BC building permit data, explained for trades
What a BC building permit record contains, what the fields mean, what is public and what isn’t, and how open-data licences let a business use it.
PermitRadius Research · Published Sep 8, 2026 · Updated Sep 8, 2026
In short
A BC permit record lists the permit number, issue date, address, type, declared value and, in most cities, the contractor. Company details are public; homeowners’ personal information is not. Open Government Licences allow commercial use as long as the source is attributed.
01 · What a permit record contains
A typical BC permit record lists the permit number, issue date, address, permit type, project description, declared construction value and, in most cities, the applicant or contractor. Some cities add the property use, the number of units and the geographic coordinates.
02 · Public versus personal
Company names, addresses of the project and permit values are public. Individual homeowners’ names, phone numbers and emails are personal information under BC’s Personal Information Protection Act and must not be used for marketing. PermitRadius removes personal information before anything is published or sent.
03 · Open Government Licences
Cities that publish under an Open Government Licence let anyone use the data for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as the licence and source are attributed. That is why every PermitRadius report carries a source line.
7000 blk 135 Pl
Killarney · Vancouver
$4.1M
Townhouse
Brightwater Builders Ltd.
17 permits this year · repeat builder
04 · Reading the timing
The issue date is the reliable one. Application dates can be months earlier and are not always published. Work typically starts within two to six weeks of issue for residential permits.
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