Homeowners thinking about doing major renovations on their home will need to consider the new building code for British Columbia, which recently came into effect. Significant changes include increased seismic, hazardous material, energy efficiency and air quality requirements.
These will affect what you can do and what you need to do first before you can start to build. It depends on the year of your house and the materials used. In some instances, you are required to clean up the hazardous materials before beginning.
Let us know if you have more questions about whether this affects you.