Division C
Administrative Provisions
Part 1 — General
Section 1.4. 
Obligations of the Owner and Contractor
1.4.1. Obligations of the Owner
1.4.1.1. Right of Entry of Chief Building Official
1) The owner shall allow the Chief Building Official to enter any building or premises at any reasonable time for the purpose of administering and enforcing this By-law.
1.4.1.2. Permit Required
1) The owner shall obtain all permits or approvals prior to commencing the work to which they relate.
1.4.1.3. Compliance with Permit
1.4.1.4. Posting a Permit
1) The owner shall ensure that the permit authorizing the work, or a true copy of the permit, is posted conspicuously on the site or is affixed to the exterior of the building during the entire project.
1.4.1.5. Compliance with By-law and other enactments
1) The owner shall comply with this By-law and all other applicable enactments.
2) The owner shall ensure that all work, construction, or occupancy is carried out in accordance with this By-law and all other applicable enactments.
3) The owner shall ensure that the occupancy of a building or part of a building complies with the occupancy permit.
4) The issuance of a permit, the acceptance of plans and supporting documents submitted for a permit, or the making of inspections by the Chief Building Official shall not relieve the owner of a building from the full responsibility for carrying out the work or having the work carried out in accordance with this By-law and all other applicable enactments.
5) The owner shall ensure that all underground storage tanks on the subject property that are intended for the storage of heating oil but have not been used for over 2 years are
removed and any associated contamination is remediated to the applicable standards
as prescribed in the Contaminated Sites Regulation. All work must be completed in
accordance with the requirements of the Vancouver Fire By-law.
1.4.1.6. Compliance with Stop Work Order
1) The owner shall not carry out work or construction or suffer, permit or allow work or construction to be carried out in contravention of a stop work order issued by the Chief Building Official.
1.4.1.7. Compliance with Development Permit Plans
1) The owner shall ensure that the plans and supporting documents submitted for a permit conform substantially with the approved Development Permit plans and supporting documents, except that where differences exist, the owner shall make application for a “Development Permit Amendment” as required by the Zoning and Development By-law.
1.4.1.8. Owner’s Undertaking
1) The owner shall submit a completed Owner’s Undertaking letter to the Chief Building Official in support of and prior to the issuance of a permit, in the applicable form set out in Schedules E-1, E-2 and E-3 at the end of this Part.
1.4.1.9. Letters of Assurance
1) When required by this By-law, the owner shall provide to the Chief Building Official any applicable letters of assurance in the forms set out in Schedules A, B, C-A and C-B at the end of Part 2, Division C, Books I and II or in the forms set out in Schedules
D-1 and D-2 at the end of Part 5, Division B, Book I.
1.4.1.10. Project Directory
1) The owner shall, prior to commencing work, give notice in writing to the Chief Building Official, of the name, address, electronic mail address and telephone number of the owner, the constructor or other person in charge of the work, the designer reviewing the work, and any inspection or testing agency engaged to monitor the work.
2) During the course of the construction, the owner shall give immediate notice in writing to the Chief Building Official, of any change in employment of persons listed in the notice given pursuant to Sentence 1.4.1.10.(1). (See Appendix A.)
1.4.1.11. Other Notices
1) The owner shall give such other notices to the Chief Building Official as may be required by the Chief Building Official, by this By-law, or by another enactment.
1.4.1.12. Construction Safety
1) Where a Construction Safety Plan is required by Section 8.2, Division B, Book I, the owner shall:
a) prior to commencing work, ensure that the Construction Safety Plan has been submitted to the Chief Building Official, and
b) during construction, ensure that the Construction Safety Plan is posted at all times and is amended from time to time in accordance with the requirements of this By-law.
2) Where a building is required by Subsection 2.2.7., Division C, Book I to be professionally designed and reviewed, the owner shall, prior to commencing work, ensure that the contractor provides a full-time construction safety officer at the worksite.
1.4.1.13. Plans Required on Site
1) The owner shall ensure that the plans and specifications on which the issuance of the permit was based are available at the worksite for inspection during working hours by the Chief Building Official.
1.4.1.14. Site Cleared of Debris
1) The owner shall ensure that upon completion of demolition procedures, all debris and fill is cleared and the site levelled or graded, to the satisfaction of the Chief Building Official.
1.4.1.15. Tests to Establish Compliance
1) Where required by the Chief Building Official the owner shall make or have made, at the owner’s expense, tests or inspections, as necessary to establish compliance with this By-law and shall promptly provide a copy of all such tests or inspection reports to the Chief Building Official. (See Appendix A.)
