Part 1: Start here

• Upload your drawings on eCheck and get an interactive report about where your drawings follow or don't follow regulations.
• Revise your drawings to fix areas that don't follow regulations.
• Apply for your development or building permit with your revised drawings.

Rest assured, you can still apply for a permit even if eCheck finds issues with your drawings not following regulations. We will review drawings and work with you towards compliance, as usual.

eCheck should help us process and issue your permit faster since your drawings will have fewer deficiencies to fix or respond to.

This pilot is one of the ways we're working to improve your experience applying for permits, making the process timely, accurate, predictable, transparent, and consistent.

eCheck comes from our vendor Archistar, an industry-leading property technology company from Australia.

eCheck assesses key regulations of the Zoning and Development By-law for the following project types.

Multiplexes, duplexes, and single detached houses in the R1-1 zoning district

• Dwelling unit standards (size, bathrooms, kitchens)
• Site area
• Density
• Building form and placement
• External design

Laneway houses in all allowed zoning districts

• Dwelling unit standards (size, bathrooms, kitchens)
• Laneway house-specific requirements (floor area, setbacks, site coverage, deck regulations)

We ask that you commit the time to learn, adapt to new information and processes, and give detailed feedback about your experience.

We estimate:

• A few hours for training using this content on this website
• An hour for viewing and understanding each compliance report
• An hour at key stages in the journey for giving feedback
• A few moments periodically for reviewing updates

When you upload your drawings on eCheck, you agree to let us use your drawings to:

• Check and report on compliance with our regulations
• Fill out data fields on related permit applications in review
• Inform how we design, apply, analyze, update, and report on policies and regulations 

As well, you agree to grant us a licence to use the drawings that is:

• Royalty-free (we won't pay you ongoing fees)
• Non-exclusive (you can let others use the drawings)
• Non-transferable (we won't let others use the drawings)

As owner of the drawings, you retain all ownership of its intellectual property rights. Archistar and the City of Vancouver don't acquire any intellectual property rights or interest in the drawings.

The City of Vancouver ("our", "we") is piloting the use of an automated technology tool called eCheck to digitally help you evaluate your digital architectural drawings (“Drawings”) against our by-laws, regulations, and rules.

We provide eCheck as an evaluative guide and for informational purposes only. We make no representations or warranties about the accuracy or reliability of eCheck. We are not liable for any errors, omissions, or any actions you take in reliance upon eCheck.

Any results you receive are based on the accuracy and completeness of your Drawings. The results do not mean that we approve – or will approve – your Drawings, or that we will issue a permit. We retain the right to approve or reject any Drawings once you apply for a permit, which will be issued in accordance with our by-laws, regulations, and rules.