Development Cost Charges

Effective July 24, 2026, Metro Vancouver's 2026 Development Cost Charges (DCCs) have been revised to the 2025 rates. To have your fees recalculated, contact your Plan Reviewer. Note that there is no mechanism for rebates or retroactive adjustments for applications submitted before the revised rates took effect.

The City of Surrey levies Development Cost Charges (DCCs) on new developments to help fund the costs of expanding and upgrading the City’s road, water, drainage and sewer services, and for parkland acquisition or improvement, to meet the needs of projected growth that's expected to occur within the next 10 years, as outlined in the 10-Year Servicing Plan.

DCCs are generally updated annually to reflect current costs and growth trends.

Development Cost Charges update

Starting January 1, 2026, the new Development Cost Charges (DCCs) instalment fee structure will apply to all applicants. If your first payment instalment occurs on or after January 1, 2026, the new fee structure will automatically apply.

• If you received a fee summary in 2025 and have not made your first payment instalment until January 1, 2026 or after, then the new fee structure will apply.
• If you made the first payment instalment in 2025, then the old fee structure will apply.

The fee structure will move from three equal payment instalments with full payment within two years to a new fee structure, where 25% of the fee summary is due upfront and the remaining 75% is deferrable until the earlier of two possible scenarios is reached:

1. Four years after the date of either the subdivision received approval or the building permit is granted issuance, or;
2. 15 business days after all required occupancy permits have been issued and the City gives written notice to the developer that the conditions, if any, have been satisfied and payment of the balance of the charge is due. 

How DCCs work

DCCs are charged at the subdivision stage when creating new single-family lots, or at the building permit stage for multi-family, commercial, industrial, and institutional development.

The City of Surrey has had Development Cost Charges since 1978. The collection and usage of DCCs are legislated under the Provincial Local Government Act and the accompanying DCC Best Practices Guide, which outlines project eligibility requirements. DCCs cannot be used to fund any projects that do not meet the eligibility requirements.

Projects DCCs help pay for

DCCs are used to meet growth-related infrastructure needs by funding:

• Transportation: new roads and bridges, road widening, capacity improvements, signalization, and sidewalks and cycle tracks;
• Water: new and upgraded water mains, new water pump stations and reservoirs;
• Sewer: new trunk mains, new sanitary pump stations and sewer upgrades;
• Drainage: stormwater ponds and pump stations, culvert upgrades and storm sewer upgrades; and,
• Parks: acquiring parkland for parks and greenways and completing park improvements. This also includes acquiring green infrastructure network (GIN) lands as identified in the City's Biodiversity Conservation Strategy.

Development Cost Charge Bylaw

The City's current Development Cost Charges Bylaw number 21174 came into effect on May 15, 2024 and was amended in April 2024. In-stream applications submitted prior to May 15, 2024 will have one year to complete in order to qualify for the previous (2023) DCC rates.

Development Cost Charge reports

Local governments are authorized to collect DCCs under the Local Government Act, and as outlined in Part 14, Division 19, Section 569. The City of Surrey is required to complete a DCC Report for each year. The City's Annual (2022) Development Cost Charge Report summarizes the following:

• 2021 Year End DCC Reserve Account Balance
• 2022 DCC Expenditures
• 2022 DCC Contributions
• 2022 Year End DCC Reserve Account Balance

Contact

Learn more about Development Cost Charges.

Contact Andy Sareen at [email protected] with any questions or comments on DCCs in Surrey.