The Vancouver Charter, S.B.C. 1953, c. 55 enables the City of Vancouver to adopt bylaws that regulate the design and construction of buildings such that they can be tailored to suit the needs and interests of the city, particularly with respect to building safety. The bylaw not only regulates design and construction, but also provides the authority to enforce these requirements. The ability to regulate building at the civic level is unique in BC and allows the City of Vancouver to be a leader in many areas of building regulations, including accessibility, energy use and artist live/work studios. The by-law has changed over time, but each iteration is based on the BC Building Code (BCBC) with revisions and modifications specific to Vancouver.
The current bylaw – Vancouver Building Bylaw #10908 – replaced the 2007 Building Bylaw #9419 and took effect on January 1 2015. After approving it in principle in September of 2013, City Council adopted the 2012 BCBC on April 1, 2014 and included amendments aimed at supporting the goals of the Greenest City Action Plan 2020 and improving housing for seniors and people with disabilities. You can read the provisions unique to Vancouver by reading Bylaw #10908, but to read it in its entirety, it must be read in conjunction with the 2012 BCBC .
The complete Vancouver Building Bylaw can be purchased in print or online through the Queen’s Printer and a complete set of the print copies from 1912 to 2014 are available from the Vancouver Public Library.
Vancouver City Hall
453 West 12th Ave
Vancouver, BC V5Y 1V4
Email: infoVBBL@vancouver.ca
Telephone: 3-1-1
Outside Vancouver: 604-873-7000