North Vancouver, Metro Vancouver
Contractors in North Vancouver
North Vancouver is two municipalities, the City and the District, and their tree and hazard rules differ sharply. We renovate and build on both sides, and the quote is free.
North Vancouver · Metro Vancouver
Free written quotes
After a site visit, with what is fixed and what is an allowance.
One contract
One point of contact, from quote to final walkthrough.
Licensed trade partners
Electrical, plumbing and gas, under our management.
Victoria to the Lower Mainland
Greater Victoria, up-Island and Metro Vancouver.
Housing in the City and the District
The City is denser and the District is mostly houses. Find out which one you’re in before you plan, because each has its own permit office.
City of North Vancouver
The City had 58,120 people and 27,295 occupied homes in 2021. Apartments make up 66.6%: 38.1% under five storeys and 28.5% taller. Single-detached houses are 10.7%. The largest building period is 1961 to 1980, at 30.2%.
- 10.7% single-detached houses
- 66.6% apartments
- 30.2% built 1961 to 1980
District of North Vancouver
The District had 88,168 people and 32,700 occupied homes. Almost half, 49.3%, are single-detached houses. The stock is older: 21.5% was built in 1960 or before and 36.4% from 1961 to 1980.
- 49.3% single-detached houses
- 21.5% built in 1960 or before
- 36.4% built 1961 to 1980
Permits and rules on each side
Check which municipality your address is in, then use that permit office.
City of North Vancouver
You can have one secondary suite per single-family property, and it can be combined with a coach house. The owner must live on the property, and a suite in an existing home needs its own permit. Coach houses cannot be stratified, and you submit the development permit and building permit together.
On December 8, 2025, Council adopted a new Ground Oriented Zone, and those suite and coach house rules do not apply to lots in it. Provincial changes required more rezoning by June 30, 2026, so as of October 2026, check your lot’s zone with the City.
New houses and coach houses have needed Step 5 with Emissions Level 1, or Step 4 with Emissions Level 3, since November 1, 2023. The City’s one Heritage Conservation Area is Ottawa Gardens, where changes need a Heritage Alteration Permit. Being on the Heritage Register does not protect a building from demolition.
- Low-density lots (RS-1, RS-2, RS-4B, RT-1, RT-2, GO) need no tree removal permit, except in streamside areas or some CD zones
- Other properties need a permit for protected trees of 20 cm or more at 1.4 m
- Streamside areas need a Streamside Development Permit before work, tree removal included
District of North Vancouver
You need a building permit to build a new house, garage or carport, alter or add to a house, create a secondary suite or demolish a house. The zoning bylaw allows suites in single-family homes with some exceptions, and coach houses on eligible single-family lots.
The District requires tree permits in specific situations and warns that pruning or removing a tree without one can lead to a fine. New construction must meet the Energy Step Code and Zero Carbon Step Code, and heat pumps have their own permit page. The District keeps a Community Heritage Register and offers heritage grants.
- Slope Hazard Development Permit Area
- Wildfire Hazard Development Permit Area
- Creek Hazard Development Permit Area
Where to get a permit
- City of North Vancouver: City of North Vancouver: building permits
- District of North Vancouver: District of North Vancouver: single-family building permits
Neighbourhoods we cover in North Vancouver
- Lynn Valley
- Lynn Creek
- Lions Gate Village
- Maplewood
- Edgemont Village
- Deep Cove
Tree rules flip at the municipal line: the City exempts most low-density lots from tree permits, while the District requires them in specific situations.
Slopes, creeks and wildfire
The District describes steep slopes, creeks, ravines, floodplains and forest that, with occasional extreme weather, leave some areas open to landslide, debris flow, flood and wildfire. Its slope, wildfire and creek hazard areas can each add a development permit before you build. A Community Wildfire Protection Plan covers the wildland-urban edge, and coastal flood mapping for the eastern District is being updated.
In the City, streamside areas need a Streamside Development Permit before work starts.
North Vancouver: common questions
Sources
Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile: North Vancouver, City (CY) · Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile: North Vancouver, District municipality (DM) · City of North Vancouver: Building permits · City of North Vancouver: Secondary suites · City of North Vancouver: New coach house · City of North Vancouver: Small-scale housing changes · City of North Vancouver: Heritage · City of North Vancouver: Private trees · City of North Vancouver: New buildings energy requirements · District of North Vancouver: Building permit, single-family home · District of North Vancouver: Build or register a secondary suite · District of North Vancouver: Build a coach house · District of North Vancouver: Tree permit · District of North Vancouver: Energy Step Code and Zero Carbon Step Code · District of North Vancouver: Heat pump permits · District of North Vancouver: Community Heritage Register · District of North Vancouver: Protecting development in hazardous areas · District of North Vancouver: Slope hazard DPA · District of North Vancouver: Wildfire hazard DPA · District of North Vancouver: Creek hazard DPA · District of North Vancouver: Community Wildfire Protection Plan · District of North Vancouver: Wave modelling and coastal hazard mapping · District of North Vancouver: Town and village centres. Checked 2026-10-30.
Services
What we build in North Vancouver
More of Metro Vancouver · How we run a job
Garden suites & laneway homes
Detached backyard homes, planned around servicing, permits and BC’s new-home rules, then built.
Plumbing & gas fitting
Repairs, repiping, fixtures, hot water tanks, gas lines and appliance hookups, by licensed trades.
Bathroom renovations
Tub-to-shower conversions, waterproofing, tile, fixtures and fans vented to the outside.
Windows & doors
Replacement windows, exterior doors and patio doors, flashed properly into the wall.
Drainage & perimeter drains
Camera inspection, cleaning, repair and replacement of foundation perimeter drains.
Free quotes
Tell us about your North Shore project
Describe the work and whether you’re in the City or the District. We’ll email you to confirm your free quote visit.