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Category: Notice Board

Notices and alerts

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Just a quick word to our clients in the construction industry. We know that you're still out there, pouring concrete and swinging hammers, even if we're working from home.

Provincial regulations require inspections at set points in a build, and our inspectors will be available to conduct those mandatory inspections, even if we're not in the office.

We ask, however, that you do give us a bit more notice of a required inspection (which is indicated on your building permit.) This is because our inspectors will hve to travel from home to obtain a company vehicle - so a day's advance warning at the very least is politely requested.

To arrange an inspection, please email one of our inspectors directly. If calling by phone, please allow a little more time for the forwarding magic to work.

Michael Hall | michael.hall@snbscs.ca | 466-7369 ext 2
Vern Faulkner | vern.faulkner@snbsc.ca | 466-7369 ext 3

Construction sites aren't the most congested places, but we will be diligent in ensuring social distancing during our time on your site or (in the case of residential final inspections) your home.

To those who are still on-site, we respect the work you do, and thank you for doing it. Please stay safe.

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Today, the Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission released new building or development permit application forms, replacing the older forms that were .... well, just a little old.
 
The new forms are easier to use, and also capture some critical information required to streamline an application process. There’s less to fill out, and less chance of a client giving us information that we don’t need. For example, we don’t need to know construction details for rural sheds or chicken coops – these are development permit structures that do not need to meet Code.
 
Do note that construction plans are required for all significant building permit projects. Plans do not need to be professionally created for small projects like home additions and the like – as long as our inspectors understand what you’re doing and can verify it will meet Code.
 
Also, site plan details are required for all applications.
 
The forms are fully digital: they can be downloaded onto your computer, filled out digitally, and emailed back to us as a complete form.
 
The new forms are available permit-form-v1-18022020 and are for all rural areas in Charlotte and southern York County, as well as the municipalities of St. George, Saint Andrews, McAdam and Harvey.
 
It’s our hope that the simpler, easier forms will reduce confusion for the one-time builder and streamline applications for the busy contracting firm.
 
If a permit is being filled out on behalf of a legal property owner, that owner needs to fill out an “agent authorization” form, available agent-form-19022020.

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This is a busy time for people wanting to build, and we want to make sure you can get shovels in the ground as soon as possible. The simplest way to make that happen is to call our Planning Department early in the planning process, because we can identify potential challenges such as:

  • Septic system approval
  • Need for wetlands access permits in watersheds and near water
  • Setback requirements from major highways (If building within 15 m of Routes 1,3,4, 127, 170, may need DTI variances)
  • Height limitations of accessory buildings in a municipality
  • Land-use restrictions in both municipal and some rural areas
  • Changes code requirements in an existing building if changing use

(It should be noted that many of these potential obstacles are bylaws set by municipal governments, provincial regulations, or building code regulations, not the Service Commission.)

We tell our clients it takes three-five business days to process a permit, but if all the preparation has been done, that will make turnaround much easier. The last thing we want is to receive a permit application and only then identify a potential obstacle.

Our professional staff are trained to help you navigate a path through provincial and local regulations and get you to your building goal. The best way to help us do that is to call us first, not last. Our number is 466-7369.

The villages of McAdam and Harvey will receive planning services from the Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission as of Jan. 1, 2019.

That means residents of those communities should contact our office with queries about building permits, setbacks for accessory buildings, and the like.

The regulations and bylaws for both villages remain unchanged: the change of service providers does not, in any way, mean that the Commission is imposing or enforcing new regulations for either community.