Hire Professionals to Help

You will need to hire professionals to help you as part of your project team to work with you on different pieces of your application. We have included links to websites of professional organizations, where possible. This is a high level list of some of the professionals you may require, and examples of work they can provide.

BC Land Surveyor

  • Produces a certified Topographic Plan with: elevation points, location and sizes of trees on or next to your property; any easements or statutory right-of-ways registered on the property; any watercourse or slope and the required setbacks from these natural features.
  • Produces a Subdivision Plan which is required for a Subdivision Application. 
  • Produces a Strata Plan to create separate legal titles for strata units.

Building Designer or Architect    

  • Designs and produces plans of the building, or if using the City’s standard plans, they adjust them to fit your property’s slope, garbage pick-up location, existing trees, and any utility servicing requirements. An architect is not required to design a triplex or fourplex. However, an engineer or architect will be required to be the Coordinating Registered Professional at the time of the Building Permit application.

Civil Engineer

  • Designs and produces plans of the water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer connections to your triplex or fourplex.
  • Designs plans, oversees construction, and signs-off on Frontage Works.
  • May be the Coordinating Registered Professional at the time of the Building Permit application.

Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP)

  • A Qualified Environmental Professional is defined in Part 5 (PDF), Section 523 of the Zoning Bylaw (Riparian Areas Regulation).
  • Produces a Riparian Areas Protection Regulation detailed assessment report if a development is proposed within the Streamside Protection and Enhancement Area (SPEA) as shown on QtheMap.

Qualified Tree Expert (QTE) 

Geotechnical Engineer    

  • Evaluates and reports on the soil conditions for construction and slope stability, making recommendations as to construction methods, setbacks from slopes, and monitoring to allow for construction on your property.

Heritage Professional 

  • Evaluates and reports on the conservation of buildings, and other historically significant features, and the significance of a property in relation to Coquitlam’s cultural heritage.
  • Works with the applicant and other development professionals to ensure character defining elements are conserved and celebrated within a Heritage Revitalization Agreement development.
  • To find out if your property is on the City’s Heritage Inventory, contact the Development Information Team by email.

Landscape Designer or Landscape Architect 

  • Both of these professionals can design and produce plans for your property’s landscaping. Hiring a Landscape Designer is acceptable when there are no street trees required to be planted. A Landscape Architect is the required professional for designing the plans, and overseeing the installation of any required street tree planting. If your development is required to install street trees, it may make economic sense to have your Landscape Architect design your property’s landscaping as well being responsible for the boulevard landscaping. 

Coordinating Registered Professional (CRP)    

  • Triplex and fourplex development applications are considered “complex” as defined in the City’s Building Bylaw. For many Building Permit applications for triplexes or fourplexes, a project will require, at a minimum, a Civil Engineer, and a Structural Engineer to provide their professional services for a proposed project. Where two or more Registered Professionals are providing their services on a project, they need the oversight of a Coordinating Registered Professional (CRP).
  • A CRP (may be an architect or an engineer) is required at the time of Building Permit application for a triplex or fourplex to coordinate all professionals working on the development and to sign-off on the required BC Building Code Schedules stating that the work has been completed to conform to the approved Development Permit.

Development Application Process and Standard Plans

Applicable Fees and Charges