What You Need to Know About Inspections & Permits Before Building

A lot of folks come to us with questions about inspections and permits—what’s required, when it’s required, and how to make sure nothing falls through the cracks before your building is complete. So let’s break it down.

When you apply for your building permit, what you apply for is what governs the inspection process. If it’s an uninsulated building, the inspection process ends at that stage. If it’s insulated, the district will perform an insulation inspection. Add living quarters, and the scope expands even more.

Simple rule? Apply for what you plan to build—and know each step comes with its own inspection trigger.

Now, let’s clear up a common confusion: Your building permit and your electrical permit are two different animals. We’ll handle the building permit; your electrician will handle the electrical permit. No extra headaches for you.

Here’s how it typically flows:

1. Permit Application – We file with engineered plans, ensuring faster approvals and fewer surprises.

   
   

2. Foundation Inspection – If it’s concrete, the district and your engineer want to inspect before the pour.With our preferred screw pile foundation? Much simpler. Engineered, quick, and no excavation mess.

   
   

3. Framing Inspection – Again, the district inspector and engineer tag team.

   
   

4. Insulation Inspection – If you applied for an insulated building.

   
   

5. Final Occupancy Inspection – Where the district confirms everything’s built to code and per the approved plan.

In our area—the RDNO (North Okanagan)—inspectors know our work. Our buildings pass. Our plans are thorough. And because of that trust, things often move a little faster.

If you're building a simple insulated shop, the process doesn’t need to be complicated—especially if you’ve got a pro handling the permit work.

We do this every day. We’ve streamlined it. And we do it the right way the first time—because waiting on failed inspections isn’t just frustrating, it’s expensive.