Business & Development Fees

Application Fees

Please see our Business Licence page for more information on Business Licences.

Business licence fees can be found in the Business Licence Bylaw.

Development Cost Charges (DCC)

Charges that are paid at the time of subdivision for single family lots or at the time of building permit for all other development can be found in the Development Cost Charges (DCC) Bylaw. 

Building Permit Fees

Fees for building permits for new construction or for the siting of a new manufactured home can be found in the Building and Plumbing Bylaw

Business & Development Incentives

DCC Downtown Waiver

The DCC Reduction for Downtown Specified Area Bylaw was adopted by Council on October 17, 2011.  This Bylaw provides an incentive to new development in the Downtown by waiving the Development Cost Charges for eligible development within the Downtown Specified Area.  This Bylaw applies to multi-family residential development and commercial development.

Revitalization Tax Exemption

Bylaw 1625 Revitalization Tax Exemption was adopted by Council on October 15, 2007. This Bylaw provides an incentive to existing commercial buildings in the Downtown Core and Downtown Mixed Use areas (as defined in the Official Community Plan) when the construction value of the project is at least $15,000. The program supports the ongoing revitalization of the Downtown by tying the municipal portion of the property taxes to the assessed value established before the improvements took place.  The tax exemption is available for a maximum of 10 years.  For more details and to apply click here Revitalization Tax Exemption Package.

Revitalization Tax Exemption – Economic Revitalization Bylaw 2012, No.1807 was originally adopted by Council on September 17, 2012 and amended in 2019.  This Bylaw provides an incentive for the construction or alteration of buildings assessed by BC Assessment as Class 4 (Major Industry), Class 5 (Light Industry), or Class 6 (Commercial) which are located within the Revitalization Area defined in Bylaw 1807.  The construction value of the eligible project must be at least $200,000 to qualify for 100% of the maximum tax exemption for 5 years.  A further 5 year exemption is eligible on projects valued at greater than $2.5 million.  The building permit must have been issued after April 1, 2012.  The program supports economic revitalization by tying the municipal portion of the property taxes to the assessed value established before the improvements took place. 

Bylaw 1807 - Revitalization Tax Exemption Economic Program

The focus of the Economic Revitalization program is:

  • To stimulate construction and alteration of buildings within Ladysmith; and
  • To encourage new business investment in commercial and industrial used lands and, in turn, encourage new employment; and
  • To promote a higher standard of urban design within business areas and employment areas in order to increase the attractiveness of these locations; and
  • To generally reinforce the Town's commitment to economic revitalization.

Revitalization Tax Exemption Economic Program Application Form