Before signing a commercial lease, purchasing a property, or committing to a design, it is important to understand whether your proposed use can work within the existing building. Our reviews combine experienced building code consulting, Certified Professional (CP) knowledge, and technology-assisted compliance tools to identify potential issues before they become costly permit delays.

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Who We Help

Tenant improvement decisions often happen before drawings are prepared or a permit application is submitted. Early code review helps project teams understand feasibility, avoid unexpected upgrade costs, and make informed business decisions.

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Business Owners & Tenants
Before signing a lease, understand whether your proposed restaurant, retail store, fitness studio, medical office, or commercial space can be approved and what building upgrades may be required.

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Commercial Real Estate Brokers & Tenant Representatives
Support your clients with early code due diligence by identifying potential permit challenges, change-of-use implications, and upgrade requirements before lease commitments are finalized.

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Landlords & Property Managers
Evaluate whether a proposed tenant use is suitable for your building and understand potential impacts on existing building systems before approving tenant improvements.

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Architects & Interior Designers
Receive early code feedback on occupancy classification, exiting, accessibility, fire separations, and Part 11 requirements before investing significant time into permit drawings.

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Developers & Investors
Assess existing buildings, redevelopment opportunities, and potential code upgrade obligations before acquisition or repositioning decisions.

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Why Vancouver tenant improvements can be complicated

Tenant improvement projects in the City of Vancouver involve more than reviewing a new layout against current code requirements.

Under Part 11 of the Vancouver Building By-law (VBBL), alterations, renovations, additions, and changes in major occupancy may trigger upgrades to existing building systems and elements.

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These requirements can affect:

• Fire separations and compartmentation
• Exiting and travel distances
• Accessibility upgrades
• Washroom requirements
• Fire alarm and sprinkler systems
• Structural and seismic upgrade considerations
• Spatial separation and exposure protection

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Determining which upgrade requirements apply, what exceptions or compliance paths are available, and how they apply to an existing building requires detailed knowledge of both the code and local permitting practices.

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City of Vancouver permit review experience

CompliLogic brings direct municipal review experience to your project.

Our principal consultant previously worked within the City of Vancouver Building Permit Department, reviewing complex tenant improvement, change-of-use, and existing building applications.This experience helps our team identify common permit challenges early and provide practical solutions aligned with AHJ expectations.

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Technology-assisted review. Professional accountability.

​CompliLogic has developed a rule-based compliance platform designed around real building code review workflows, including existing building and Part 11 assessments.

The platform helps organize code requirements, identify potential upgrade triggers, and improve review consistency. Every assessment is reviewed by experienced code professionals, including a Professional Engineer and Certified Professional.

Technology improves speed and consistency — professional judgment provides the final assessment.

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What a CompliLogic TI assessment includes:

• Proposed occupancy and use feasibility review
• Change of major occupancy assessment
• VBBL Part 11 upgrade trigger review
• Applicable exceptions and compliance pathways
• Fire separation and life safety requirements
• Occupant load, exiting, and travel distance review
• Accessibility requirements
• Preliminary permit complexity and approval strategy review

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Typical Projects We Review:

• Restaurants, cafés, and commercial kitchens
• Retail stores and showrooms
• Medical and wellness clinics
• Fitness studios and assembly spaces
• Office tenant improvements
• Change of use / change of major occupancy projects
• Existing building upgrades and renovations
• Pre-lease feasibility assessments

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Avoid discovering major building code issues after signing a lease or committing significant resources to design.

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Contact CompliLogic before committing to a space. Provide the building address, existing use, and proposed use, and our team will help identify permit requirements, potential upgrade obligations, and approval considerations.