First, Understand the Differences
A condo renovation in Vancouver is not the same as renovating a house. You share walls, floors, and ceilings with other people. You answer to a strata council. Your building has rules about when work can happen, how materials get delivered, and what you’re allowed to change. None of this makes a condo renovation impossible, but it does mean you need to prepare differently than a homeowner would.
If you’re planning a condo renovation in Vancouver, Burnaby, or anywhere in Metro Vancouver, here’s what you should sort out before you call a contractor.
Understand What You Own and What You Don’t
In a strata building, your unit has two layers of ownership. You own the interior surfaces and finishes of your unit, what’s called the “strata lot.” The building structure, common areas, exterior walls, windows, and typically the plumbing and electrical systems within the walls belong to the strata corporation. This distinction matters because it determines what you can change without approval and what requires formal permission.
Generally, you can repaint walls, replace flooring, swap out cabinetry and countertops, and update fixtures without strata approval. But the moment your renovation touches anything structural, involves plumbing or electrical modifications, or affects common property (including the waterproofing membrane in your bathroom), you’ll need to go through the strata approval process.
In most Metro Vancouver buildings, this means submitting an alteration agreement with detailed plans, contractor insurance certificates, and sometimes engineering sign-off, then waiting for council review before any work begins. For a step-by-step breakdown of what this process involves, see our strata approval guide.
The timeline for strata approval varies. Some councils review requests monthly, others quarterly. Some will respond within a week if the scope is minor. If your condo renovation is time-sensitive, find out your strata’s review schedule early. A two-month wait for approval is not unusual for larger projects. If your strata unreasonably refuses approval, the Civil Resolution Tribunal handles disputes under the BC Strata Property Act.
Know What Permits You Need
Strata approval and city permits are two different things, and you may need both. The City of Vancouver (and other Metro Vancouver municipalities) requires building permits for renovations that involve structural changes, plumbing modifications, electrical work beyond simple fixture swaps, or changes to the building envelope.
Cosmetic renovations, such as paint, flooring, cabinetry, and countertop replacements where no plumbing or electrical is moved, generally don’t require a permit. But if you’re relocating a sink, adding a dishwasher line, upgrading your electrical panel, or removing a wall, you’ll need to pull permits and schedule inspections.
Your contractor should handle the permit application process, but you should understand that permits add time to the project timeline. In Vancouver, permit processing for interior renovations can take two to six weeks depending on complexity and current municipal workload. This timeline runs in parallel with strata approval if you plan it right, but many owners don’t realize they need to start both processes early.
Set a Realistic Budget Before You Design
One of the most expensive mistakes condo owners make is designing a renovation before understanding what it will cost. They spend weeks on Pinterest, pick out finishes, then get an estimate that’s double what they expected. The smarter approach is to establish your budget range first, then design within it.
Condo renovations in Vancouver generally cost more per square foot than equivalent work in a house. The reasons are logistical: restricted construction hours, elevator booking, hallway protection, debris removal through common areas, and the need for specialized waterproofing in concrete buildings. For a detailed breakdown of what different project types cost, see our guide to condo renovation costs in Vancouver.
Your budget should include a 10% to 15% contingency. Older buildings, particularly concrete towers from the 1970s and 1980s, often reveal outdated wiring, asbestos-containing materials, or deteriorated plumbing once walls are opened. These aren’t optional fixes. If your electrical doesn’t meet current code, it has to be updated. A contingency fund keeps these discoveries from blowing up your project.
If you’re weighing renovation options for your condo, our pre-construction advisory can help you map out scope, budget, and timeline before committing to a full design. For projects over $60,000, the advisory fee is $3,500 and is credited toward your project if you proceed. It’s specifically designed to prevent the budget surprises that derail renovations.
Hire a Contractor Who Knows Condo Renovation in Vancouver
Not every renovation contractor is equipped to handle condo projects. The skills that make someone good at building a laneway house or renovating a Kitsilano character home don’t automatically transfer to a 20th-floor unit in a concrete highrise. Condo work requires a specific set of competencies: navigating strata bylaws, coordinating with building management, scheduling around elevator access windows, managing noise and dust control, and working within restricted construction hours.
When you’re evaluating contractors, ask specifically about their condo experience. How many condo projects have they completed in the last two years? Which buildings have they worked in? Can they walk you through how they handle strata approvals, material deliveries, and debris removal? A contractor who hesitates on these questions probably doesn’t have the experience you need.
Also ask about insurance. Your strata will almost certainly require your contractor to carry liability insurance, and many buildings require a minimum coverage amount. Some also require the contractor to be named on a specific type of policy. Your building manager can tell you exactly what’s needed, and your contractor should be able to provide proof of coverage without hesitation.
Design-build firms have an advantage here because the design and construction teams work together from the start. This means the design accounts for building-specific constraints from day one, not after the drawings are done. When your designer knows that your building requires a specific waterproofing system or that the elevator is only available for deliveries on Tuesday mornings, those realities get built into the plan rather than discovered as problems during construction.
Prepare Your Building and Your Neighbours
Even with strata approval in hand, your renovation will affect people around you. Construction noise travels through concrete. Dust migrates through hallways. Elevator access gets disrupted. The contractors who handle this well are proactive about communication, and you should be too.
Before work starts, introduce yourself to your immediate neighbours if you haven’t already. Let them know what you’re doing, roughly how long it will take, and what the noisiest phases will be. This doesn’t prevent complaints, but it reduces them significantly. People are more tolerant of disruption when they know it’s temporary and when someone has shown them the courtesy of a heads-up.
Your contractor should handle the building logistics: booking the service elevator, protecting common hallways with floor and wall coverings, coordinating with the building manager on delivery schedules, and ensuring all work stays within permitted hours. Most Metro Vancouver stratas restrict work to weekday daytime hours, typically 8:00 or 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with no work on weekends or holidays. If your contractor doesn’t bring this up proactively during the planning phase, that’s a red flag. These aren’t details you should be managing yourself.
How long does it take to renovate a condo in Vancouver?
From first conversation to move-in, a full condo renovation typically takes 4 to 9 months. That breaks down to 1 to 3 months of pre-construction (design, strata approval, permitting) and 3 to 6 months of construction. Kitchen-only renovations are shorter: roughly 6 to 10 weeks of construction after approvals are in place. Restricted construction hours in most buildings extend timelines compared to house projects.
Can I live in my condo during a renovation?
For smaller projects like a single bathroom or cosmetic updates, yes, though it won’t be comfortable. For a full-unit renovation involving kitchen, bathrooms, and flooring, most owners move out. Dust, noise, and the loss of a functional kitchen and bathroom make it impractical to stay. If you need to relocate temporarily, factor that cost into your budget.
What happens if my strata denies my renovation request?
If your strata unreasonably refuses approval for a renovation that doesn’t affect common property, you can apply to the Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) for a determination. The CRT handles strata disputes in BC and can order a strata corporation to approve a reasonable alteration. However, this process takes time, so it’s worth working with your strata early and submitting a thorough application to avoid disputes.
Do I need a permit for a condo kitchen renovation?
If you’re replacing cabinets, countertops, and fixtures in the same locations, you generally don’t need a permit. If you’re moving plumbing, relocating electrical outlets, or removing walls, you do. Your contractor should be clear about what requires a permit and handle the application process. Unpermitted work can create problems when you sell your unit, as buyers’ home inspectors and mortgage lenders increasingly flag it.
Start Planning Your Condo Renovation
The best time to start planning a condo renovation is earlier than you think. Between strata approvals, design development, permitting, and scheduling, a full condo renovation can take three to six months from first conversation to construction start. If you want to be in a renovated unit by fall, the planning needs to begin in winter or early spring.
reVISION Design + Build works with condo owners across Metro Vancouver, from Yaletown to Coquitlam, Burnaby to the North Shore. We handle the full scope: strata coordination, design, permitting, and construction. If you’re at the stage where you know you want to renovate but aren’t sure where to start, a consultation is the right next step. We’ll assess your unit, review your building’s requirements, and give you a clear picture of what your condo renovation will involve before you commit to anything.