Utility Connections for a New Burnaby Custom Home: Power, Gas, Water and Sewer

A finished house with no meter is a house nobody can live in. We have watched a Burnaby custom home sit complete, painted and furnished, for weeks because one utility request went in late. The sequencing of power, gas, water and sewer can hold up an occupancy certificate on its own.

This post is about the connections themselves: who owns which pipe, how each request works, and which lead times decide the move-in date. The demolition-side disconnects are covered in site preparation on a Burnaby teardown lot, and the permit review that runs alongside is in the Burnaby permit timeline.

Three organizations, three applications

A new house in Burnaby depends on three separate bodies, and none of them coordinates with the others.

BC Hydro owns the power line to the meter. FortisBC, if the design includes gas at all, owns the gas piping up to and including the meter, and everything past it belongs to the owner. The City of Burnaby's Engineering Department installs the water, sanitary and storm connections from the mains to the property line, and the plumber carries them from there into the house. Telecom comes from whichever provider the owner chooses, in its own conduit.

The longest lead time of the three sets the date.

City of Burnaby: engineering comes before the building permit

Burnaby has made this order explicit. The City's new home construction page says applicants need to first obtain Engineering pre-application approvals before submitting a building application. The Engineering review's initial submission includes the existing and proposed utility service connections along with the driveway and site access design.

What comes back is the set of Engineering comments that the building permit conditions then refer to. Burnaby's standard building permit conditions tell the permit holder to look to those comments for the estimated water, sanitary and storm sewer connection locations, invert elevations and driveway crossing requirements, and then to verify by excavation, before plumbing installation, that the location and elevation of the connections suit the plans. The same conditions say that if gravity drainage is not possible for the sewer connections in a basement, pumping is required, and that all site drainage, including garage parking, is routed through a sump to the City storm sewer unless the plumbing inspector directs otherwise.

That invert elevation is the number that causes trouble on a sloped Capitol Hill or Sperling-Burnaby Lake lot. If the new basement floor sits below the sewer invert, the design either lifts the house, lowers the connection, or adds a pump. Each of those is a decision for week two of design, and a surprise in week forty of construction.

The sewer connection itself needs a permit from the Engineering Department. Burnaby's inspection brochure says that at the time of application you should confirm that the connection inverts are low enough for the foundation drain system to reach the storm sewer and the building drain to reach the sanitary sewer, and that a separate plumbing permit covers the on-site piping. Burnaby's storm and sanitary systems are separate; storm water from north Burnaby ends up in Burrard Inlet and central Burnaby's drains into Still Creek and the Brunette River, so a roof drain tied to the wrong pipe ends up in a creek or at the treatment plant.

Then the lead times. The City's own Engineering Reference Guide gives estimated timeframes: ten to twelve weeks for installation, renewal or lowering of a sanitary and storm sewer connection, four to six weeks for a new water connection, and six to eight weeks for a driveway or culvert installation, with a note that actual times vary with weather and request volumes. Water cuts or turn-offs at the property line need at least four business days' notice. The sewer application goes in the day the engineering approval lands.

One more City item that is easy to miss: Burnaby states that Council passed a bylaw requiring all newly built residences to install a water meter before occupancy, starting July 2024. We scope the meter with the water service from the first submission.

Temporary power first

Framers need a panel on day one, and in Burnaby that runs through the City rather than the province. The City's residential trade permits page says any electrical work for single family and duplex dwellings requires a City electrical permit, and it names temporary saw service and undergrounding as examples. The inspection brochure spells out the sequence: the temporary saw service permit comes from the Building Department, the service pole location must be confirmed with BC Hydro as soon as possible, and temporary electrical service can be connected only after the electrical permit is obtained and the pole and panel have been inspected and approved by a City electrical inspector.

Later, before the house is finished, the same brochure describes a temporary hydro connection to the permanent service: the service equipment is installed and inspected, at least one receptacle is complete, the meter base location is confirmed with BC Hydro, and, to protect the equipment, all outside doors and windows are in or a lockable weather-proof cabinet is provided.

In some other municipalities the electrical permit comes from a provincial body instead of the city, so on a Coquitlam or Abbotsford job we confirm which one before the electrician applies.

BC Hydro: express or design

BC Hydro sorts every request into one of two streams. An express connection is one that does not require any addition or modification to its distribution system; BC Hydro calls it the quickest way to get connected and handles it for a standard charge. A design connection is a more complex, multi-phase project that needs its design team, covering work like installing, replacing or moving power lines, poles, transformers or service boxes.

