Engineering Permits

  • Applications will only be processed upon receipt of a completed (signed) application 
  • Permits will not be issued until fees have been received
  • Work can only commence upon receipt of an approved permit, and only within the timeframe outlined therein.

Frequently requested permits and forms:

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 Borehole permit application 

 (Note: please download & save the application to your desktop; use Adobe Acrobat Reader to apply an E-Signature)

    • Fee:  $50 base fee, plus $200 per borehole, plus $25 per day of work    
    • Notice period:  Five (5) working days to process this permit, for review and approval. 
    • Work can only commence upon receipt of an approved permit, and only within the timeframe outlined therein.

A borehole is a deep narrow hole made in the ground.  Drilling a borehole is typically used to find or extract water samples (or other liquids), or to obtain soil samples through the various layers for testing purposes.

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Boulevard permit application

(Note: please download & save the application to your desktop; use Adobe Acrobat Reader to apply an E-Signature)

    • Fee: None; however, a fine can be levied if works on a boulevard proceed without a valid boulevard permit.
    • Notice period: Ten (10) working days to process this permit, for review and approval.  

A boulevard is the land from your property line to the curb of the roadway, or where there is no curb, to the edge of the shoulder; this may or may not include a sidewalk or multi-use pathway.  When purchasing a property in Saanich, the property owner agrees to maintain this area, however, a permit is required to landscape or alter the boulevard.   If you are unsure where your property line ends and the boulevard begins, please go to SaanichMap. Please note: You may only apply for a boulevard permit for the boulevard in front of your own property. 

    • The District has a Boulevard Regulation Bylaw which oversees the maintenance and boulevard permitting processes. 
      • For more planting tips, click here to go to our Boulevards information page.
    • Boulevard permits will NOT be approved for:
      • Fences
      • Individual rocks set on the boulevard
      • Gravel placed on the boulevard
      • Parking areas
      • Sheds
      • Retaining walls
      • Hedges on the boulevard

Landscaping plants for boulevards

Any plants for landscaping must come from the Approved List, or with approval from Saanich. 

Boulevard Trees, please contact the Parks Department if requesting:

  • To plant a tree on the boulevard
  • Removal of a tree
  • A new tree

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Change property address form

(Note: please download & save the form to your desktop; use Adobe Acrobat Reader to apply an E-Signature)

    • Fee:  $105
    • Notice period:  Twenty (20) working days minimum to process this permit, for review and approval. 

A homeowner is able to request that the address of their home is changed, as long as reasonable grounds are provided and proposed numbering makes sense to the houses in the surrounding area. Example: if the address is "1234 Front Street" but the driveway access and deliveries are through "Side Street" causing confusion on how to access the property, the homeowner may opt to request that the address be changed to "5678 Side Street".

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Fire hydrant permit application

(Note: please download & save the application to your desktop; use Adobe Acrobat Reader to apply an E-Signature)

    • Fee:  $89.25 per day (2 day maximum)
    • Notice period: 24 hours to process this permit, for review and approval.
    • Work can only commence upon receipt of an approved permit, and only within the timeframe outlined therein.

Do you operate a construction firm and need a supply of water to keep the dust down in the neighbourhood where you’re working? A permit to access water from the fire hydrant allows you to access bulk water for up to 2 (two) days. 

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Permit to occupy the road allowance (RAO)

    • Fee:  $50 base fee (plus $10 per day per 20 square metres) 
      • NOTE: only the base fee is payable by credit card at this time; additional payments can be handled in-person at 3500 Blanshard

      • Available payment options:

        • Credit card
        • Online banking (can take up to 3 business days to process)
        • Cheque, cash, debit are only accepted in-person at 3500 Blanshard Street
    • Notice period:  Five (5) working days to process this permit, for review and approval
    • Experiencing issues with the above application link? Click here (fillable form)

A Road Occupancy Permit is required to place a container or object on the road or boulevard, also referred to as ‘occupy a portion of the road allowance’ in front of your home for a specific period of time.  Examples of this would be: 

  • Renovating your kitchen and need to place a large waste container on the road allowance
  • Moving and need to park a U-pack storage unit on the boulevard
  • A commercial window washer using a man lift on the sidewalk, boulevard or road allowance

Application requirements:

  • A sketch or diagram showing the object that will be occupying the road allowance, relative to the address, pedestrian traffic or street traffic and indicate the purpose. If your occupation of the road will obstruct pedestrian or street traffic in any way, you will need to provide:
  • Traffic Management Plan (TMP) including signage; indicate signage on sketch for clarification.  At a minimum, this must include: detailed diagrams indicating the exact locations and areas of construction/work for occupancy;
    • dimensions must be indicated on the diagrams of these areas (on the road or boulevard);
    • advance notice construction signage must be indicated on the diagram as well as other traffic control devices, such as cones or barricades used to cordon off these areas of work.
  • Certificate of Insurance form with minimum $5,000,000 commercial general liability insurance and the District of Saanich to be named as additional insured is required. 

