Primary Design & Permit Drawing Packages
Select your project scope below to understand drafting hours, municipal code requirements, and fixed pricing deliverables.
Building Permit Cost & Pricing Hub
Why Our Costing Model Protects Your Project
Clear milestones, transparent scope boundaries, and professional accountability from initial concept to municipal permit issuance.
Signed Written Contract
Before any deposit is paid, both parties sign a detailed multi-page agreement stipulating every drawing sheet, full scope of work, technical observations, and delivery timelines with clear, binding scope commitments.
50/50 Milestone Structure
50% deposit to initiate design, and 50% upon completion of permit-ready drawings. Because city halls can take months to review files, your balance is tied to our delivery—not municipal processing backlogs.
City Revisions Included
Plan checker deficiency requests, structural engineering notes, and design refinements under the original scope of work are fully covered in your base quote with zero hidden add-on fees.
Fair Scope Adjustments
If city records flag an unrecorded historical deck or addition not in original scope, you only pay for the specific new sheets needed. You never restart from square one since your base model is already built.
Our Commitment
Permitted, Not Just Drawn: Free Upfront Feasibility
Our costing is directly tied to our upfront feasibility analysis—which is why we provide initial feasibility reviews at no upfront cost. We don't want you spending a single dollar on drawings if local zoning bylaws block your build or if mandatory building code upgrades will exceed your construction budget. Once feasibility is confirmed, we sign a detailed multi-page contract locking in a guaranteed fixed project fee with included municipal revisions.
Renovation Typical: $800 – $3,500
Residential Renovations & Additions
From simple condo partition moves to complex multi-level home additions and unauthorized work legalizations. Clear drafting baselines tailored to project scope.
- Starts at ~$800 for interior alterations & suite plans
- $1,800 – $3,500+ for major additions & structural changes
- Record Drawings vs. LiDAR As-Built scans
- Townhome Part 9 vs. Part 3 building code thresholds
Pricing Model: Fixed fee locked after free feasibility review
Commercial Typical: $1,200 – $4,500
Commercial Tenant Improvements
Save time and budget by designing Part 9 commercial spaces directly with certified building designers within BC Building Code Part 9 scope limits.
- Starts at ~$1,200 for retail & office change-of-use
- $2,200 – $4,500+ for restaurant, daycare & full buildouts with RCP
- Part 9 vs. Part 3 Building Code thresholds (when an architect or engineer is legally mandated)
- Egress travel distances & universal accessibility
Pricing Model: Fixed fee locked after free feasibility review
New Build & SSMUH Typical: $3,500 – $9,000
New Custom Homes & Infill Multiplexes
Ground-up design priced on lot topography, municipal bylaws, and structural scope—not inflated percentages of your construction budget.
- Starts at ~$3,500 for secondary dwellings & coach houses
- $5,000 – $9,000+ for custom homes & 3–6 unit SSMUH multiplexes
- BC Zero Carbon Step Code & Energy Advisor integration
- Preliminary design iterations included under scope
Pricing Model: Fixed fee locked after free feasibility review
Remediation Typical: $1,500 – $4,000
Stop Work Orders & Code Violation Legalization
Fast-response permit drawing sets and municipal liaison to resolve building inspection notices, legalize unpermitted construction, and lift city stop-work orders.
- Starts at ~$1,200 for single deficiency & suite audits
- $2,500 – $4,000+ for retrospective permit working sets
- Direct liaison with municipal building inspectors across BC
- As-built verification scans to document uninspected work
Pricing Model: Priority intake & fixed remediation quote
Single Source of Truth
Active Bylaw Engine BC Municipal Permit Fee & Deposit Estimator
What will City Hall charge to review your drawings? Estimate official fees and required upfront deposits across BC.
City Hall Fees Only: The calculator below computes official statutory review charges and refundable damage deposits collected directly by your municipal building department at intake. These figures are not Canadian Blueprint's drafting or design pricing.
View Canadian Blueprint Drawing Fees ↑ Calculate Municipal Intake Fees by Jurisdiction Statutory City Hall charges only
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Base Building Permit Fee $2,443.00 Progressive bylaw sliding rate
Upfront Plan Check Deposit $488.60 20% deposit (credited at permit issuance)
Refundable Damage Deposit $7,750.00 Plus $220.00 inspection surcharge
City Hall Fees Only: 100% of these calculated amounts are statutory municipal charges paid directly to City Hall during permit intake. They do not include Canadian Blueprint's drafting, design, or engineering fees.
View Canadian Blueprint Pricing → Formula source: Burnaby Building Bylaw (Bylaw No. 14418)
Site Surveying & 3D Modeling Rates
Transparent rates for millimeter-accurate LiDAR laser scans, existing condition CAD floor plans, and custom 3D renderings.
General From $0.30/sq ft ($400 min)
LiDAR As-Built Site Measuring
A transparent $0.30/sq ft baseline for millimeter-accurate CAD floor plans and 360° virtual site baseline records.
- $0.30/sq ft baseline (AutoCAD .dwg + 360° Tour)
- $400 base minimum for condos & small units
- Sliding-scale volume discounts for 5,000+ sq ft
- Don't Pay Twice: Free check for legal archive drawings
Pricing Model: Millimeter-precision laser capture across BC
General Typical: $500 – $2,500
Interior Elevations & 3D Renderings
Understand what City Hall requires for building permits vs. why custom interior millwork elevations and 3D renders drive drafting hours.
- 4 exterior facades vs. 50–300 interior wall planes
- Basic 3D BIM model included in all new builds
- Commercial 3D shells for complex plenums
- When to hire an Interior Designer vs. Permit Drafter
Pricing Model: Fixed-hours pricing for custom interior scope
Do I need a BCLS Legal Survey?
Legal Boundaries • Topography • Site Setbacks
For interior renovations, our millimeter-accurate LiDAR laser scans are all you need. For additions and new builds expanding your footprint, City Hall requires a certified BCLS (BC Land Surveyor) legal boundary survey (typically $1,500–$2,500 CAD in Metro Vancouver) to verify setbacks, geodetic heights, and property pins, which our drafting team imports directly into your CAD permit drawings.
Interior Renovations / Tenant Improvements: $0 (No land survey required) Additions & SSMUH Multiplexes: $1,500–$2,500 (BCLS legal boundary & topography)