Converting a Home to a Daycare?

Date Published: July 21, 2025

The Dream vs. The Reality

With a growing need for quality child care, many homeowners dream of converting part of their house into a licensed facility. It seems straightforward: set up a playroom, get a license, and you’re ready. However, the moment you plan to care for **more than 8 children**, you cross a critical threshold. Your project is no longer a home-based business; it is a full-scale commercial conversion with significant legal and construction requirements.

This guide breaks down the process, using the City of Surrey as an example, to show you what's really involved.

The Most Important Concept: "Change of Use"

This is the single most critical factor to understand. The BC Building Code classifies buildings by their use. A home is a Group C (Residential) occupancy. A daycare with more than 8 children is a Group A, Division 2 (Assembly) occupancy—the same category as a community hall or a small theatre.

When you change the legal use of a building to one with a higher risk, the code demands that you upgrade the building to meet the modern life-safety standards of that new use. In other words, you have to prove your converted home is as safe as a brand-new commercial building. This "Change of Use" triggers extensive and expensive upgrades.

The Two-Track Approval Process

Successfully launching your daycare requires navigating two parallel processes at the same time: Land Use approval and Technical approval.

1. Zoning & Land Use (The Political Hurdle): You must get the City to agree to allow a commercial daycare at your location. This often requires a full Rezoning Application. The City will evaluate your proposal against its Official Community Plan (OCP) and policies like the Surrey Child Care Guidelines. Success here means the City supports your project in principle.
2. Licensing & Building Permit (The Technical Hurdle): This involves satisfying the detailed requirements of Fraser Health and the City's Building Department. This is where the mandatory construction upgrades are enforced through the Building Permit process.

Mandatory Upgrades for 9+ Children Daycares

Because of the "Change of Use," your project will almost certainly require the following major upgrades to get a Building Permit. These are not optional.

1. A Full Fire Sprinkler System

This is the big one. While there are specific clauses in the code, the fundamental driver is the Change of Use. To make a combustible wood-frame house safe enough for an Assembly occupancy, a full sprinkler system throughout the building is the accepted—and required—solution. The logic follows this path in the BC Building Code:

• Part 10 ("Alterations to Existing Buildings") dictates the rules for a Change of Use.
• It forces an evaluation against the requirements for a new building under Part 3.
• Article 3.2.5.12. outlines when sprinklers are required for new Assembly buildings. A two-storey-plus-basement home, when reclassified, will exceed the size limits allowed for an unsprinklered building.

2. A Monitored Fire Alarm & Fire Separations

You will need a commercial-grade fire alarm system. Furthermore, you must construct fire-rated walls and doors (typically with a 1-hour rating) to create a safe, physical barrier between the daycare space and any remaining residential parts of the home.

3. Accessibility (Barrier-Free Design)

The commercial portion of your building must be accessible. This means providing a barrier-free path from the street or parking to the entrance, and constructing an accessible washroom that meets code standards. This can often involve installing ramps and making significant layout changes.