Updated October 2026
MyHouseDesigner designs renovations and additions for houses in New Westminster, from the first look at what your lot and your house’s heritage status allow through to the drawings you submit for a building permit. Many New West houses are older than most in the region, so the first question is “what does the City already know about this house?”
At a glance
- What we do: renovation and addition design, measured drawings of the existing house, and building permit drawings
- Where: New Westminster, including Queen’s Park, Glenbrooke North, Sapperton, Brow of the Hill, the West End, Moody Park, Connaught Heights and Queensborough
- Typical projects: rear and side additions, second-storey additions, main-floor reconfigurations, basement suites, attic conversions, renovations to character and heritage-listed houses
- Steps: heritage and zoning check, site measure, existing drawings, design options, consultant coordination, permit set, responses to City comments
- To start: call 778-488-8553 or request a free design quote
Does my New Westminster house have heritage protection?
It might, and you should find out before paying for any design. New Westminster has three different levels of heritage status, and each one changes what an addition or renovation has to go through.
- Heritage Register. A listing that recognizes heritage value. According to the City, changes are generally reviewed by Planning and may go to the Community Heritage Commission, but no separate heritage permit is needed beyond the building permit.
- Heritage Designation. Legal protection registered on title, generally covering the exterior. Any change needs a Heritage Alteration Permit, although like-for-like repairs do not.
- Queen’s Park Heritage Conservation Area. Every house in the area is classed as either Protected or Non-protected. Depending on that class, certain renovations, a new house, or a laneway or carriage house may need a Heritage Alteration Permit, and the City’s design guidelines for the area include a section just for renovating Protected houses.
The City explains all three on its heritage protection and development page, and the Queen’s Park Heritage Conservation Area page links the property list and the design guidelines. Age matters even off those lists: the City reviews older buildings before it accepts a demolition permit, so a plan that removes most of an old house can get attention you were not expecting.
Should I add on at the back, at the side, or go up?
Go wherever the zoning leaves room and the streetscape is least affected, which in New West is usually the back. A rear addition keeps the front of a character house intact, which matters if the house is Protected or on the Register, and it is often the easiest way to add a family room off the kitchen.
Going up is tempting on narrow lots, but it brings more questions: the existing foundation and framing have to carry the new load, the roofline changes what neighbours see, and on a heritage-sensitive street the new storey has to sit comfortably with the original house. A side addition only works where the side yard is wide enough, which on many older 33-foot lots it is not. We test the options against your lot’s floor area, height and setback limits before you choose.
What usually surprises owners of older New West houses?
Hidden conditions, mostly. A house built early in the last century has usually been changed several times, often without drawings, and the renovation design has to start from what is really there.
- Foundations. Older houses can sit on shallow or patched foundations. An addition that ties into them, or a basement you want to lower, often needs a structural engineer to look first.
- Slopes. Much of New West climbs steeply up from the Fraser. On a Brow of the Hill or Sapperton lot, one side of the basement may be underground while the other walks out, which affects how floor area is counted and where a suite entrance can go.
- Past work without permits. An enclosed porch or a finished basement with nothing on file is common. The drawings have to show it honestly, and the City may ask for parts of it to be brought up to code.
- Hazardous materials. Asbestos and lead paint turn up in older homes. Plan for testing before walls are opened.
- Queensborough is different. The neighbourhood on Lulu Island is flat and low-lying, and the City publishes separate guidance for building there. We check it for any Queensborough address.
Not sure where your house stands? Tap to call 778-488-8553 with your address and we will tell you what to check first.
How do you take a New Westminster renovation from idea to permit?
We work in a fixed order so the heritage and zoning answers come before the design money is spent.
- Status check. We look up the zoning and confirm whether the house is on the Heritage Register, designated, or in the Queen’s Park area, and whether it is Protected or Non-protected there.
- Records. You request any past permit drawings the City holds for the property. They often explain odd walls and earlier additions.
- Site measure. We measure the house inside and out, including ceiling heights, stairs, windows, visible structure and the grades around the building.
- Existing drawings. We draw the house as it is today. Every proposed change is checked against these.
- Design options. Two or three ways to get the space you need, compared on floor area, cost drivers, daylight and how they look from the street.
- Heritage review, if needed. Where a Heritage Alteration Permit or Planning review applies, we prepare drawings and elevations that show how the addition relates to the original house.
- Consultants. Usually a structural engineer; sometimes an arborist, a geotechnical engineer or an energy advisor. We tell you which and coordinate their information into the set.
- Permit set and follow-up. We assemble the building permit drawings and answer the plan checker’s comments until the file is complete.
How long approvals take depends on the scope, whether heritage review is involved and the City’s workload, so we do not promise dates. If you want to see what a renovation drawing set contains, our page on renovation permit drawings in Vancouver walks through it, and our general guide to house plans and permit drawings covers new builds.
Who is this service a good fit for?
- Owners of a character house in Queen’s Park or Glenbrooke North who need more room but want to keep the house’s front face.
- Families in the West End or Moody Park adding a bedroom level, a main-floor family room, or a suite for parents or rental income (see our notes on adding a secondary suite).
- Buyers who want to know what an older house can become before they remove conditions on the purchase.
If the house is beyond saving, read our take on when fixing an old home costs more than starting over. For a new house on the same lot, our sister team covers custom home design in New Westminster.
Which mistakes cost New West renovators the most?
- Designing before checking heritage status. An addition drawn without knowing the house is Protected can need a full redesign.
- Replacing original windows, siding or porches without asking. On designated houses these are exactly the elements a Heritage Alteration Permit is about.
- Treating a big renovation as a small one. Removing most of an old house can trigger the City’s review of older buildings. Talk scope through early.
- Bringing in the engineer last. In older houses, structure decides where an addition can connect. Find out first.
New Westminster renovation and addition FAQ
Check the City’s Heritage Register and the Queen’s Park Heritage Conservation Area property list, or ask the Planning Division. We confirm the status for your address as the first step of every project.
Often yes, but it will likely need a Heritage Alteration Permit and should follow the City’s design guidelines for renovating Protected houses. Rear additions that keep the street face intact are usually the most straightforward.
Cosmetic work like new cabinets, counters and flooring usually does not. Moving walls, changing structure, adding plumbing, creating a suite or altering windows generally does. We confirm the line for your scope.
Yes. Many older New Westminster houses have little or nothing on record. We measure the house on site and produce the existing-condition drawings ourselves.
In many cases, yes. Ceiling height, fire separation, egress windows and a separate entrance are the usual design questions, and a sloped lot can make the entrance easier or harder.
It depends on the size of the work, the condition of the house, whether heritage review applies and which consultants are needed. Send us your address and a description and we will give you a free quote.
Ready to plan your New Westminster renovation?
Send us your address, a few photos and what you want to change, or call to talk it through.
We reply within one business day.