New Custom Home

New Home & Multiplex Inspections Checklist in BC

Building a new home or multiplex from the ground up requires completing British Columbia's full 15-stage municipal inspection sequence. In BC, no trade work may be concealed behind concrete, backfill, sheathing, insulation, or drywall until the municipal inspector has physically examined and signed off on the work. Here is the chronological inspection checklist for new builds across BC.

New Construction Inspection Sequence

The complete chronological inspection schedule required for new custom homes, laneway houses, duplexes, and multiplexes in BC.

Stage & Trade	When to Call	What Is Checked
1. Excavation Building Inspector	Prior to placing footing formwork or pouring mud slabs.	Native soil bearing capacity, excavation depth, bedrock, and water table conditions.
2. Footing Forms Building Inspector	Formwork complete with rebar, prior to pouring concrete footings.	Footing widths/depths, rebar placement and size, keyways, and ground clearance.
3. Foundation Forms & Survey Building Inspector & BCLS	Forms erected with rebar and anchor bolts, prior to pouring walls.	Wall thickness, anchor bolts, rebar ties, and certified BCLS Forms Survey for setbacks.
4. Perimeter Drain Tile Plumbing & Building	Piping laid with washed rock, prior to backfilling around walls.	4″ perforated drain tile slope, washed crushed rock bedding, sumps, and damp-proofing.
5. Under-Slab Poly & Plumbing Plumbing & Building	Under-slab DWV piping and vapour barrier laid, prior to pouring slab.	Plumbing head pressure test, 6-mil poly ground cover, radongas rough-in, and sub-slab foam.
6. Exterior Sheathing Building Inspector	Plywood/OSB fastened to exterior walls, prior to house wrap.	Fastener spacing (6″ edge / 12″ field), structural shear walls, and hold-down brackets.
7. Rain Screen & Flashing Building Inspector	Building paper/house wrap, strapping, and window mockups installed.	10mm drainage cavity, bug screens at base/top, window sill pans, and self-adhered flashing.
8. Rough-In Trades Plumbing, Gas & Electrical	All supply/drain pipes, gas lines, HVAC ducts, and wiring pulled.	DWV water column / air test, potable water pressure, ventilation duct sizing, and wiring.
9. Structural Framing Building Inspector	Rough-in trades approved and roof watertight, prior to insulation.	Load-bearing studs, headers, engineered floor joists, point load transfers, and fire stops.
10. Mid-Construction Step Code Energy Advisor (CEA)	Framing passed and air barrier sealed, prior to or during insulation.	Blower door test (ACH@50Pa) verifying continuous airtightness before concealing poly.
11. Insulation & Vapour Barrier Building Inspector	Batts/spray foam and 6-mil poly sealed with acoustical sealant.	R-values (R-22+ walls / R-50+ attic), continuous sealed poly, and electrical box gaskets.
12. Fire Drywall Inspection Building Inspector	Drywall hung in secondary suites / garage separation, prior to taping.	5/8″ or 1/2″ Type X drywall fastener spacing (7″–8″ o.c.) and fire-stop caulking.
13. Final Step Code Blower Door Energy Advisor (CEA)	Building fully finished with all fixtures, doors, and trim installed.	Final airtightness test, EnerGuide rating, and submission of As-Built Step Code Compliance Report.
14. Final Plumbing Inspection Plumbing Inspector	All fixtures connected, backflow preventers set, and water meter installed.	Fixture operation, trap seals, water heater T&P relief valve, and cross-connection control.
15. Final Building Sign-Off Building Inspector	All trade finals passed, site graded, handrails/guards up, alarms tested.	Stair rise/run, smoke/CO alarms, exterior drainage slope, and release of Occupancy Certificate.

Project Roadmap & Scope of Work

Select a phase below to jump to the details

1
Groundwork, Footings & BCLS Foundation Survey
2
Under-Slab Plumbing & Sub-Slab Poly Barrier
3
Exterior Envelope, Sheathing & Rain Screen Mockup
4
Rough-In Trades, Framing & Mid-Blower Door Test
5
Insulation, Fire Drywall, Final Tests & Occupancy

Overview & Context

Overview

Building a new custom home, duplex, laneway house, or multiplex in British Columbia is subject to the most thorough inspection regime in Canadian residential construction. Every structural element, plumbing run, air barrier seal, and safety fixture must be inspected and stamped before it can be legally closed in.

