General information only — not legal, tax, financial, or real-estate advice. Verify with a licensed BC professional before acting.
A Real Property Report — sometimes called a survey certificate or building-location certificate — is a document prepared by a BC Land Surveyor showing the boundaries of a parcel and the location of buildings, fences and other significant improvements relative to those boundaries. It reveals encroachments, easements, and setback compliance. Real Property Reports are more common in some other Canadian provinces than in BC, but they are still routinely ordered on rural and acreage transactions, and where a buyer, lender or insurer wants written confirmation of boundaries and improvements. Whether a Real Property Report is appropriate for your transaction is a decision to discuss with your own licensed REALTOR® and a BC Land Surveyor.
No. There is no provincial legal requirement to obtain one, and most BC residential purchases proceed without one. It is commonly ordered on rural transactions or where a boundary question exists.
BC Assessment describes the property for taxation. A Real Property Report is prepared by a professional BC Land Surveyor and reflects actual on-the-ground boundaries and improvements. Only the surveyor's report is authoritative for boundary questions.
Verify the specific statutory language, thresholds, deadlines and current guidance directly with the governing authority: