Tenant Improvement Contractor in Vancouver, BC

Generally, yes. The City lists renovating or tenant improvements for a new or existing commercial space among the work that generally needs a permit, and the Vancouver Building By-law 2025 requires a permit before any work it regulates is undertaken; work started without one pays double the permit fee, up to $20,000 and never less than $500. The City does not accept incomplete applications, and once a permit issues, work has to start within six months or the permit becomes void. Sources: City of Vancouver, When you need a permit, Get a building permit and the Vancouver Building By-law 2025, Book I, Division C, Articles 1.6.1.1 and 1.6.1.2, verified September 2026.

A faster permit stream for office tenants. The City describes TIPs as a dedicated stream for office tenants in eligible commercial buildings to get a building permit for minor interior renovations faster, and any commercial office building whose permit was applied for after January 31, 2007 is automatically on its list. Eligible tenants need no new development permit and get a faster field inspection; the City aims to complete an initial review and make contact within 5 to 10 business days, and the inspector issues the permit within 1 to 2 business days after the inspection passes. It is not for assembly occupancies that increase occupant load, affect exiting or include work to kitchens or washrooms, changes in major occupancy, floor area additions including mezzanines, most major renovations, or projects involving interconnecting floors, fire alarms, sprinkler systems or seismic upgrading. Source: City of Vancouver, Tenant Improvement Program, verified September 2026.

A field review is the City’s alternative way of issuing a permit for small renovation projects that need a building permit but no major upgrading: the site is inspected, and once the inspection is passed the City issues the permit. The City’s June 2026 checklist for field review and TIPs applications covers minor alterations or renovations to existing buildings only, and says a change between Group D and Group E, or to a small suite, may be acceptable for field review even though changes in major occupancy are otherwise excluded. The same checklist says separate permits are issued for each floor of a commercial renovation. Sources: City of Vancouver, Field review, Commercial Renovation Centre and the Field Review and TIPs Minor Renovation checklist (June 2026), verified September 2026.

When the use or the design calls for one. Under the Zoning and Development By-law, a change from general office, retail store, health care office, barber shop or beauty salon, or beauty and wellness centre to another of those uses allowed in the district needs no development permit where the total floor space is no more than 300 m² and the project complies in all other respects. The City says a separate development permit comes before the building permit where zoning relaxations or particular types of land uses are proposed, and its restaurant ventilation page says a food establishment in a building that never had a commercial kitchen needs one. Tenants eligible for TIPs need no new development permit. Sources: City of Vancouver, Zoning and Development By-law, Section 4, clause 4.8.1(n), Get a building permit, Building permits for restaurant kitchen ventilation and Tenant Improvement Program, verified September 2026.

It depends on the type of renovation. Part 11 of the by-law calls the renovation of a single suite in a single tenant space, with its shared demising walls, a minor renovation, and one whose scope takes in multiple suites or other work a major renovation. Its first upgrade flow chart sets a minor renovation at fire and life safety F1, structural S2, non-structural N1 and accessibility A2, and a major renovation at F2, S2, N3 and A3. Where there is no addition or change in major occupancy, no further upgrading is required if the building was built or fully upgraded under a permit issued on or after May 1, 2007, provided the new work complies and unsafe conditions are corrected; and a minor or major renovation valued under $255,000 needs no structural or non-structural upgrading. Altering one suite does not trigger upgrades in other suites unless it creates a non-conformity there, and existing lighting above the ASHRAE 90.1-2016 power density is removed in the project’s spaces. Sources: City of Vancouver, Vancouver Building By-law 2025, Book I (consolidated to May 5, 2026), Division B, Articles 11.1.2.1, 11.1.3.1, 11.1.4.2, 11.1.4.3 and 11.5.2.1, verified September 2026.

Not always. A change of major occupancy runs through the by-law’s second flow chart, but its upgrades need not be provided for a change to a single Group D or Group E suite no larger than the lesser of half the building area or 300 m² whose use fits Table 11.5.4.1.(2): offices, barber and hairdressing shops and beauty salons up to 300 m², non-surgical health care offices up to 300 m² with the hazard index not increased above 200 m², and general retail up to 200 m² with the hazard index not increased. At the other end, where changes of major occupancy within any five years add up to more than 50% of a one-storey building’s area, or 100% of a taller building’s, the entire building goes to F4, S4, N4 and A4, unless the change is a single suite of no more than 100 m² and the work is no more than 5% of the building area. A change in major occupancy also needs an occupancy permit, while the City says a change of use such as office to retail does not by itself trigger a development cost levy. Sources: City of Vancouver, Vancouver Building By-law 2025, Book I, Division B, Article 11.5.4.1 and Flow Chart No. 2, and Division C, Article 1.7.1.2, and the Development Cost Levies Bulletin, verified September 2026.

