Renovations and builds in Surrey

Surrey’s housing

Surrey had 568,322 people and 185,670 occupied homes in the 2021 Census. The largest group is attached housing: 41.7% are semi-detached, row houses, duplexes or other attached homes. Single-detached houses are 32.8%, and apartments 25.0%.

Surrey is young: 43.5% of homes were built from 2001 to 2021 and only 4.3% in 1960 or before. Even in a newer house, an interior renovation usually needs a residential building permit, and plumbing and electrical permits are separate. If you’re redoing a kitchen or bathroom, we’ll tell you which of the three permits the job needs; the licensed trades pull their own.

• 41.7% semi-detached, row houses, duplexes and other attached homes
• 32.8% single-detached houses
• 20.2% apartments under five storeys
• 43.5% built 2001 to 2021
• 4.3% built in 1960 or before

Surrey’s floodplain

The floodplain covers about 20% of Surrey’s land area and faces both coastal and river flooding. Affected areas include Crescent Beach, Panorama/Gray Creek, Cloverdale, the Inter-River Area, Colebrook, Mud Bay and Nico-Wynd/Crescent Road.

Sea dykes and river dykes on the Nicomekl, Serpentine and Little Campbell rivers protect most of it, and the sea dams on the Nicomekl and Serpentine date from 1912-13. Surrey runs separate building permit streams for homes in the Bridgeview and Crescent Beach floodplains, so start there if you live in either area.