Tenant Improvement Program (TIPs)

Building owner

Important note Include your building on the TIPs list.

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  Benefits to being a TIPs building

  Having your building on the TIPS list lets your eligible office tenants complete their minor interior renovations quicker.

  As your building was designed and constructed to comply with the 2007 Vancouver Building By-law (or newer editions), your tenants will:

  • Not require a new development permit
  • Have a faster field inspection 
  • Receive their building permit faster than traditional building permit applications
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  How to include your building on the TIPS list

  Building permit applied for AFTER January 31, 2007

  Any commercial office building constructed with a building permit applied for after January 31, 2007, (under the 2007 Vancouver Building By-law is automatically included on the TIPs list). 

  Building permit applied for BEFORE January 31, 2007

  If the application date of your existing building permit is before January 31, 2007, you may be eligible to be added to the TIPs list, if your building meets all current building code requirements.

  Details on required upgrades and next steps will be available in 2023.

  We are also exploring, how buildings:

  • With a permits before January 2007, which have already been upgraded to code, can join TIPs
  • Can stay on the TIPs list when there is an update to the Vancouver Building By-law

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  List of buildings on the TIPs list

  Address	Name	Status
  34 W 7th Ave		Completed
  823-843 Seymour St	The Annex	Completed
  550 Burrard St	Bentall Five	Completed
  1669 E Broadway St		Completed
  2750 E Hastings St	Sunrise Building	Completed
  825 Homer St	Atelier on Robson	Completed
  669 Howe St	Offices at Hotel Georgia	Completed
  507 W Broadway	Cross Roads	Completed
  128 W Cordova St	Woodwards	Completed
  830 W Hastings St	Jameson House	Completed
  400 Terminal Ave	Columbia College	Completed
  1618 Quebec St	Central	Completed
  1077 Gt Northern Way	MEC HQ	Completed
  800 Griffiths Way	Rogers Arena West Tower	Completed
  745 Thurlow St	745 Thurlow	Completed
  980 Howe St	Manulife Financial Office Tower	Completed
  725 Granville St	Pacific Centre (Nordstrom)	Completed
  520 W Georgia St	Telus Gardens	Completed
  564 Beatty St	Beatty Gate	Completed
  1075 W Hastings St	MNP Tower	Completed
  488 Terminal Ave	Containers on Terminal, T2	Completed
  558 W Broadway	Broadway Central	Completed
  988 W Broadway	988 West Broadway	Completed
  4899 Heather St	John Paul II Centre	Completed
  510 Seymour St	Five|Ten	Completed
  475 Howe St	The Exchange	Completed
  400 SW Marine Dr	Marine Gateway	Completed
  380 W 5th Ave	Fifth	Completed
  775 Richards St	Telus Garden	Completed
  22 E 5th Ave		Completed
  565 Gt Northern Way		Completed
  401 W Georgia St		Completed
  275 W 5th Ave	Nickel Building	Completed
  1410 Granville St	Vancouver House	Completed
  753 Seymour St	Vancouver Centre	Completed
  601 W Hastings St		Completed
  1575 W Georgia St		Completed
  512 W Broadway		Completed
  525 W 8th Ave		Completed
  35 W 6th Ave		Completed
  2200 Yukon St		Completed
  110 W 5th Ave		Completed
  102 E 4th Ave	Hootsuite	Completed
  1055 Vernon Dr	Interurban Evolution	Completed
  688 W 57th Ave	Cambie Gardens (Parcel C)	Under construction
  1550 Alberni St	The Alberni Building	Under construction
  1280 Burrard St	Burrard Gateway TOWER A	Under construction
  320 Granville St		Under construction
  1070-1090 W Pender St	1070-1090 W Pender	Under construction
  155 Water St	155 Water	Under construction
  3333 Bridgeway	PortLiving Gateway	Under construction
  225 Smithe St	The Smithe	Under construction
  1133 Melville St	The Stack	Under construction
  349 W Georgia	The Post	Under construction
  1488 Robson St	Former Empire Landmark	Under construction
  400 W Georgia St		Under construction
  1296 Station St		Under construction
  2102 Keith Dr		Under construction
  425 W 6th Ave		Under construction
  151 W 5th Ave		Under construction
  375 E 1st Ave	Great Northern Way Campus	Under construction
  58 W Hastings St		Under construction
  855 Granville St		Under construction
  1261 Hornby St	BURRARD PLACE TOWER C	Under construction
  1280 Burrard St	Burrard Place Tower B	Under construction
  234 W 3rd Ave	Ofiswerks	Under construction
  150 W 4th Ave		Under construction
  3664 Cornett Rd	Vancouver Film Studio (C-J)	Under construction
  950 Granville St		Under construction
  650 W 41st Ave	Oakridge Centre (The commons and Building 12)	Under construction Major project office
  688 W 41st Ave	Oakridge Centre Building (BLDG 3,4)	Under construction Major project office
  5931 Cambie St	Oakridge Centre Building (BLDG 6,7,8)	Under construction Major project office

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  Step 1: Review guidelines and determine eligibility

  Important note If your project requires a sprinkler permit, apply for it as soon as your TIPs building permit is issued to help work or your project to begin as soon as possible.