Licensed trade contractors, through the City. The City’s electrical permit page says the applicant must be a licensed electrical contractor with a valid City of Vancouver or inter-municipal business licence, its gas and fire sprinkler pages ask for that business licence plus a gas or fire sprinkler contractor licence, and its plumbing page asks for a City or inter-municipal business licence. Gas work goes to Technical Safety BC instead where the meter delivery pressure exceeds 14.0 kPa or the connected load on a commercial meter is greater than 120 kW. A mechanical permit is required to install heating and cooling in any commercial building, a fire alarm installation or upgrade needs an electrical permit application before the building permit application is accepted, and tenant improvements are eligible for the sprinkler Fast Track, under which some permits issue within 24 hours. Sources: City of Vancouver, Electrical permit, Get a gas permit, Plumbing permit, Fire sprinkler permit, Mechanical permit and the Fire Alarm Installation or Upgrade checklist, verified September 2026.

Health approval alongside the City’s permits. B.C.’s Food Premises Regulation says no one may build or alter food premises until a health officer has approved the plans and specifications, and a food service establishment needs a permit to operate. Vancouver Coastal Health says floor plans must be reviewed and approved before construction begins, and its orientation guide says to call the environmental health officer for an inspection and health approval before opening. The City strongly advises speaking with Vancouver Coastal Health before submitting permits, wants the location of the required grease interceptor on the drawings wherever food is prepared, and requires a K1 kitchen exhaust package when a commercial kitchen is added or its exhaust renovated, with a clean duct letter if existing ductwork is reused. A food establishment in a space that never had a commercial kitchen also needs a development permit. Sources: Province of British Columbia, Food Premises Regulation, sections 3 and 8; Vancouver Coastal Health, Food Service Permits and Health Approvals and its Food Premises Orientation Guide (October 2025); City of Vancouver, the Field Review and TIPs checklist, the Commercial Building Renovation checklist, the K1 kitchen exhaust requirements and Building permits for restaurant kitchen ventilation, verified September 2026.

Not for an alteration that adds no floor area. The City’s levy bulletin says development cost levies do not apply to alterations of an existing building that do not increase its total floor area, that a change of use such as office to retail does not trigger one, and that any new floor area added in an alteration project is levied. The Amenity Cost Charge By-law, in force September 30, 2026, defines development to exclude repair or renovation that does not increase floor area, exempts work that retains the building, adds no floor area and keeps the same or a lower-rate use, and sets the commercial and other rate at $32.29 per square metre. Sources: City of Vancouver, Development Cost Levies Bulletin (last amended August 25, 2026), sections 4.4, 6.1 and 6.2, and Amenity Cost Charge By-law No. 14816, sections 1.2 and 3.8 and Table B, verified September 2026.

The City publishes its own figures. Its table headed “Permit processing times for August 2026” shows a median elapsed time of 3.0 weeks across 71 issued permits in “Renovation - Commercial/ Mixed Use - Lower Complexity”, with elapsed time measured from the date an application generates a permit number to when the permit is issued. Under TIPs the City aims to make first contact within 5 to 10 business days and to issue within 1 to 2 business days of a passed inspection, it aims to process plumbing applications that need no plan review the next business day, and it asks for an occupancy permit application at least three weeks before the planned move-in. Sources: City of Vancouver, Commercial Renovation Centre (table read September 15, 2026), Tenant Improvement Program, Plumbing permit and Get an occupancy permit, verified September 2026.

Once the City issues an occupancy permit. The Vancouver Building By-law 2025 bars occupying a building or part of one after construction or alteration, or after a change in its major occupancy, until the owner has an occupancy permit, and before one issues the owner calls for and coordinates a final inspection of construction and the fire and life safety systems. The City’s page says an occupancy permit must be issued before occupying space in any commercial building, asks for the application at least three weeks before the move-in date, and lists approvals that can include Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services and the grease interceptor inspection, with no additional fee where the by-law requires the permit. The Chief Building Official may issue an occupancy permit for the approved use before the work is complete. Every Vancouver business also needs a business licence, and the City asks owners to check a location with its Development and Building Services Centre before leasing it. Sources: City of Vancouver, Vancouver Building By-law 2025, Book I, Division C, Articles 1.5.2.22, 1.7.1.1, 1.7.1.2 and 1.7.2.3, Get an occupancy permit and Get a business licence, verified September 2026.

Yes. Kyrax Developments Ltd. holds BC Housing Residential Builder Licence #57802, in good standing, as a General Contractor and Developer; verify it on the BC Housing Licence Registry. That licence covers residential building, and in Vancouver the trade permits on a commercial fit-out are applied for by licensed trade contractors. Our renovation and tenant improvement work includes phasing and sequencing in occupied buildings; see our services page, and for homes in Vancouver our home renovations and custom home pages.