Building a Custom Home in BC: Where to start

Custom homes, starting your dream project. Start with providing us with a list of must haves. For example, what's your desired square footage? How many bedrooms do you want? Are you having a secondary suite or not? What type of home do you want? Are we going with a modern contemporary home? craftsman style or perhaps a minimalist rancher. The choice is yours. We're providing you with a custom home design. After all, if you made sketches or found any floor plans on the internet or perhaps even

taken pictures of homes you may like, it helps us with the direction of the design. An absolute requirement to start a home design is a survey. And please include along with details the details that we just spoke about. With this information, we'll check your project against local zoning and building codes. Is the square footage you want permitted? Is there enough space to allow for a future coach house? Will we get any height issues for your desired roof type? Did we allow enough parking space for that secondary suite? You have

any right of ways or covenants? A right of way means there's there potentially could be a section in your home which the city recognizes it's your property, but you may not be allowed to build over that area. These areas are often reserved for the city to access essential services like plumbing or utilities in case of an emergency. So while it's technically your land, construction is typically restricted in these zones. Now, a covenant is a legal agreement or restriction placed by the property by the previous owner, city, or

another authority. It can limit how the land can be used or developed. For example, you may not be allowed to build over a certain height. You may need to use certain Architectural styles. You may need to use certain materials. You may be restricted on subdividing that property. Covenants are typically in place to protect certain aspects of the land or neighborhood. Are you building a basement or is it going to be slab on grade? If you said basement, please note if you notice that the previous home

didn't have a basement, nor do your neighbors. There's likely a geotechnical reason why. In this case, we'll need a geotechnical report to let us know if you'll be permitted to have a basement. Lastly, I want to cover energy savings. Since 2018, BC has announced their target goals for new homes to be net zero, which means homes to have a zero energy consumption by 2050. They've implemented steps to slowly but surely adding stricter and more stringent requirements to make us design your home

that consumes less energy. In some cases, even feedback to the grid. So, if energy savings is music to your ears, this is good news. If saving on construction costs is what you're after, then the sooner the better when you apply for a building permit. To explain why BC has implemented this act, it's similar to what BC did for gas with the carbon tax. It says BC wants to get rid of gas due to its high carbon emissions. You also want to stop allowing homes to be built that waste too much energy

because of poor workmanship or poor design. By now, you know, zoning and building codes are not an easy feat. The building code alone or two binders 4" thick. But if you ask a carpenter, he's going to say it's only 3-1/2". Don't try to tackle this on your own. Leave it to the experts. We offer a feasibility study for every project because each one is unique and needs to have an tailored approach. Whether you're homeowner, business owner, or contractor, we're here to make sure your

project runs smoothly from start to finish. Now, let's conclude the presentation with five frequently of our most asked questions. One, do I need an Architect? In most cases for residential renovations for custom homes, you don't need an Architect unless your proposal has more than five dwellings for TIs sometimes as dictated by the Architect institute of British Columbia which is covered earlier in this video. Two, can a designer request the original drawings on my behalf? Yes, but the designer needs to prove

that they have authorization from the owner. Three, can the designer apply for the permit on my behalf? Yes, but the designer needs to be listed as the agent for your project, which means they will be responsible for all inspections and outcomes throughout the entire process. For both legal and practical reasons, it's usually better for the owner or contractor to apply for the building permit as they're involved in the project from start to finish. Four. After applying for the permit, how

long will it take for me to get my permit? The typical turnaround time for a building permit is 4 to 8 weeks. After submitting your application, however, in busy periods, especially in cities like Vancouver, it can take up to 12 weeks. Five, what will my project cost be? I'll cover project costs on a future video. However, I cannot give you exact costs of your construction as prices between materials and contractors can vary widely, but I can help you understand what is required to build in 2025, which may

impact your budget. And since you made it this far into the video, I'll tell you this, the biggest cost in any construction is typically the finishes. I hope you found this video helpful. And if you have any questions specific to your project or want to learn more about our process, feel free to reach out by phone, email, or send us a text to the number on the screen. Hope this video has cleared up any uncertainties you have about getting started with a building permit. This was your host, Edward Vega.