Updated August 2026
Permits and building bylaws in Campbell River and the Strathcona Regional District
Campbell River Roofing works under two permit authorities: the City of Campbell River, and the Strathcona Regional District outside the city. In Electoral Area D the district's building inspector usually takes 1 to 3 weeks to review and issue a permit where the paperwork is in order. We confirm which authority your property falls under before we start.
Updated August 2026
Two authorities publish building permit rules across the area we roof. The City of Campbell River runs building permits and inspections inside the city. Outside it, what the Strathcona Regional District publishes differs from one electoral area to the next, and the table below sets out each authority's position in its own words.
A building permit is issued by the authority for the property: the City of Campbell River inside the city, and the Strathcona Regional District in its electoral areas.
We confirm the permit position for your address before we start an asphalt shingle re-roof.
Who issues the permit where your house is?
Inside the city limits it is the City. Outside them, the Strathcona Regional District publishes the rules, and what it publishes differs from one electoral area to the next. We work out which of the two your address falls under before we book anything.
| Area | Authority | What the authority publishes |
|---|---|---|
| Campbell River | City of Campbell River | Building permits and inspections “ensure that buildings comply with the safety, health, building and zoning requirements of the City of Campbell River and the Province of British Columbia.” |
| Electoral Area D — Oyster Bay-Buttle Lake | Strathcona Regional District | “Building permits are required for new construction, alteration, addition or demolition of a building or structure in Electoral Area D only.” |
| Electoral Areas A, B and C — Kyuquot/Nootka-Sayward, Cortes Island, Discovery Islands-Mainland Inlets | Strathcona Regional District | “Electoral Areas A, B and C do not have Building Bylaws and do not require building permits.” |
What the City of Campbell River publishes
One building permit application form covers all project types at the City, and the types it names are plumbing, residential and multi-residential, commercial and industrial, institutional, modular and mobile homes, retaining walls and demolition.
The City also publishes a threshold for structures: “You will require a permit if the structure will be more than 108 square feet (10 square metres).” That sentence is about structures. Ask the City's Building Services about your own job, and we will confirm what they say before we start.
The bylaws the City names on its permit page
Building Bylaw 3899, 2023. Subdivision and Development Servicing Bylaw 3419, 2010. Zoning Bylaw 3250, 2006. Sign Bylaw 3309, 2007. A Development Cost Charge Bylaw.
How inspections are booked
Inspections are booked through the City's eInspections service, once a permit number and a five-digit access code are in place. We hand you both when a permit is issued on your job.
How the Strathcona Regional District is laid out
The district's four electoral areas are Area A — Kyuquot/Nootka-Sayward, Area B — Cortes Island, Area C — Discovery Islands-Mainland Inlets, and Area D — Oyster Bay-Buttle Lake. Its five member municipalities are Campbell River, Gold River, Sayward, Tahsis and Zeballos.
Electoral Area D, and how long a permit takes there
Electoral Area D runs south of Campbell River to Oyster Bay, from the Strait of Georgia to Buttle Lake — from Jubilee Parkway to the Oyster River and east into Strathcona Provincial Park. Applications go through the Citywide portal.
The district's own timings for Area D are about one week of planning review for zoning and official community plan conformance where there are no concerns, and then one to three weeks for the building inspector to review and issue the permit where the paperwork is in order. The code it names as the owner's responsibility is the BC Building Code, 2024 edition.
Sayward, Quadra Island, Cortes Island and Oyster River
Sayward is a village and one of the district's five member municipalities. Quadra Island is in Electoral Area C, and Cortes Island is Electoral Area B. Oyster River is south of the city, in the area covered by Electoral Area D. Wherever your house is, we ask the authority that covers it and tell you what it said.
How we handle the permit question on your job
- 1
We check the address — we work out whether your property is inside the City of Campbell River or in an electoral area.
- 2
We ask the authority — we put your job to the City's Building Services, or to the regional district, and get their answer.
- 3
We write it down — you get what they said in writing, alongside the quote, before anything starts.
- 4
We book the roof — once the permit position is settled, we put your job in the schedule.
For pricing, see the roofing cost guide. We cover Campbell River, Sayward and Cortes Island.
Send us your address and we'll tell you which authority your roof falls under when we come out for a free roof quote.
Ready for a roofing quote in Campbell River?
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