Custom Home Guide · Chapter 3 of 6
Permits, Zoning & Site Conditions
The schedule on a Greater Vancouver custom home is decided by the permit and the lot, not by the framing crew.
Burnaby permit timelines in practice
Burnaby publishes its current application processing times publicly. Read that page before signing a builder timeline that promises a start date next quarter — review queues are a moving target and they drive everything that follows. Hillside lots, tree-permit triggers and Step Code reviews add their own queues on top.
Trees, slopes, and the rules that surprise people
On older Burnaby lots, the tree bylaw catches more rebuilds than zoning does. A single protected tree near the building envelope can reshape the footprint, the drip line of another can prevent excavation in October. The hillside bylaw adds setback ratios tied to slope angle. Geotechnical investigation is mandatory on most slope lots — and the report decides foundation strategy long before the structural engineer draws a footing.
BC Energy Step Code — Step 3 + EL-4 today
Burnaby's current floor under the BC Energy Step Code (effective January 1, 2025) is Step 3 of the Energy Step Code plus EL-4 of the Zero Carbon Step Code — meaning a measurable airtightness target of 2.5 ACH50 and zero-emission space and water heating in new Part 9 construction. Step 5, the provincial 2032 target, demands 1.0 ACH50 and is what some builders deliver voluntarily today. Either tier is envelope discipline — exterior insulation strategy, glazing performance, airtightness tape detailing — decided in design, verified by blower door at insulation and at completion. Get this wrong on the drawing set and you'll fail the test, hold the schedule, and rework framing.
When this chapter applies
A quick framing of when the advice above is the right advice — and when it isn't.
Best for
- Burnaby and Vancouver lots with hillside, tree or heritage triggers.
- Any rebuild where Step 3 + EL-4 compliance has to be confirmed in design.
- Owners who need a clear-eyed read of permit timing before contracting.
Fails when
- Builder agreement is signed with no permit-risk allowance in the schedule.
- Geotech and arborist reports are deferred until after design is complete.
- Mechanical equipment selection is left to a sub after permit submission.
Verify before acting
- Pull the municipality's current published permit-processing times.
- Order arborist and (if applicable) geotech reports before design freeze.
- Confirm the Step Code path (prescriptive vs. performance) early.
Go deeper in the Journal
Detail-level posts that expand on specific topics from this chapter.
Planning
The Burnaby Custom Home Permit Timeline in 2026: Intake to Issued
A field-note walk through the actual phases of a Burnaby single-family custom home permit in 2026 — from engineering pre-application to digital issuance — with realistic durations, common rejection reasons, and what an owner can do to keep the file moving.
Read · 9 min
Planning
The Burnaby Tree Bylaw: What 'Protected Tree' Really Means for Your Custom Home
Most Burnaby owners only learn about the tree bylaw the day a notice arrives in the mail. Here's how the 20 cm rule, the replacement requirements, and the cash-in-lieu option actually shape a custom-home design.
Read · 8 min
Planning
Geotechnical Reports on Burnaby Slope Lots: When You Need One and What It Tells You
On a sloped Burnaby lot, the geotechnical report drives every foundation, drainage, and retaining-wall decision. Here's when the City requires one, what it actually contains, and how to read it as a homeowner.
Read · 11 min
Craft
Foundations on Burnaby's Hillside Lots: Walkout, Full Basement, or Crawlspace
On a sloped Burnaby lot, the foundation strategy is locked early in design and ripples through every other decision. Here's how we choose between walkout, full daylight basement, and hillside crawlspace.
Read · 8 min
Industry & Code
BC Energy Step Code in Burnaby 2026: Step 3 + EL-4 Today, Step 5 by 2032
Burnaby's current energy code is Step 3 + EL-4 — a measurable airtightness and zero-carbon target. Step 5 is the 2032 horizon and what some builders already deliver. Here's what each actually requires of the framing, the sheathing, the windows, and the ventilation.
Read · 9 min
Planning
How the 10-Metre Height Limit Actually Lands on a Sloped Burnaby Lot
Burnaby's 10.0 m maximum building height is measured against average grade. On a sloped lot, average grade is a calculation — and where the surveyor takes the points can swing your roof line by a foot. Here's how it actually works.
Read · 7 min
Official sources