Excavation in Richmond
Built on the Fraser River delta. Deep soil deposits, peat in places, and specific permits for anything that reaches under City property.
About Richmond
- The City notes that the Fraser Delta is underlain by deep soil deposits and that liquefaction is a major concern there. Source: City of Richmond Bulletin PL-1 (PDF)
- For single- and two-family dwellings, lots in areas with peat soil conditions require a geotechnical report. Source: City of Richmond Bulletin BUILDING-12 (PDF)
Local rules that affect excavation
Checked October 2026. Each point below links to Richmond’s own bylaw or web page. Bylaws change, so confirm with Richmond before work starts. General information, not legal advice.
Shoring and underpinning
- Underpinning Works and Construction Fence Encroachment Bylaw No. 9833 covers tie-back rods, steel sheet piles, anchor rods and soldier piles; works that encroach on City property need an Underpinning Works Permit, with a sealed engineer’s report, security deposit, indemnity and insurance. Source: Bylaw No. 9833 (PDF)
Soil, dewatering and trees
- Soil Deposit and Removal Bylaw No. 10200: a permit is needed when the activity does not qualify for an exemption, ALR properties may need a permit when the soil work is tied to building, and usually need ALC approval. Source: City of Richmond: Soil management
- Under the Pollution Prevention and Clean-up Bylaw No. 8475, discharging construction dewatering to the storm sewer needs a permit application. Source: City of Richmond: Pollution prevention
- Tree Protection Bylaw No. 8057: a permit is needed for trees larger than 20 cm DBH, measured 1.4 m above the ground. Source: City of Richmond: Tree removal
Provincial and federal rules apply too
Municipal bylaws sit on top of provincial and federal rules: BC 1 Call locates and WorkSafeBC requirements on every dig, the Agricultural Land Commission for fill in the ALR, soil relocation notifications for some commercial and industrial sites, and the Water Sustainability Act and Fisheries Act near streams. Our Excavation permits checklist for BC projects links each one to its source.
PCE in Richmond
PCE is based in Langley and works across Metro Vancouver. Services we take on here:
Got a big job coming up?
Tell us where it is, what needs to come out of the ground and when. We’ll tell you how we would do it.