Electrical Planning Report (EPR) for BC Stratas
Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, and Capital Region stratas with five or more lots must have an Electrical Planning Report by December 31, 2026. Leading Engineering delivers compliant, fixed-fee EPRs prepared by licensed professional engineers — with a quote
in your inbox within 24 hours.
Does Your Strata Need an EPR? Almost Certainly, Yes.
Under BC regulation OIC 671-23 (in force since December 6, 2023), every strata corporation in British Columbia with five or more strata lots is required to obtain an Electrical Planning Report from a qualified professional. The deadlines are set in law:
◉ December 31, 2026 — stratas in the Metro Vancouver Regional District, Fraser Valley Regional District, and Capital Regional District (excluding the Gulf Islands).
◉ December 31, 2028 — stratas everywhere else in BC.
◉ New stratas must obtain an EPR within 5 years of the strata plan being deposited. This applies to high-rises, low-rises, townhouse complexes, and mixed-use strata buildings alike. The EPR is not optional, and it is not a one-page checklist — it is a technical assessment that must be prepared by a designated professional, such as a professional engineer registered with Engineers and Geoscientists BC.
What Your Electrical Planning Report Covers
An EPR gives your strata a clear picture of its current electrical present and a roadmap for its future. As required by the regulation, your report will document:
◉ Current capacity — the total electrical capacity of your building’s systems.
◉ Existing demands — what is drawing power today: suites, common areas, amenities, parking.
◉ Peak demand and spare capacity — how much headroom your building actually has, based on real consumption data.
◉ Future needs — the capacity required for what’s coming: EV charging, heat pumps, air conditioning, and other electrification upgrades.
◉ Practical recommendations — how to manage within your existing capacity and defer or avoid expensive service upgrades.
The result: your council can make informed decisions about EV charging requests, heating upgrades, and capital planning, instead of guessing.
More Than a Compliance Checkbox
Stratas that treat the EPR as paperwork miss its real value. Done properly, it becomes the foundation for your building’s next decade:
◉ EV charging decisions: when owners request chargers, your council responds with data, not delay. The EPR pairs directly with a BC Hydro EV Ready Plan (rebates cover up to 75% of that plan’s cost).
◉ Heat pump readiness: as BC buildings electrify heating and cooling, the EPR tells you what your service can support.
◉ Depreciation report alignment: electrical findings feed your capital plan, so upgrades are budgeted years ahead instead of assessed in a panic.
◉ Avoiding oversized upgrades: many buildings have more spare capacity than assumed. A proper load analysis can save a strata a six-figure service upgrade
Our 8-Step EPR Process
1. Request a quote — send us your building details (address, number of units, parking type). You’ll have a fixed-fee proposal within 24 hours.
2. Approval & scheduling — your council or property manager approves; we schedule the site review at your convenience.
3. Document review — we collect electrical drawings, BC Hydro billing data, and past upgrade records.
4. Site assessment — a licensed engineer inspects your electrical rooms, service equipment, metering, and distribution.
5. Load analysis — we calculate peak demand and spare capacity using actual consumption data, per BC Hydro’s EPR guidance.
6. Future-demand modelling — we model EV charging, heat pump, and electrification scenarios specific to your building.
7. Report delivery — you receive a clear, compliant EPR — written for councils, not just engineers.
8. Presentation & next steps — we walk your council through the findings and answer questions, including what (if anything) to do next.
To see the typical timeline from approval to final report delivery, download our step-by-step guide.
Electrical Planning Report FAQs
Q: Is an EPR mandatory for my strata?
If your strata has five or more lots, yes. BC regulation OIC 671-23 requires it, with a deadline of December 31, 2026 for Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, and the Capital Regional District, and December 31, 2028 for the rest of BC.
Q: Who is qualified to prepare an EPR?
The regulation designates specific professionals, including professional engineers
registered with Engineers and Geoscientists BC. All Leading Engineering EPRs are
prepared under the responsibility of a licensed P.Eng.
Q: What happens if our strata misses the deadline?
The requirement sits in the Strata Property Act framework, and non-compliance exposes council to owner disputes and complications with depreciation reports, insurance reviews, and sales — buyers’ lawyers are already asking for EPRs in document requests.
Q: Is an EPR the same as an EV Ready Plan?
No, but they overlap. The EPR is the mandatory capacity assessment; the EV Ready
Plan is a BC Hydro rebate program deliverable that designs one EV-ready parking space per unit. We can produce both together — one site visit, and the EV Ready Plan qualifies for a rebate of up to 75% of its cost (max $3,000).
Q: What does the engineer need from us?
Electrical drawings if available (we can work without them), 12 months of BC Hydro
billing data, records of past electrical upgrades, and access to electrical rooms on the
day of the site visit. Your property manager can usually assemble everything in one
email.
Q: Our building is new. Do we still need an EPR?
Yes, new stratas must obtain an EPR within five years of the strata plan being
deposited. The good news: newer buildings usually have the documentation on hand, which makes the process faster.
Q: Which areas in BC do you serve for Electrical Planning Reports?