Most teardown rebuilds on a Burnaby street with an overhead line are express jobs. The express process BC Hydro publishes runs like this: the request goes in through MyHydro with the address, the estimated amps and volts and a summary of the work; BC Hydro says it reviews the initial request within two business days; the electrical contractor completes a declaration confirming the service infrastructure meets BC Hydro's requirements; the contractor obtains the municipal electrical permit and its number; BC Hydro approves the permit within two business days of receipt; the customer approves the connection charges; and the request goes to a field crew for the service wire and meter. Each handoff waits on the one before it.

A design connection is a longer road. BC Hydro's design process runs through intake, pre-design, design, pre-construction, customer construction and BC Hydro construction, with a deposit up front and an invoice that is valid for 90 days before a new estimate is needed. A lot that needs a new transformer, or a multiplex that outgrows the existing line, lands here.

The meter is the last thing installed on the house and the first thing to apply for.

Icon Projects Team

Overhead or underground

BC Hydro's own guide for local governments on small-scale multi-unit housing says underground service can cost up to ten times more than an overhead connection and can take ten to eighteen months to plan and connect, and it asks municipalities for the flexibility to tie into existing overhead infrastructure where that is the most efficient option.

Where underground is the choice or the requirement, BC Hydro's connection requirements set the geometry: the total allowable cable length from the property line to the meter base is 30 metres, ducts are buried at least 900 millimetres below finished grade, and the meter sits between 1.5 and 1.8 metres above finished grade where BC Hydro can reach it at all times. Its site preparation page adds that the meter base sits no more than one metre from the corner of the building and that callback charges apply if a crew arrives and cannot proceed.

The service size and panel are covered in electrical planning for a Burnaby custom home; the BC Hydro request needs that load estimate, so the electrical design has to be far enough along at framing to give a number.

FortisBC gas, in a zero-carbon city

Whether a new Burnaby house gets a gas line at all is now a design decision, and often the answer is no. The City requires building permits submitted on or after January 1, 2025 to meet Step 3 of the Energy Step Code and Emission Level 4 of the Zero Carbon Step Code. Under the prescriptive path the City describes, all of the home's systems use zero-emission energy sources, which takes gas space heating, gas hot water and gas cooktops off the table. Under the performance path, the City says a gas fireplace or cooktop can still be installed if the home meets the greenhouse gas intensity target for EL-4. The province's Zero Carbon Step Code page confirms that local governments can require any step, which is what Burnaby has done.

If the design keeps gas for a fireplace or an outdoor kitchen, the connection is a separate FortisBC application. FortisBC's builder guide says it needs three to six weeks of lead time to schedule the service, and that the site must be at final grade, which it defines as the lock-up stage: windows and doors in, roof on, and the path for the service line clear of materials. The same guide sets the meter location rules: a direct, unobstructed line from meter to main; at least one metre from windows, doors, an electrical meter or an outlet; three metres from a mechanical air intake; and away from the roof drip line. FortisBC sizes the meter from the total connected gas load, so the appliance list has to be final before the request.

The house piping past the meter is the owner's, installed by a licensed gas contractor under a City of Burnaby gas permit, and inspected by the City at rough-in and at final. FortisBC's builder and developer pages are the entry point for the request.

Telecom conduit

No agency publishes a lead time for telecom, so we build it in ourselves. During the underground stage, while the excavator is on site for the water and sewer trenches, we run a conduit from the property line to the mechanical room, with a pull string, and cap both ends. Where the BC Hydro service is underground, the telecom conduit goes in the same trench. The provider then pulls its fibre or cable through a clean path months later without digging up the finished driveway.

The City's Engineering guide reminds builders that the sidewalk next to the property has to be kept safe for pedestrians, including any cuts made for third-party utility providers, and that the damage deposit refund waits on completion of all third-party restoration work by those providers. A crew that cuts the sidewalk and leaves is still the builder's problem until the concrete is back.

The ladder that decides occupancy

Burnaby's inspection schedule has the final building inspection for the occupancy certificate taking place after final inspection and approval of the electrical, heating, plumbing and gas systems. The final electrical needs permanent power. The final plumbing needs the City water connection live and the meter in. The final gas, where there is gas, needs the FortisBC meter set. Each of those has a lead time measured in weeks, so each request goes in before the previous stage is finished.

