaks without rearranging pipes, or work exempted by Part 1 of the BC Building Code. Fences are not "structures" under the bylaw.
- The guide also lists flooring, cosmetic repairs, painting, drywall repair, plumbing repairs, fixture replacement, and accessory buildings under 10 m² (107.6 sq ft) that shelter no occupancy.
- A permit expires if work does not start within six months.
- The pages we read do not mention an online application.

## Official forms and pages

- [Building Bylaw No. 525, 2006 (PDF)](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/525-2006-Village-of-Tahsis-Building-Bylaw.pdf)
- [When do I need a building permit? (PDF, hosted by the Village)](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/permit.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Tahsis building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tahsis/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Tahsis permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tahsis/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Tahsis secondary suite and carriage house rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tahsis/secondary-suite.md)
- [Tahsis zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tahsis/zoning-lookup.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Building permits in British Columbia: how to apply, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/building-permit.md)
- [Gold River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/building-permit.md)
- [Sayward](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sayward/building-permit.md)
- [Alert Bay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/alert-bay/building-permit.md)
- [Port Alice](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alice/building-permit.md)
- [Port McNeill](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-mcneill/building-permit.md)
- [Campbell River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/building-permit.md)

## Sources

- [Building Bylaw No. 525, 2006 (PDF), Village of Tahsis](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/525-2006-Village-of-Tahsis-Building-Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [When do I need a building permit? (PDF), Village of Tahsis](https://villageoftahsis.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/permit.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Zoning and Building, Village of Tahsis](https://villageoftahsis.com/government/zoning-building/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Bylaws and Policies, Village of Tahsis](https://villageoftahsis.com/bylaws-policies/) (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. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Village of Tahsis. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tahsis/building-permit/_