  Requirements

  Important note You will need to have your TIPs building permit issued before you can apply for your trades permits or begin any construction on the project.

  A sprinkler coverage inspection will be part of your building permit inspection. If you are required to move or add up to 20 heads, a sprinkler contractor can apply for a sprinkler permit through their online account. 

  To apply for a TIPS building permit, you must be located in a commercial office building that is on the TIPs list.

  Important note If you don't qualify for the TIPs program, you will need a standard building permit. 

  Ineligible for TIPs building permit

  • Assembly occupancies that increase occupant load, impact exiting, or include work to kitchens and/or bathrooms
  • Changes in major occupancy 
  • Balcony enclosures 
  • Most exterior alterations (except for minor repairs such as deck repair/resurfacing, stair repairs, cornice repairs, or small changes to store fronts)
  • Floor area additions, including mezzanines
  • Most major renovations
  • Projects involving interconnecting floors, upgrading existing systems, fire alarms, sprinkler systems, or seismic upgrading
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  Step 2: Prepare application

  Important note All forms, documents, and drawings must be submitted at the time of your application. Make sure you have the necessary items completed and included with your application. Incomplete or inaccurate applications will result in a delay in processing your application. 

  Prepare application package 

  • Determine if a permit is needed 
  • Review TIPs requirements and complete checklist PDF file (276 KB) to make sure you have all required items completed
  • Complete application form PDF file (201 KB) 
  • Make sure all documents and drawings are electronic
     
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  Step 3: Submit application and pay fees

  A. Submit application

  Submit application

  Important note Complete required fields, and upload all your required documents and drawings BEFORE you submit. 

  B. Application intake and pay fees

  When your application has been accepted for intake, we will contact you about payment through your online account, and you will receive a confirmation number.

  Fees

   Review the schedule of fees and permits PDF file (1.2 MB)

  How to pay fees

  • Online by credit card (Note Only the permit holder/applicant can make online payments toward a permit.)
  • In person at the Development and Building Services Centre, 515 W 10th Ave:
    • Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 8:30am to 4:30pm
    • Tuesday and Thursday: 8:30am to 4pm
    • Closed on holidays
      Note There is a $200 maximum for cash payments.
  • By mail at:
    Development and Building Services Centre
    515 West 10th Avenue
    Vancouver, BC V5Z 4A8
    Note Make sure that the permit number is noted on the cheque and the payee is made out to "City of Vancouver".
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  Step 4: Submission reviewed and processed 

  A. Permit processed

  Important note We review resubmissions as quickly as we can; in the order they are received. Some applications may require additional information from you. We will contact you through your online account for any outstanding items. Make sure you read and respond completely to all comments to help avoid delays. 

  1. Following a detailed review of the submitted plans and documents of your application by various staff teams, we will provide you with a list of any conditions and items to be discussed.
  2. When those items are resolved and the review has been completed, we will let you know to book a field review inspection.
  3. After the inspection is passed, the building inspector will issue you the permit within 1-2 business days.

  B. Permit approved

  You'll be notified by email when your permit is issued with instructions to download and print your permit and approved drawings through your online permit account.

  Note One printed copy of the City-approved permit needs to be made available for viewing at the jobsite for City inspectors.

  Note One paper set of City-approved drawings (full-sized and to scale), displaying the City accepted stamp, needs to be made available for viewing at the jobsite for City inspectors. If the City accepted stamp is missing, or the paper set isn’t at the jobsite, you will be required to reschedule your inspection and may be subject to a re-inspection fee.
   

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  Step 5: Begin work and complete inspections 

  If you have received your building permit

  You can begin construction and apply for trades permits. Important note If your project requires a sprinkler permit, apply for it as soon as your TIPs building permit is issued to help make sure work or your project can begin as soon as possible.

  If all work is completed

  A final inspection will be required before occupancy is allowed. 

  It is important that you start work on your project within 6 months from the date of when your permit was issued; otherwise, your permit will become void.

  A. Apply for trade permits

  Most construction may require separate trades permits, which are typically submitted by the trades contractor hired by the general contractor:

  • Plumbing
  • Electrical
  • Gas
  • Fire sprinkler 
    (Note Depending on the complexity of your project, you may be required to apply for a fire sprinkler permit before you can have a building permit issued to you.)

  B. Request inspections

  All work completed will need to be inspected at various stages of construction.

  Get more information and book an inspection

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