Bathroom Renovations in Burnaby, BC

It depends on what changes. The City of Burnaby requires a permit for any construction project that includes the alteration or removal of any building or structure, and it classes changes to an existing building that create no additional floor area, including interior modifications, as alterations that need a permit. Minor works such as replacing fixtures, cabinets and flooring, or painting inside the home, do not need one. In single-family and duplex homes, installing, making changes to or upgrading any part of a plumbing system needs a plumbing permit, and any electrical work needs an electrical permit. Sources: City of Burnaby, Home Improvement Permits and Residential Trade Permits, verified September 2026.

The BC Building Code. The Province states that the code applies to all buildings in B.C. except in the City of Vancouver, Treaty First Nations that do not reference it in their agreements, and federal lands, and the City of Burnaby's own permit pages describe permitting as ensuring work meets City bylaws and regulations and the BC Building Code. Burnaby also has its own plumbing, gas and electrical bylaws. That is a real difference from a renovation across the boundary in Vancouver, which builds to its own Building By-law. Sources: Province of British Columbia, About the BC Building Code; City of Burnaby, Home Improvement Permits and Residential Trade Permits, verified September 2026.

On our projects, a standard bathroom renovation runs 4 to 8 weeks from demolition to final inspection, depending on whether plumbing is being relocated and how long permit review takes. Burnaby takes alteration permit applications online through its My Permits Portal, and building permits submitted on or after January 1, 2026 and issued on or after March 31, 2026 are processed and provided only in digital form, with a couple of exceptions such as residential restoration permits. Source: City of Burnaby, Home Improvement Permits, verified September 2026.

The City of Burnaby says a homeowner is responsible for any unpermitted work on the property, even if that work happened before they owned it, and that unpermitted work is generally not covered by home insurance and may compromise the coverage of the rest of the property. Its advice is to contact the Building Department to confirm the unpermitted work and then apply for the appropriate permits. Source: City of Burnaby, Home Improvement Permits, verified September 2026.

Often, yes. The Standard Bylaws under BC's Strata Property Act require written strata approval before an owner alters common property inside the unit or the parts of the unit the strata must insure. That rule is provincial, so it applies the same way in Burnaby as anywhere else in BC. Source: Strata Property Act, Schedule of Standard Bylaws, section 5, verified September 2026. The full list of what needs approval is in our answer on strata approval.

WorkSafeBC's guidance is yes. It tells homeowners to get their home tested for asbestos before starting a renovation or demolition project, noting that many older homes contain it in some form, and says any asbestos found must be removed or contained before the project begins. Only the areas being renovated need to be surveyed. Since January 1, 2024, asbestos abatement contractors must be licensed in BC and their workers trained and certified. Sources: WorkSafeBC, Asbestos: Frequently asked questions for homeowners and New asbestos certification and licensing requirements now in effect, verified September 2026.

Yes. Kyrax Developments Ltd. holds BC Housing Residential Builder Licence #57802, in good standing, as a General Contractor and Developer, and where a bathroom renovation needs permits they are pulled and inspected the same as any other licensed scope of work. Verify the licence on the BC Housing Licence Registry.

Yes. We keep separate pages for Vancouver, Surrey, Langley and Coquitlam, because each municipality runs its own permit process.