Building Permits (BPER)

Building permit data and highlights report for Canada and British Columbia, including permit values and number of residential units created. British Columbia data is available at the census division and census subdivision levels. Annual data for British Columbia is available at the economic region level. The monthly dataset covers the period from January 2003 to July 2026, and the highlights report covers data from January 2025 to July 2026. Annual data is available for 2003 to 2025. Note: Due to changes in methodology, there is a data break between 2003–2017 and January 2018 onward. Therefore, these data are not directly comparable. Additionally, for 2003 to 2017, monthly data by residential unit type at the CD and CSD levels are not available and therefore only total residential units are included in this file. The Building Permits (BPER) survey is a key indicator of building activity; however, some data, particularly at more granular geographic levels, may be of lower quality. Users are advised to exercise caution when interpreting this data. For the most accurate and specific building permit information, please refer directly to the relevant municipality. Although widely used as a leading indicator, BPER data does not capture all construction activity in the province, as not all areas report and some large projects do not require a permit. In some cases, the value of permits and units shown in this data is less than actual due to incomplete reporting by municipalities. If you need help with this dataset, you can reach BC Stats at the email below; however, submitting a support request is recommended. Adapted from Statistics Canada, Building Permits (BPER), with data accessed at multiple points in time. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product. For the specific month of access, please refer to the individual resource.