For clinics, fitness studios, hotels, clubs and multi-tenant commercial buildings, closing for a full renovation is rarely an option. Phased construction, where work moves zone by zone while the rest of the facility stays open, is the standard solution. Done well, it protects revenue, keeps clients and members coming back, and keeps staff working. Done poorly, it leads to permit problems, air-quality complaints and cost overruns that wipe out the savings from staying open.
This guide covers how recent changes to Vancouver’s building rules affect phased work, the safety steps required before construction starts, and how to plan phases that keep your business running. For the scope of work we handle on occupied commercial projects, see our tenant improvement and commercial renovation services.
A phased renovation is not simply a normal renovation done slowly. Each phase has to be planned so that the operating part of the building stays safe, accessible, code-compliant and pleasant to use. That affects everything from the order of the work to where the dust barriers go, when noisy trades are scheduled and how exits and washrooms stay available.
It also affects permits and cost. How the work is split into phases can change which building code upgrades are triggered, which is why phasing should be decided during design, not left to the construction schedule.
On May 20, 2025, Vancouver City Council adopted the 2024 BC Building Code with Vancouver-specific provisions. The resulting Vancouver Building By-law 2025 (VBBL 2025) came into general effect on September 15, 2025.
The most important change for renovations in occupied buildings is how the by-law treats upgrades outside the area being worked on. In older buildings, even modest renovations used to trigger structural or life-safety upgrades well beyond the suite being improved. According to the City’s Guide to 2025 VBBL Updates, for permits issued on or after September 15, 2025, structural and non-structural upgrades are not required outside the suite. For a tenant or owner phasing work floor by floor or zone by zone, that is a practical cost control: each phase is evaluated on its own footprint rather than pulling the whole building into compliance. Your designer should confirm how this applies to your specific building.
New seismic design rules also apply to permits issued on or after September 15, 2026. Under the City’s transition provisions, projects submitted before that date can use the 2019 seismic rules, with an in-stream permit period running until March 8, 2027. If your phased project was filed before September 15, 2026, confirm its in-stream status with your permit coordinator.
When a building in Vancouver is altered, renovated or repaired, or its major occupancy changes, it must be upgraded in line with Part 11 of Division B of the VBBL. Part 11 uses an upgrade mechanism that classifies each project as a small suite, minor or major renovation and assigns matching fire, life-safety and seismic upgrade levels. Where a scope includes several categories of work, the highest upgrade level in each category applies.
This is the key reason phasing has to be planned carefully. Bundling too much work into a single permit phase can push the whole phase into a higher upgrade tier, adding cost and time that separate, well-defined phases might avoid.
Energy rules changed too. Since September 15, 2025, the VBBL requires ASHRAE 90.1-2019 or the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings (NECB) 2020 for renovation and tenant improvement permit applications, replacing the older 2016 and 2015 editions. See the City’s energy requirements and checklists for details.
For qualifying minor interior renovations, Vancouver’s Tenant Improvement Program (TIPs) offers a faster permit stream designed to help businesses get their building permit sooner. For a full walk-through of how permits fit into a project, see our guide from permits to occupancy.
Keeping a facility open means keeping members, guests, patients and staff safe from construction hazards. Several requirements apply before and during the work:
Every building is different, but a workable phasing plan usually answers these questions before construction starts:
Phasing usually lengthens the overall schedule and can add general conditions cost, such as temporary protection, after-hours work and extra mobilization. That is often worth it compared with the revenue lost by closing, but it should be budgeted for from the start. For typical budget ranges on commercial work, see our tenant improvement cost guide.
Hallmark Projects plans and builds renovations in occupied clinics, studios, offices and commercial buildings across Metro Vancouver. We can help you set phase boundaries, coordinate permits and shutdowns, and keep your business open while the work gets done.
Planning a renovation you can’t close for? Contact us to talk through a phasing plan.
