Kitchen Renovation Permits & Asbestos Testing in Burnaby

The Short Answer

Not every kitchen renovation in Burnaby needs a permit. The City of Burnaby says minor works such as replacing fixtures, cabinets and flooring, and painting the inside of your home, don’t need one. But changes that alter the building, like building or taking down walls, are treated as alterations that need a building permit, and plumbing, gas and electrical work in a house needs trade permits.

Separately from permits, WorkSafeBC’s regulation requires a qualified person to inspect for hazardous materials, including asbestos, before renovation work begins. That rule applies whether or not the City needs a permit.

Kitchen Work That Usually Doesn’t Need a Permit

Based on the City’s home improvement guidance, these are generally treated as minor works:

• Replacing cabinets in the same layout.
• Replacing fixtures, such as a faucet, in the same place.
• Replacing flooring.
• Painting inside your home.

Even here, connecting a new sink or dishwasher may involve plumbing or electrical work that has its own rules, and condo owners still need strata approval.

When You Need a Building Permit

Burnaby classifies changes to existing buildings that don’t add floor area as alterations, and alterations need a permit. For a kitchen, that typically includes:

• Taking down a wall to open the kitchen to the living or dining room.
• Building new walls or changing door and window openings.
• Any structural change, such as a new beam where a load-bearing wall is removed (designed by an engineer).

Applications can be made online. The City has announced that from 1 July 2026 some projects need a Development Permit before a Building Permit can be issued, so check the current process when you apply. We confirm requirements for your scope as part of planning.

Plumbing, Gas and Electrical Permits

For single-family and duplex homes, the City of Burnaby’s residential trade permit page says:

• Plumbing: installing, changing or upgrading any part of the plumbing system needs a permit.
• Gas: installing, modifying or upgrading any part of the gas system needs a gas permit.
• Electrical: any electrical work or installation needs an electrical permit.

In practice, moving a sink, adding a dishwasher line, running gas to a new range, adding circuits or installing pot lights all fall here. These permits are normally taken out by the licensed plumbers, gasfitters and electricians doing the work, which is how we coordinate them.

Asbestos and Hazardous Materials: What WorkSafeBC Requires

WorkSafeBC’s Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, s. 20.112, covers hazardous materials such as asbestos-containing material and lead that may be disturbed during demolition or the renovation of a building.

• Before work begins, the employers responsible for the work and the owner must make sure a qualified person inspects the building to identify hazardous materials.
• The qualified person collects representative samples, has them identified, and writes a report of what was found and where.
• WorkSafeBC’s guidance says the section has no cut-off date. Most asbestos-containing building materials were phased out by the early 1990s, so homes built before about 1990 are the most likely to have them, but age alone doesn’t rule it out.
• Until sampling shows otherwise, suspected materials are treated as if they contain asbestos.

In an older Burnaby kitchen, the usual suspects are drywall joint compound, textured (“popcorn”) ceilings, vinyl sheet flooring and its backing, and some old plaster.

If Asbestos Is Found

If the report finds asbestos where your renovation will disturb it, it has to be removed or safely contained before the kitchen work goes ahead. Since 1 January 2024, companies that offer asbestos abatement in BC need a WorkSafeBC asbestos abatement licence, and their workers must be certified. WorkSafeBC publishes a registry where you can check a contractor’s licence.

We arrange testing and, when needed, a licensed abatement contractor before demolition, then build their timeline into your schedule. We don’t do abatement ourselves.

Condos and Townhouses: Strata Approval Too

In a strata, City rules are only part of it. Your strata bylaws decide what needs council approval, and most kitchen work beyond painting does. Many stratas also ask for the contractor’s insurance and WorkSafeBC coverage, and set rules for hours, elevators and flooring sound ratings. Older low-rise buildings may also need hazardous-materials testing inside the unit. See our condo kitchen page for a step-by-step approval checklist.

Permit and Testing Checklist

1. Write down the full scope: walls, plumbing, gas, electrical, flooring.
2. If any of it alters the building, plan for a City of Burnaby building permit.
3. If plumbing, gas or electrical work changes, plan for trade permits taken out by licensed trades.
4. Arrange a hazardous-materials inspection by a qualified person before work begins.
5. If asbestos is found, book a WorkSafeBC-licensed abatement contractor.
6. In a condo or townhouse, get written strata approval.
7. Keep permits, reports and approvals on site during the work.
8. Still unsure? Contact the City of Burnaby Building Department, or ask us to check your scope.