New Commercial Construction in Vancouver: 98 Permits in Twelve Months
The City of Vancouver issued 98 permits for new offices, stores, restaurants, hotels and mixed-use buildings from October 2025 to September 2026, 32 of them in the quarter to September. Builtie reads the permits, estimates each project's stage and attaches the builder or general contractor with a verified decision maker.
The same four steps, whether the buyer is a builder, a designer, an owner or a company you want to acquire.
How many new commercial construction permits Vancouver issued
| Measure | Vancouver |
|---|---|
| Permits issued, October 2025 to September 2026 | 98 |
| July to September 2026 | 32 |
| April to June 2026 | 42 |
| Share of Vancouver's classified permits | 3% |
| Busiest month | June 2026 (37) |
| Rank among 24 markets | 10 of 24 |
This counts permits for new offices, stores, restaurants, hotels and mixed-use buildings that Builtie classifies as new commercial construction. The quarter to September was down 24% on the quarter before.
Permits issued per month, read October 9, 2026 from Builtie's permit data.
The largest markets for new commercial construction, read October 9, 2026.
Who decides on new commercial construction in Vancouver
The developer or owner hires a general contractor, which awards the trade packages; the architect and engineers write the specifications the trades price against.
Trades these projects buy, and how many are open now
Each trade is bought at its own stage of the build. These are the trades new commercial construction projects lean on, with the projects in Vancouver still inside each trade's award window today:
| Trade | Projects in its award window now | Award window |
|---|---|---|
| Excavation and Site Work | 58 | Before construction starts |
| Construction Site Security | 332 | Before the start to 15% |
| Concrete and Foundation | 217 | Before the start to 5% |
| Structural Steel | 346 | 0% to 15% |
| Elevators | 116 | 0% to 20% |
| Fire Protection | 549 | 25% to 50% |
| Electrical | 732 | 20% to 45% |
| HVAC and Mechanical | 732 | 20% to 45% |
| Low Voltage and Data | 650 | 35% to 60% |
| Windows, Doors and Glazing | 612 | 15% to 35% |
| Signage and Wayfinding | 626 | 25% to 70% |
What the Vancouver data covers
The data is the City of Vancouver. Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey and the rest of Metro Vancouver issue their own permits and are not in the feed today.
Other building types in Vancouver: new residential construction, residential renovation, commercial renovation, institutional renovation, industrial renovation.
Month by month: Vancouver construction permits by month. Every trade: Vancouver construction leads by trade.
Plans
Builtie's Starter plan is $79 per seat per month (CAD) for 20 projects; Growth is $99 for 50 projects and adds the LinkedIn and email outreach you run yourself. Opening a project spends one credit, and the decision makers, emails, phones and AI call script inside it are included. Your monthly credits reset at each renewal, and extra credit packs are valid for 30 days. The free trial runs 7 days with 10 projects. Custom, where Builtie's team runs the outreach for you, starts from CAD $1,500 a month on top of a Growth seat.
Frequently asked questions
How many new commercial construction permits were issued in Vancouver in the last year?
98 from October 2025 to September 2026, 32 of them from July to September 2026, read October 9, 2026.
Who awards the trades on new commercial construction projects?
The developer or owner hires a general contractor, which awards the trade packages; the architect and engineers write the specifications the trades price against.
How do I find new commercial construction projects in Vancouver before they are awarded?
Work from the building permits: Builtie reads the City of Vancouver's permits, estimates each project's stage and shows the ones still inside your trade's award window, with the builder or general contractor and a verified decision maker.
What does Builtie cost?
Starter is $79 per seat per month for 20 projects; Growth is $99 for 50 projects and adds LinkedIn and email outreach. There is a 7-day free trial with 10 projects.