Do I sign an alteration agreement for electrical work in a Burnaby strata?

Burnaby strata electrical work almost always requires a strata council alteration agreement before work begins, and the permit comes from the City of Burnaby's own electrical inspection program, not Technical Safety BC.

Why an Alteration Agreement Is Standard for Strata Electrical Work

The Strata Property Act treats in-wall wiring, electrical panels in common electrical rooms, parkade wiring and anything outside your suite's interior air space as common property. Even work that feels entirely "inside your unit" often touches common property the moment a wire runs through a wall, ceiling or floor assembly. Because the strata corporation is responsible for common property, council needs to authorise the work and protect itself if something goes wrong later. That authorisation typically takes the form of a written alteration agreement.

What the agreement usually covers: who pays for the work, who is responsible if the work causes damage to a neighbouring suite or common area, whether the owner must restore the original condition on sale, and proof of insurance from the licensed contractor doing the job. Some strata corporations have a standard form; others draft one per project. Either way, get council approval in writing before you book an electrician.

Do not start work without that approval. A strata can order you to restore altered common property at your own expense, and an unpermitted alteration can complicate your sale or your strata insurance claim.

The scope of work determines how involved the process gets. Swapping a light fixture inside your suite on an existing box is usually owner-controlled and may not need an agreement at all. Adding a dedicated circuit, installing a Level 2 EV charger in the parkade, upgrading your in-suite panel or running new wiring through walls are all jobs that will trigger the alteration agreement process and almost certainly require a permit.

On the permit side, Burnaby runs its own electrical permit and inspection program through the City of Burnaby, separate from Technical Safety BC. Your electrician will pull the permit through the City, not through Technical Safety BC's online portal. The permit fee is typically included in a contractor's quote and runs in the $100 to $300 range for most residential strata jobs.

For EV charging in a Burnaby strata parkade, the process is more involved: the strata usually needs an electrical planning report, a load management strategy and per-stall metering before individual owners can proceed. CleanBC's Go Electric Strata program offers funding for that planning work and for the installation itself, but the application generally needs to come from the strata corporation, not an individual owner. Apply before work starts, as most CleanBC rebates are not retroactive.

Before hiring anyone, ask the electrician for their Technical Safety BC licence number and confirm it yourself on the Technical Safety BC public registry. Also confirm WorkSafeBC coverage. A Burnaby strata job that involves common property or the parkade will also need the contractor to carry commercial general liability insurance, which your alteration agreement will likely specify.

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