Prematurely covering uninspected work is a major building code violation that can result in immediate stop-work orders and costly uncovering mandates. Here is the full guide to passing your new build inspections on the first attempt.

Step 1: Groundwork, Footings & BCLS Foundation Survey

Phase 01

Before calling any inspection, you must have the official city-stamped paper drawing set printed in full size (24″ × 36″ or 30″ × 42″) and placed in a weatherproof plan box or table on site.

Excavation Inspection: Confirms bearing soil capacity and excavation depth before forms are placed.
Footing Forms & Rebar: Verifies footing dimensions, rebar sizes, keyways, and soil clearances before pouring concrete footings.
Foundation Forms & BCLS Survey: Verifies wall forms, anchor bolts, and includes submitting a certified BCLS Building Location Survey from a registered BC Land Surveyor proving the foundation matches approved property line setbacks.
Perimeter Drain Tile & Damp-Proofing: Confirms 4″ perforated drain tile slope, washed rock bedding, and foundation damp-proofing before backfilling.

Foundation rebar and footing inspection in BC — **Footing & Foundation Inspection:** Verifying engineered rebar cages, formwork dimensions, bearing soil capacity, and certified BCLS legal setback surveys before pouring concrete.

Step 2: Under-Slab Plumbing & Perimeter Drainage

Phase 02

The under-slab and perimeter drainage inspections protect your home's foundation from moisture ingress, hydrostatic groundwater pressure, and radon soil gas before backfill and slabs are poured:

Under-Slab Rough-In: Examines DWV plumbing lines under hydrostatic water pressure head test to ensure zero joint leakage.
Perimeter Drain Tile & Damp-Proofing: 4″ perforated drain pipe laid with washed crushed rock bedding, foundation membrane damp-proofing, and gravity connection to municipal storm sewers.
Vapour Barrier & Insulation: Verifies continuous 6-mil polyethylene ground cover, taped laps, sub-slab rigid foam insulation, and radon soil gas collection rough-in pipes.

Foundation perimeter drainage system with dimpled membrane and washed crushed rock — **Perimeter Drain & Damp-Proofing:** Inspectors verify perforated weeping tile slope, clear crushed gravel bedding, and dimpled moisture protection before backfilling around concrete foundation walls.

Step 3: Exterior Envelope, Sheathing & Rain Screen Mockup

Phase 03

British Columbia's wet coastal climate mandates rigorous building envelope moisture management:

Sheathing & Shear Walls: Verifies plywood/OSB fastening patterns (6″ edge / 12″ field) and engineered hold-down anchors.
Rain Screen Drainage Plane: Verifies 10mm cavity strapping, base bug screens, window sill pan flashings, and self-adhered membrane wraps before installing siding, brick, or stucco.

Carpenter installing galvanized seismic steel strap to wood stud framing — **Seismic Tie-Down & Hold-Down Hardware:** Structural engineers require galvanized continuous tie straps across floor plates to resist lateral earthquake loads in southwestern BC.

Step 4: Rough-In Trades, Framing & Mid-Blower Door Test

Phase 04

Rough-in trades (plumbing, gas, HVAC, electrical) must be fully inspected and approved before the framing inspection. Once approved, the municipal framing inspector reviews:

Framing Inspection: Examines all load-bearing studs, engineered floor joists, point load transfers, headers, fire stops, and structural hold-downs against the approved building permit plans.
Mid-Construction Step Code Test: Certified Energy Advisors (CEAs) perform an airtightness blower door test to catch building envelope air leaks before insulating.

Energy advisor performing blower door airtightness test in custom home — **BC Step Code Airtightness Testing:** Certified Energy Advisor performing pre-drywall blower door test (ACH@50Pa) to verify continuous building envelope seals.

Step 5: Insulation, Fire Drywall, Final Tests & Occupancy

Phase 05

The final milestone stages transition the building from active construction to lawful occupancy:

Insulation & Poly: R-values checked (R-22+ walls, R-50+ ceilings) and continuous 6-mil poly sealed with acoustical sealant.
Fire Drywall: 5/8″ Type X drywall between secondary suites or garage walls inspected before taping and mudding.
Final Trade Inspections: Final plumbing, electrical, and gas passes are issued.
Final Building Sign-Off: Smoke/CO alarms tested, stair handrails verified, exterior grading confirmed, leading to the issuance of the Occupancy Certificate.