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In This Volume

298 (1) Subject to the Public Health Act, the Drinking Water Protection Act, the Fire Services Act and the regulations under those Acts, the board may, for the purposes described in subsection (2), by bylaw, do one or more of the following:

  • (a) regulate the construction, alteration, repair or demolition of buildings and other structures;
  • (b) regulate the installation, alteration or repair of plumbing including septic tanks and sewer connections, heating, air conditioning, electrical wiring and equipment, gas or oil piping and fittings, appliances and accessories of every kind;
  • (c) require contractors, owners or other persons to obtain and hold a valid permit from the board, or the authorized official, before starting and during the construction, installation, repair or alteration of gas or oil pipes and fittings, plumbing, heating, sewers, septic tanks, drains, electrical wiring, oil burners, tanks, pumps and similar works and buildings and other structures of the kind, description or value described in the bylaw;
  • (d) require that, before occupancy of a building or part of it after construction, wrecking or alteration, or a change in class of occupancy of a building or part of it, an occupancy permit be obtained from the board or the authorized official;
  • (e) establish conditions generally governing the issue and validity of permits and the inspection of works, buildings and other structures;
  • (f) establish areas to be known as fire limits and, for those areas,
    • (i) regulate the construction of buildings in respect of precautions against fire, and
    • (ii) discriminate and differentiate between areas in the character of the buildings permitted;
  • (g) regulate the seating arrangements and capacity of churches, theatres, halls and other places of public resort or amusement;
  • (h) regulate or prohibit the moving of a building from one property to another in the regional district;
  • (i) require the fencing of private swimming pools or other pools, existing or prospective, according to specifications set out in the bylaw;
  • (j) regulate the construction and layout of trailer courts, manufactured home parks and camping grounds and require that those courts, parks and grounds provide facilities specified in the bylaw;
  • (k) provide that a trailer or manufactured home must not be occupied as a residence or an office unless its construction and facilities meet the standards specified in the bylaw;
  • (l) require the installation of smoke alarms in existing buildings and other structures and, in relation to this, establish standards and specifications for required smoke alarms and their installation;
  • (m) require the maintenance of smoke alarms installed as required by the Provincial building regulations or by bylaw under paragraph (l) and, in relation to this, establish standards for their maintenance;
  • (n) require the maintenance of “rental units” and “residential property”, as defined in the Residential Tenancy Act, that are subject to a “tenancy agreement”, as defined in that Act, in accordance with the standards specified in the bylaw;
  • (o) require the maintenance of “manufactured homes”, “manufactured home sites” and “manufactured home parks”, as defined in the Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Act, that are subject to a “tenancy agreement”, as defined in that Act, in accordance with the standards specified in the bylaw.
  • (2) A board may exercise the powers conferred by subsection (1) for the following purposes:
  • (a) the provision of access to a building or other structure, or to part of a building or other structure, for a person with disabilities;
  • (b) the conservation of energy or water;
  • (c) the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions;
  • (d) the health, safety or protection of persons or property.
  • (3) If requested by an applicant, the building inspector must give written reasons for the building inspector’s refusal to issue a building permit required under this section.
  • (4) An occupancy permit required under subsection (1)(d) may be withheld until the building or part of it complies with the following:
  • (a) the Provincial building regulations;
  • (b) bylaws under this section;
  • (c) any other health and safety requirements established by bylaw;
  • (d) any other federal or Provincial enactment in relation to health or safety.

2003-52-306, effective January 1, 2004 (B.C. Reg. 465/2003); 2002-78-109, effective January 1, 2004 (B.C. Reg. 477/2003); 2003-52-307, effective January 1, 2004, B.C. Reg. 481/2003); 2001-9-85, effective November 30, 2007, (B.C. Reg. 402/2007); 2008-8-6; 2008-23-12; RSBC 2015-1-298, effective January 1, 2016 (B.C. Reg. 257/2015); 2015-2-57, effective December 15, 2017 (B.C. Reg. 192/2017); RS2015-1-RevSch; 2023-10-523.