News item

Saanich Council approved changes to the District’s building permit application fee structure at the September 8 meeting. The new fee schedule is designed to better support online payments while addressing concerns over rising costs for applicants—particularly those involved in large-scale commercial developments. The new fee schedule is a significant step towards a fully digital application process.

Building permit application fees for residential and commercial projects were previously calculated as 25 per cent of the total permit fee, based on the project's construction value, resulting in substantial upfront fees for larger developments.

To streamline the process and provide more predictable costs, the District’s new flat-rate application fee structure is based on the estimated value of construction work:

• $100 for projects valued under $15,000
• $300 for projects valued between $15,001 and $100,000
• $1,000 for projects valued between $100,001 and $500,000
• $3,000 for projects valued between $500,001 and $2,000,000
• $7,500 for projects valued between $2,000,001 and $10,000,000
• $15,000 for projects valued over $10,000,000

The new tiered fee structure simplifies the application process and aligns with the District’s goals to modernize development services and enhance user experience through digital service delivery.

A 2.4 per cent convenience fee is applicable for online credit card payments.

For more information on building permits and the digital application process, visit saanich.ca/inspections.

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Media contact:
Saanich Communications
media@saanich.ca