1.4.1.16. Up-to-Date Survey
1) The owner shall provide to the Chief Building Official a survey, which has been certified by a registered land surveyor no more than 30 days before the date of delivery of the survey to the Chief Building Official
a) in the case of an existing building and site, if required by the Chief Building Official to substantiate the building location and size, above, at and below ground level, relative to the site,
b) in the case of an existing building and site, if required by the Chief Building Official to establish the relationship of the building to neighbouring grades, and
c) in the case of all new buildings, upon completion of foundations and footings and before any further construction, and the survey must include the elevation of a bench mark on the front of the foundation wall, to substantiate its size, location, and elevation relative to the site and to
neighbouring grades.
1.4.1.17. Covering Work Prior to Inspection, Site Review or Field Review
1) The owner shall not cover work prior to inspection, site review or field review.
1.4.1.18. Request for Inspection
1) The owner shall give at least 24 hours notice to the Chief Building Official when requesting an inspection of work that is required or ordered to be inspected.
1.4.1.19. Uncovering Work
1) The owner shall uncover any work that has been covered without inspection, when required to do so by the Chief Building Official. (See Appendix A).
2) An owner who is required to uncover work by the Chief Building Official shall uncover and replace such work at the owner’s expense.
1.4.1.20. Reinspection
1) If the Chief Building Official discovers faulty or incomplete work or faulty materials during an inspection, the owner shall apply for a reinspection.
2) Every applicant for a reinspection of a project shall pay the applicable reinspection fees set out in the Fee Schedule, prior to the reinspection.
1.4.1.21. Report of Building, Demolition or Excavation Failure
1) When a building, demolition or excavation failure occurs which causes or has the potential to cause injury or loss of life, the owner shall
a) immediately report the failure to the Chief Building Official,
b) submit a report, if required to do so by the Chief Building Official, in accordance with Article 1.5.3.1., and
c) carry out any repairs or remedial work required by the Chief Building Official.
1.4.1.22. Removing Unsafe Conditions
1) When a building or part thereof is in an unsafe condition, the owner shall forthwith take all necessary action to put the building in a safe condition.
1.4.1.23. Damage to City Property
1) The owner is responsible for the cost of repair of any damage to City property or works located thereon that occurs as a result of undertaking work for which a permit or a street use permit was required.
1.4.1.24. Requirements Regarding Street Addresses
1) An owner shall not post any number or letter on a building or suite entry except for a street address or suite number that has been designated by the Chief Building Official.
2) Every owner shall place and maintain the designated street address on the building in a place that is easily visible from the street, and the address shall be mounted on a contrasting background and shall conform with the minimum character size requirements in Table 1.4.1.24.
| Table 1.4.1.24. Requirements Regarding Street Addresses Forming part of Sentence 1.4.1.24.(2) | ||
| Building Setback from Street | Minimum Non-illuminated Character Size | Minimum Illuminated Character Size |
| 0 - 15 m | 100 mm | 80 mm |
| 15 - 20 m | 150 mm | 100 mm |
| Greater than 20 m | 200 mm | 150 mm |
3) Where landscaping or other structures obscure the visibility of a building from the street, the owner shall erect a sign no larger than 0.4 m2 displaying the street address, on the building property within sight of the street.
4) Every owner shall place and maintain a designated suite number on a contrasting background and of a character size of no less than 25 mm at the suite entry. (See also Article 3.8.3.13. of Division B, Book I for design requirements for persons with a visual impairment.)
5) If a suite number is assigned to an exterior principal suite entry, every owner shall place and maintain the designated suite number in conformance with this Section.
6) Every owner shall ensure that designated street addresses and suite numbers are made of durable materials and are affixed securely to the building.
1.4.1.25. Requirements regarding Professional Design and Review
1) In addition to the obligations listed in this section, the owner of a building to which the provisions of Part 2, Division C, Book I apply, shall also comply with the owner’s obligations in that Part.
1.4.2. Obligations of the Contractor
1.4.2.1. Construction Safety
1) The contractor shall ensure that all requirements of this By-law relating to construction safety are complied with, and shall ensure that every sub-contractor of the project has retained a trades safety coordinator as required by Sentence (2).
2) Every sub-contractor shall retain a qualified trades safety coordinator whose responsibilities shall include appropriate training of all persons working for the sub-contractor at the worksite in safe construction and installation practice.
3) The trades safety coordinator shall provide certification respecting training to the Chief Building Official upon request.
1.4.2.2. Work on Public Property
1) The contractor shall ensure that no excavation or other work is undertaken on public property, and that no building is erected or materials stored thereon, without first having obtained approval in
writing from the appropriate government authority.
1.4.2.3. Compliance with By-law and Other Enactments
1) The contractor shall ensure that all work, building, construction, or occupancy is carried out in accordance with this By-law and with all other applicable enactments.
1.4.2.4. Right of Entry of Chief Building Official
1) The contractor shall allow the Chief Building Official to enter any building or premises at any reasonable time for the purpose of administering and enforcing this By-law.
1.4.2.5. Compliance with Stop Work Order
1) The contractor shall not carry out work or construction, or suffer, permit or allow work or construction to be carried out, in contravention of a stop work order issued by the Chief Building Official.