Surrey Cuts Building Fees to Spur Housing Development
City council approves lower development charges in bid to encourage more residential construction.
Surrey is doubling down on its push to build more housing by proposing another round of cuts to development cost charges. The city council approved an updated DCC bylaw last week for submission to the provincial government, aiming to reduce residential development charges by roughly seven to nine percent compared to 2024 levels.
Development cost charges are what builders pay when they construct new residential projects, and they get factored into the final price of homes. By lowering them, Surrey hopes to remove one barrier standing between potential projects and actual shovels in the ground. The city is betting that modest fee reductions will translate to more housing units coming online over the next few years.
If the provincial government approves the new rates, Surrey will have implemented another cost-reduction measure aimed at addressing the regional housing crunch. The move reflects a broader recognition across Metro Vancouver that municipalities need to use every tool available—including fees and permitting—to unlock housing supply. For prospective homebuyers and renters watching Surrey's real estate market, this signals the city's commitment to expanding the housing stock, even as construction costs and financing remain challenging.