A one-week guarantee on building permits for single-family homes and renovations

Honveer Singh Randhawa, the Conservative Party of Surrey's candidate for Mayor, together with his team of council candidates, Ricky Bajwa, Calvin Vanderploeg, Dan Carlos, and Donna Wu, has announced a housing policy built to eliminate bureaucratic delay and lower housing costs for Surrey families.

Under the plan, certified local architects and engineers will be authorized to fast-track permits for single-family homes and home renovations. Once one of these authorized professionals stamps a set of plans and submits them to City Hall, the city will guarantee that the building permit is issued within one week, or five business days.

Under the current system, families and local builders face long delays waiting for municipal staff to review even simple residential projects and renovation plans. Randhawa's plan addresses that bottleneck directly, shifting from government gatekeeping to professional accountability:

• Certified experts. The city will pre-approve a roster of architecture and engineering firms with proven expertise in Surrey's bylaws and the BC Building Code.

• Instant validation. When a registered firm stamps a single-family home design or renovation plan, that stamp certifies full compliance with all regulations.

• One-week issuance. Once submitted to City Hall, the permit bypasses the traditional review queue and is issued automatically within one week.

To keep the program fair and protect homeowners, the Conservative Party of Surrey will require absolute cost transparency:

• An open directory. The city will publish a public list of every authorized architecture and engineering firm.

• Upfront pricing. Every participating firm must post clear, transparent pricing for its stamping and design services.

• The power to choose. Surrey residents can compare rates and pick the firm that fits their budget, with no hidden fees.

Land acquisition and holding costs are a major financial burden for builders and for families trying to upgrade their homes. When a minor renovation or building project stalls at City Hall, interest payments accumulate quickly, driving up the final price of the project.

• Eliminating holding costs. Builders and families will no longer sit on expensive land or unfinished properties for months, waiting for permission to build.

• Direct savings. Lower interest expenses will cut development and renovation costs by thousands of dollars per project.

• Affordability for buyers. Those structural savings will make new single-family homes and renovations more affordable for Surrey families.

"Surrey residents invest their hard-earned money to build single-family homes or renovate their properties, yet they are forced to wait indefinitely for City Hall paperwork," said Randhawa. "This red tape is stifling our city and driving up housing costs for everyday families."

"Our Conservative team is putting trust back into certified professionals. If a qualified engineer or architect stamps a plan, Surrey will issue that permit in one week. By publishing transparent costs, we ensure residents have the freedom to choose the best service for their needs, saving them time and thousands of dollars."

"This policy is rooted in a deep compassion for the hard-working people of Surrey. The current system hurts families by driving up living costs and stalling the dream of homeownership. By cutting red tape, the Conservative mayor and councillor candidates are putting people ahead of paperwork, ensuring young families, seniors, and working residents can afford to live and thrive in the community they love."

Honveer Singh Randhawa and his council team are urging every Surrey voter to take part in the municipal election on October 17, 2026. A vote for the full Conservative Party of Surrey team, Honveer Singh Randhawa for Mayor and Ricky Bajwa, Calvin Vanderploeg, Dan Carlos, and Donna Wu for Council, is a vote to end the housing crisis, lower the cost of living, and bring common-sense leadership to City Hall. Every mandate this team has published is on the mandates page.

Surrey residents can put this plan in place by voting for Honveer Singh Randhawa for Mayor, and for the full Conservative Party of Surrey council team, on October 17, 2026.

Media enquiries: info@conservativeassociation.ca