Deck permits · checked October 2026
Do you need a permit for your deck?
There's no single rule for all of BC. Each city or district sets its own, and they differ a lot. Pick your town and describe the deck for a quick answer, then check the official source.
Your answer
Choose your town to start.
A quick guide based on each municipality's published rules, not legal advice. Always confirm with your city or district before you build.
Town by town
Deck permit rules across the Lower Mainland
| Town | In short | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Surrey | Permit usually needed | Usually yes. Surrey says you need a building permit in most cases when adding a deck to a house, and it publishes no height exemption. |
| Vancouver | Permit usually needed | Usually yes. The City of Vancouver lists building or altering a deck as work that generally needs a permit, with no height exemption stated. |
| Burnaby | Permit usually needed | Usually yes. Burnaby treats building or expanding a deck as an addition that needs a permit, and no height exemption is published. |
| Richmond | Low decks exempt | Only for decks more than 600 mm (2 ft) above grade. Richmond exempts patios and decks lower than that. |
| Delta | Low decks exempt | Only for decks 600 mm (about 2 ft) or more above grade. Delta exempts patios and decks lower than that. |
| White Rock | Permit usually needed | Yes. White Rock lists building, covering or enclosing a sundeck as work that needs a permit, with no height exemption stated. |
| Coquitlam | Low decks exempt | Yes for most new decks. Coquitlam exempts decks less than 0.6 m above grade, and repairing deck components doesn't need a permit. |
| Port Coquitlam | Permit usually needed | Yes. Port Coquitlam requires a permit to build, add onto or repair a deck, or to put a roof cover over one. |
| Port Moody | Permit usually needed | Yes. Port Moody lists decks among projects that need a building permit, with no exemption stated. |
| New Westminster | Permit usually needed | Usually yes. New Westminster's guides list building, covering or enclosing a sun deck as work that needs a permit. |
| North Vancouver | City and District differ | It depends which North Vancouver. The District exempts decks under 600 mm and small detached decks; the City publishes no deck threshold. |
| West Vancouver | Permit usually needed | Usually yes. West Vancouver's building bylaw requires a permit for structures and doesn't exempt decks. |
| Pitt Meadows | Permit usually needed | Usually yes. Pitt Meadows lists building a deck among projects that usually need a building permit. |
| Chilliwack | Permit usually needed | Usually yes. Chilliwack's building bylaw requires a permit for structures and doesn't list decks as exempt. |
| Abbotsford | Some low decks exempt | Yes for attached sundecks. Abbotsford only excludes freestanding decks under 0.6 m high with no roof. |
| Mission | Permit usually needed | Yes. Mission lists adding or increasing a deck as work that needs a building permit. |
| Langley | Permit usually needed | Yes. The City of Langley requires a permit to build, cover or enclose a sundeck, and the Township's bylaw requires a permit for all construction. |
| Maple Ridge | Permit usually needed | Yes. Maple Ridge requires a permit to build, alter, repair or remove a deck. |
| Agassiz | Permit usually needed | Yes. The District of Kent lists decks as needing a permit, and only exempts low patios, not decks. |
| Harrison Hot Springs | Small decks may be exempt | Possibly not for small decks. The regional building bylaw that covers the Village exempts decks up to 20 m² (215 sq ft); confirm with the FVRD first. |
| Hope | Permit usually needed | Usually yes. The District of Hope lists decks and covered patios among work that commonly needs a building permit. |
BC-wide basics
The 600 mm rule
Under the BC Building Code, a deck needs a guard (railing) where the walking surface is more than 600 mm (about 2 ft) above the ground next to it. For a house, exterior guards can generally be 900 mm (36 in) high where the deck is up to 1.8 m above the ground, and 1,070 mm (42 in) above that, with no openings a 100 mm ball could pass through.
600 mm is also the height several towns use for their permit exemption, but it isn't a province-wide permit rule. The City of Vancouver uses its own building bylaw, with the same 600 mm guard trigger.
Read the full guide: Do I Need a Permit for a Deck in BC? Lower Mainland Guide →
Who handles it
Your builder usually applies
Most deck builders prepare the drawings and apply for the permit as part of the job, and book the inspections. Some charge for this separately, so check that the permit, drawings and any engineering are in each quote.
Covered decks, decks over living space and high decks often need more: an engineer's design, lot coverage calculations or a survey. Ask each builder what your town will want.
Questions
Deck permit questions
Does every deck in BC need a permit?
No. Each municipality sets its own rules. Richmond, Delta, Coquitlam and the District of North Vancouver exempt decks under 600 mm, while Port Coquitlam and Maple Ridge require permits even for repairs. Check your town's page.
What happens if I build a deck without a permit?
Rules vary, but you may face higher fees, be asked to open up or change the work for inspection, or run into problems when you sell or insure the home. Port Coquitlam, for example, doubles permit fees if work starts before the permit is issued.
How long does a deck permit take?
Often several weeks, and longer for covered or engineered decks. That's a big reason to plan and get quotes in fall or winter for a spring build.
Does the 600 mm height include the railing?
No. It refers to the height of the walking surface above the ground next to it.