Surrey’s Guaranteed Permitting Timelines initiative accelerating processing of building permitting

THE latest data collected shows significant process on the City of Surrey’s Guaranteed Permitting Timelines. To minimize the wait time between applying and receiving a building or rezoning permit, Surrey City Council approved Guaranteed Permitting Timelines in October of 2021.

“The goal of this program is to ensure building permits are expedited in a timely manner,” said Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum. “Not knowing when a building permit will be issued has long been a point of frustration for builders. Council’s implementation of a guaranteed timeline will result in less idle time for builders and more accurate completion dates for people looking to move into their new home or business space. The latest data shows that we are not only meeting our goals, but we are exceeding our targets in several areas. I would like thank staff for their quick work on this important initiative.”

The latest data shows in four of five categories processing times have met or exceeded targeted timelines:

A number of initiatives have been implemented to accelerate Guaranteed Permitting Timelines, which include increasing staffing resources, expanding the online digital permitting portal, and the introduction of an expanded hours pilot program that extends the opening hours of City Hall to 8 p.m. one day per week.

The full Corporate Report can be viewed here:

https://www.surrey.ca/sites/default/files/corporate-reports/CR_2022-R088.pdf