Can a Vancouver electrician handle strata paperwork on my behalf?

Strata paperwork is mostly your job as the unit owner, but a good electrician can make the process much easier by providing the technical documents the strata council needs to say yes.

What the Strata Process Actually Looks Like

Under the Strata Property Act, any work that touches common property (in-wall wiring, the electrical room, parkade conduit, the building's main panel) requires council approval before work starts. For most electrical projects in a strata, that means submitting a written alteration request, often with a scope of work, a load calculation, and sometimes a licensed electrician's letter confirming the work meets code. The council reviews it, may require an alteration agreement, and then gives written approval. Only after that can permits be pulled and work begin.

Your electrician can, and should, prepare the technical side of that package: a written scope of work, a load calculation showing the building's electrical system can handle the new demand, and a letter on their company letterhead confirming the proposed work meets the BC Electrical Code. For EV charger installations, many strata buildings now require an electrical planning report covering the whole parkade, and a licensed electrician or electrical engineer typically authors that document. That is well within what a contractor can do for you.

What the electrician cannot do is submit the alteration request on your behalf as the owner, attend council meetings as your representative, or sign the alteration agreement. Those steps belong to you as the strata lot owner. Some owners hire a strata lawyer or property manager to help draft the formal request letter, but that is outside an electrician's role.

The permit comes after council approval, not before. Once the strata says yes, the electrician pulls the permit. In the City of Vancouver, that goes to the city's own electrical inspection department. In most other Metro Vancouver municipalities (Richmond, Coquitlam, New Westminster, Delta, Langley, and others), the permit comes from Technical Safety BC. The permit fee is typically $75 to $300 for residential strata work and should be included in your contractor's quote.

A few practical things to confirm before your electrician starts the paperwork package: ask whether they have done strata EV charger or panel work before (the load calculation and planning report process is specific), ask for their Technical Safety BC licence number, and confirm WorkSafeBC coverage. Verify the licence yourself at the Technical Safety BC website rather than taking their word for it.

For the alteration agreement itself, your strata management company is the right first call. If the project is complex (a parkade EV charging system, a service upgrade affecting the electrical room), some owners bring in a strata lawyer to review the agreement before signing.

Want quotes from local electricians who are familiar with Metro Vancouver strata electrical work? Vancouver Electrical Repair can match you with local ones for free.