Our order on a Burnaby custom home: the engineering pre-application before the building permit; the sewer and water connection applications the day engineering approval lands; the temporary saw service permit with the building permit; the BC Hydro permanent service request during framing; the FortisBC request at lock-up, if there is gas; the telecom conduit in the ground with the sewer trench. Do that and the meters are waiting on the house instead of the house waiting on the meters.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a new BC Hydro connection take for a custom home in Burnaby?

It depends on whether the house is an express connection or a design connection. An express connection is one that needs no change to BC Hydro's distribution system; BC Hydro says it reviews the initial request within two business days and approves the electrical permit within two business days of receipt, after which the request goes to a field crew for the service wire and meter. A design connection, where BC Hydro has to add or move a pole, transformer or underground infrastructure, runs through a multi-stage design and construction process with its own estimate and deposit. At Icon Projects we file the permanent service request during framing so the crew date lands before the final inspections.

What is the difference between a BC Hydro express connection and a design connection?

BC Hydro describes an express connection as a connection that does not require any addition or modification to its distribution system, handled online through MyHydro with a standard charge. A design connection is a more complex, multi-phase project that needs BC Hydro's design team, such as installing, replacing or moving power lines, poles, transformers or service boxes. Most teardown rebuilds on a Burnaby street with an existing overhead line are express; a lot that needs underground service or a new transformer is a design job.

Can I still get a gas line to a new house in Burnaby under the Zero Carbon Step Code?

Only in limited cases. The City of Burnaby requires new single and two family homes with building permits submitted on or after January 1, 2025 to meet Step 3 of the Energy Step Code and Emission Level 4 of the Zero Carbon Step Code, and under the prescriptive path the City describes, all of the home's systems use zero-emission energy, which rules out gas for space heating, hot water and cooktops. Under the performance path, a gas fireplace or cooktop can be allowed if the whole house meets the greenhouse gas intensity target for EL-4. If the design keeps gas, the FortisBC request is a separate application with its own lead time.

How much lead time does FortisBC need to install a gas meter?

FortisBC's builder guide says it needs three to six weeks of lead time to schedule the service, and the site must be at final grade, which it defines as the lock-up stage: windows and doors in, roof on, and the path for the service line clear of construction materials. If the site is not ready when the crew arrives, the installation is rescheduled. FortisBC installs and owns the piping up to and including the meter; the piping past the meter is the owner's, installed by a licensed gas contractor under a City of Burnaby gas permit.

How long does the City of Burnaby take to install a sewer or water connection?

The City of Burnaby's Engineering Reference Guide gives an estimated timeframe of ten to twelve weeks for installation, renewal or lowering of a sanitary and storm sewer connection, four to six weeks for a new water connection, and six to eight weeks for a driveway or culvert installation, with a note that actual times vary with weather and request volumes. Those weeks come out of the construction schedule, so the applications go in early. Water cuts or turn-offs at the property line need at least four business days' notice.

Does a new Burnaby home need a water meter before occupancy?

Yes. The City of Burnaby states that Council passed a bylaw requiring all newly built residences to install a water meter before occupancy, starting July 2024. The meter box has to be brought to final finished grade along with the water, sanitary and storm standpipes before the City signs off. We treat the meter as part of the water service scope from the first engineering submission rather than as a finishing item.

Who issues the electrical permit for temporary construction power in Burnaby?

The City of Burnaby. Its residential trade permits page says any electrical work for single family and duplex dwellings needs a City electrical permit, and it lists temporary saw service and undergrounding by name. The City's inspection brochure adds that the service pole location has to be confirmed with BC Hydro and that temporary power can be connected only after the pole and panel have been inspected and approved by a City electrical inspector. In some other municipalities the electrical permit comes from a provincial body instead, so confirm before the electrician applies.

Why does an underground BC Hydro service take longer than an overhead one?

An overhead service usually ties into an existing pole on the street, so it can often be handled as an express connection. An underground service needs underground infrastructure near the property, a trench and ducts on the owner's side, and often design work by BC Hydro. BC Hydro's own guide for local governments says underground service can cost up to ten times more than an overhead connection and can take ten to eighteen months to plan and connect. On a Burnaby street with overhead lines, the fastest and cheapest path is usually to stay overhead unless the City or the design requires otherwise.