What should a Kelowna homeowner confirm before hiring a general contractor?

Start with a room by room description of the work and the existing conditions that may affect it. Include demolition, structure, exterior openings, plumbing, heating, electrical, gas, ventilation, finishes, access, protection, disposal, and restoration. A general contractor can coordinate a project, but the quote should show which tasks are included and which depend on later assessment.

The City of Kelowna Building Bylaw covers construction, alteration, repair, and demolition of buildings and structures. That broad scope is a reason to describe the whole project before comparing bids. Do not rely on a label such as renovation or general contracting to decide whether a permit or professional design is needed.

• Record the property's building type, suite or occupancy changes, and every planned trade scope.
• Ask each bidder to separate known work, allowances, exclusions, and concealed-condition changes.
• Keep photographs, measurements, drawings, and prior reports with the request for quotes.

The City publishes building permit application material and a current permit portal. Use the complete scope to ask which municipal application, drawings, schedules, or professional documents apply. A building permit question is separate from electrical, gas, plumbing, or heating approval questions. Kelowna says plumbing and heating work must be covered by a valid permit before it is inspected, so a submitted application is not the same as an issued permit.

Put the approval map into the contract. Name who prepares drawings, submits each application, pays the applicable charge, responds to review comments, and provides permit numbers. If the contractor says a scope is exempt, retain the source or municipal confirmation and ask whether another authority still regulates a connected part of the work.

• Separate City building, plumbing, and heating work from Technical Safety BC or other regulated approvals.
• Record the permit type, application status, permit number, and responsible applicant.
• Ask the City about mixed or unusual scopes before demolition or concealed work begins.

The City says permit holders arrange inspections during the project and that inspections occur at various phases. This makes inspection responsibility a project-control issue, not a detail to leave until the end. Ask the contractor to provide the inspection sequence, readiness conditions, booking owner, permit number, and process for recording a passed inspection or correction.

Do not authorize covering work merely because a crew is ready. Hold a photo and record point before insulation, drywall, cladding, or another finish hides work that needs review. When field conditions change the approved scope, pause the affected work, document the proposed change, and confirm whether revised drawings, a new approval, or another inspection is required.

• Put inspection booking and correction responsibility in the written agreement.
• Track permit numbers, inspection requests, outcomes, deficiencies, and reinspection records.
• Require written change orders that state the reason, affected work, price basis, and approval date.

WorkSafeBC says a homeowner's responsibilities can differ depending on whether the homeowner hires an independent business, hires workers directly, or acts as the prime contractor in construction of their own home. Ask the proposed contractor how the business is structured and request current evidence appropriate to that arrangement. A clearance letter is a WorkSafeBC verification step, not a rating of workmanship or a guarantee of project performance.

Before final payment, reconcile the accepted scope against the work completed. Request permit and inspection records, approved or revised drawings, product and equipment information, warranties supplied by the responsible party, photographs of concealed work, invoices, and unresolved-item notes. The City also identifies site inspections before final approval or an occupancy permit where applicable. Do not describe a project as complete until the responsible authority and contract records support that status.

• Check the business arrangement and request the WorkSafeBC evidence that applies to it.
• List every document needed for handoff, maintenance, warranty, permit, and inspection files.
• Keep a written list of incomplete, excluded, or owner-supplied work before closing the contract.