Building permits for restaurant kitchen ventilation and fire protection systems

Restaurants, cafés, and businesses with commercial kitchens need City-approved kitchen ventilation and fire protection systems to safely remove greasy vapours, prevent grease build-up, and avoid serious fires.

Are you starting a new food establishment? Taking one over? Changing a kitchen setup? Changing your menu or kitchen equipment?

If you will cook foods that produce smoke or grease-laden vapours:

  • Have the right kitchen ventilation and fire protection equipment.
  • Install or upgrade the equipment with the right permits and inspections.
  • Clean and maintain your equipment.

Have the right equipment

Make sure the existing or new kitchen has the right equipment, like exhaust hoods, ecology units, and automatic fire-extinguishing equipment, to safely ventilate greasy fumes and put out fires.

Also, note that existing kitchens may have only been approved to cook food that did not create greasy fumes. Depending on your menu, you may need to install or upgrade your kitchen ventilation and fire protection equipment.

To learn more:

Install or upgrade your equipment

Apply for a building permit so we can review your planned kitchen ventilation and fire protection systems, and inspect them during installation. To learn more:

Will your food establishment occupy a new building or an existing building that never had a commercial kitchen before? You will need a development permit. To learn more:

Clean and maintain your equipment

Clean and maintain your ventilation and fire suppression systems according to the regulations. Ventilation systems need duct access panels and related clearance to be cleaned.

Read section 7 of our kitchen ventilation systems bulletin (929 KB)

Contact Fire Prevention

Hours
Monday to Friday
8:30am to 4:30pm

Location
600 - 575 W 8th Ave
Vancouver BC, V5Z 0C4