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Permit to construct works on the public road allowance or municipal right of way (RAW)

    • Fee:  $50 base fee plus $25 per day of work (or $500 per month)
    • Available payment options:
      • Credit card
      • Online banking (can take up to 3 business days to process)
      • Cheque, cash, debit are only accepted in-person at 3500 Blanshard Street
    • Notice period:  Five (5) working days to process this permit, for review and approval
    • Experiencing issues with the above application link? Click here (fillable form)

A Permit To Construct Works on A Public Road Allowance or Municipal Right of Way is required to construct anything on the public road way or within municipal rights-of-way on private property.  Examples of this would be: 

  • Sidewalks, curbs, and gutters
  • Water, sewer, or drain infrastructure alterations
  • New telephone and hydro poles on the road allowance
  • Third party utility installations

Application requirements:

For Engineering staff to properly review your application, please include the following: 

  • Dimensioned diagrams indicating the exact locations and areas of construction/work for occupancy and any bylaw protected trees affected by the works;
  • Advance notice construction signage must be indicated on the diagram as well as other traffic control devices, such as cones or barricades used to cordon off these areas of work;
  • A traffic management plan (TMP) for lane closures or single alternating traffic on collector or major municipal roads
    • Any works within the road allowance must provide traffic control in accordance with Saanich Hours of Work on District Roadways Operating Procedure and the most recent edition of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s Traffic Management Manual for Work on Roadways. All work must adhere to WorksafeBC requirements.
  • Certificate of Insurance form with minimum $5,000,000 commercial general liability insurance and the District of Saanich to be named as additional insured is required. 

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Special vehicle permit application (RAV)

(Note: please download & save the application to your desktop; use Adobe Acrobat Reader to apply an E-Signature)

    • Fee: $50
    • Notice period: Up to ten (10) working days may be required to process this permit for review and approval
      • Note: If infrastructure relocation or tree work is required, fifteen (15) working days notice is required.

An Oversized Vehicle Permit is required for all loads exceeding the following dimensions:

  • Overall Length – 31.00m
  • Overall Width – 3.80m
  • Overall Height – 4.30m

Permits are required for any load exceeding the weight guidelines outlined by the Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE) found here.

Permit requirements

  • A completed CVSE 1052 available from The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
  • A route map:
    • Certify that adequate clearances and protection of overhead and underground infrastructure exists to be submitted by a Professional Engineer registered in the Province of BC. 
    • Certify that there is adequate clearance for trees on the route. 
    • Identify all infrastructure that requires relocation or any tree removals or trimming.  If needed, a certified arborist must be obtained to develop a tree trimming plan.  
      • Saanich will provide an estimate for this work and payment must be received in full before issuing the permit. 
  • Certificate of insurance with a minimum of $5,000,000 commercial general liability insurance.
  • Detailed move timeline
    • Scheduled or anticipated move date
    • Outline the permit in which any infrastructure, such as streetlights and traffic poles, need to be removed 
      • Saanich Public Works stand-by rates will apply beyond initial hours outlined
  • Detailed traffic management plan is required for each move, as well as providing any trafic control or flag persons. 
    • Lane closures must be completed in accordance with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) manual for work on roadways. 

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Fill and Soil Removal permit application

(Note: please download & save the application to your desktop; use Adobe Acrobat Reader to apply an E-Signature)

  • Permit requirements (outlined in Section 8) must include:
    • Drawings signed and sealed by a qualified professional
    • A signed and sealed estimate prepared by the qualified professional
    • A title search with copies of all registered covenants, statutory rights of way and easements
    • Any relevant reports or memos
    • Permit application fees
      • $500 permit application fee
      • $1.00/m3 permit fee
      • The larger of $1,000 or 10% of the estimated cost of the works for a refundable deposit

This District of Saanich adopted the Deposit and Removal of Soil Bylaw on October 24, 2022 (view here). The new bylaw consolidated the Deposit of Fill Bylaw and Soil Removal Bylaw into one comprehensive, modernized bylaw.

Key points of the new bylaw include:

  • All soil activities, regardless of whether they require a permit or not, must adhere to performance standards as set out in Schedule A.
  • Soil placement, relocation, and removal volumes that can take place without a permit are proportional to lot area, allowing 1.5m3/100m2 to be placed, removed, and relocated annually.
  • Prohibition of the placement of non-soil materials, including construction waste, on any lot not authorized to accept such waste (Hartland Landfill), unless in accordance with section 36(2) and 36(3) of the ALR Use Regulation (Section 4).
  • Exemptions where another municipal permit includes the soil activities or a provincial authority has granted permission and does not require municipal approval (Section 7).
  • New fees, with certain exemptions (Schedule B), see permit application fees

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