Part 2: Check drawings for compliance

Log into and out of eCheck

Log into eCheck
1. Open the Archistar website: vancouver.ca.archistar.ai.
2. Enter your email address. Use the email address associated with your City of Vancouver Permits account, if you have one.
3. Enter your password.
4. Select the ‘Login’ button.
Tip: Forgot your password? Enter your email address and select the ‘Send Magic Link’ button. Then, check your email for a message with a login link.
Reset your password
1. Open the Archistar website: vancouver.ca.archistar.ai.
2. Select the ‘Forgot your password’ link.
3. Enter your email address and select the 'Send password reset link' button.
4. Check your email for a message with a link to reset your password.
5. On the Reset password page, enter your email and new password, and click the ‘Reset password’ button.
6. Your browser will load the Archistar homepage. Do not log in here. Instead, log in at vancouver.ca.archistar.ai.
Log out of eCheck
1. Select the profile menu button '☰' in the header.
2. Select the ‘Log Out’ button.

Select a site

Search site by address
1. Select the search button at the top left to open the ‘eCheck Compliance’ panel.
2. Enter the site address in the search box.
3. Select the matching address in the results list.
4. eCheck will zoom in and select the site on the map and show the ‘Site summary’ panel.
If you recently viewed the site, you can select the address from the ‘Recent Properties’ list below the search field.

Note: You can't search for or click on sites located in UBC, Musqueam, or other municipalities.
Find site on map
Select site from recently viewed sites
You can use the ‘Recent Properties’ section on the ‘eCheck Compliance’ panel to select one of your 5 recently viewed sites.

Access full list of recently viewed sites
1. Select the heart button at the top left to open the 'My properties' panel.
2. Select the 'My Properties' tab.
View site details
After you select a site, eCheck will zoom into the site and show the ‘Site summary’ panel that includes the following:
- Zoning district
- Lot size
- Street frontage
- eCheck reports, where you can upload drawings and check if they follow regulations
- Planning rules, where you can view regulations that apply to the site and specific building types, helping you with initial site research and analysis
- Elevation, where you can view an 3D elevation diagram and slope data

Prepare your drawings for eCheck

Label these items
Note: eCheck relies on information depicted on your drawings, such as labels and dimensions. Ambiguous labels may impact eCheck's results.

Makes sure to label these items:
- Basements, crawl spaces, and attic space
- Balconies
- Cantilevered floor over lower floor
- Decks and landings (indicate if covered)
- Double-volume spaces (areas open-to-above or open-to-below)
- Entries, porches, and verandahs (indicate if covered)
- Parking (attached garage or surface parking)
- Patios
- Roof decks
Show dimensions for these distances
- Finished wall surfaces for bedroom and habitable spaces
- Main house (including rear deck) to laneway house
- If you will change the main house's rear deck to meet setback requirements, show dimensions from the existing deck and proposed deck to the laneway house.
- Side yard setback
- Rear setback

Create eCheck report

How we use your drawings and protect your intellectual property
When you upload your drawings on eCheck, you agree to let us use your drawings to:
- Check compliance with our regulations
- Report on compliance with regulations
- Inform how we design, use, and maintain our regulations
This licence letting us use the drawings file 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.
Create eCheck report and upload drawings
eCheck currently accepts drawings in PDF format and takes 1 to 2 business days to check your drawings and create the compliance report.
1. Select a site.
2. In the site summary panel, select the ‘eCheck Reports' section.
3. Select a report type.
4. Choose the relevant options for your site and select the ‘Next’ button. This tells eCheck to use the relevant rules for checking your drawings.
5. Select 'PDF'.
6. Upload your drawings as a single PDF file and select the ‘Submit for Processing’ button.
Track report processing status
After creating the report, eCheck will process your drawings and send you an email in 1 to 2 business days when your report is ready to view.

Back on the ‘Your Compliance Report’ panel, you can:
1. Track report processing
2. Delete the report by selecting the box icon. This will only work when the report status is ‘Received’

View eCheck compliance report

Open report
There are 3 ways to open a report:
1. The easiest way: In the email message you receive when your report is ready to view, select the ‘View Report’ button.
2. Select the search button at the top left to open the ‘eCheck Compliance’ panel. In the ‘Recent eCheck Reports’ section, select the site address.
3. Select the heart button at the top left to open the 'My properties' panel. Select the ‘eCheck Reports’ tab and choose the site address from the list.
View eCheck compliance report
If you have questions or feedback about your report result, contact us at [email protected].

'Summary' panel

When you open a report, eCheck shows:
1. The 'Summary' panel on the left – use the tabs to view and comment on report results, apply for permits (on a separate website), and download the report and its data.
2. Your drawings in the centre – select a specific report result to view annotated areas of your drawings (it may need a moment to load).
'Summary' tab

View the compliance overview of how many checks passed, failed, or were noted, not applicable or not assessed.

'Results' tab

This tab shows relevant (passed or failed) regulation sections by default.
1. Select a specific regulation section to:
  - View a detailed breakdown of each condition with interactive diagrams
  - Add comments about failed sections – if you'll use these drawings to apply for permits – to explain any issues that staff can review when they process your permit applications.
2. Optional – Select the 'Showing Relevant Sections' button to show all sections (including noted, not applicable, and not assessed sections).
What results mean

‘Passed’ follows a regulation section.

'Failed' doesn't appear to follow a regulation section, based on what eCheck can check so far.

For example, the result about maximum floor area might fail because there's mechanical equipment and we haven't included the regulation section about excluding floor area for that in eCheck yet.

If you get a failed result and disagree, let us know at [email protected].

'Requires manual review' needs our staff to check your drawings for that regulation section when you apply for a permit.

'Noted' helps check other regulation sections.

'Not applicable' isn't relevant to your drawings.

'Details' panel

This panel shows details of where your drawings follow or don't follow a specific regulation section.
1. Select a result in the list to view where the report checked your drawings. Zoom and pan the drawings to see how the result applies to your drawings.
2. If the check relates to multiple storeys or areas on your drawings, select each thumbnail to view a specific storey or area.
3. The drawings include a legend for checked items and toggles for areas, dimensions, and units.
4. Navigate to different result details using the dropdown list, or the back and next arrows on either side.
What to do if your report has a failed result
- Agree and correct your drawings and create a new report to re-check your drawings.
- Agree and leave your drawings as-is and add a comment about the failed result for our staff to review – if you'll use these drawings in your development and building permit application.
- Disagree and let us know at [email protected].
'Comments' tab

This tab alerts you to add comments to failed results (if you haven't done this yet), and lets you add overall comments about your drawings that staff can review when they process your permit applications.
Download report and apply for permits