Engineering Services
Comprehensive consulting engineering for northern conditions, communities, and projects designed to be built.
Civil Engineering
Roads, drainage, water, sewer, and site development for northern conditions
Road & Access Design
New road construction, upgrades, and resource road design. Includes alignment, grading, drainage structures, and geotechnical considerations for northern soils and frost conditions.
Water & Sewer Infrastructure
Community water supply, treatment, storage, and distribution systems. Sanitary sewer collection, lift stations, and treatment facilities. Designed for cold-climate performance and regulatory compliance.
Stormwater & Drainage
Stormwater management plans, detention and retention design, culvert sizing, ditch design, and erosion and sediment control. Includes flood risk assessment for northern watersheds.
Site Development & Subdivision
Residential and commercial subdivision design including lot layout, servicing plans, grading, and regulatory approvals. Feasibility assessments for new development areas.
Concrete & Materials Testing
Field testing and inspection services for concrete placement, compaction testing, and materials quality assurance during construction.
Structural Engineering
Building design, assessment, and inspections for northern BC snow loads and seismic zones
New Building Design
Structural design for wood-frame, steel, and concrete buildings including residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial. Foundations, framing, and connections designed for northern snow loads and seismic requirements.
Structural Assessment & Retrofit
Condition assessments of existing structures, load capacity evaluations, seismic vulnerability assessments, and retrofit design. Includes heritage structures and adaptive reuse projects.
Snow Load & Seismic Analysis
Site-specific snow load analysis, drift loading calculations, and seismic force analysis. Critical for northern BC communities with high snow loads and seismic exposure.
Structural Inspections
Pre-purchase building inspections, occupancy assessments, damage investigations, and construction progress inspections. Reports suitable for insurance, lending, and regulatory purposes.
Environmental Engineering
Environmental assessment, erosion control, and sustainable infrastructure
Environmental Assessments
Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments, contamination investigation, and remediation planning. Regulatory compliance support for provincial and federal requirements.
Erosion & Sediment Control
ESC plans for construction sites, resource roads, and disturbed land. Bioengineering solutions, riparian restoration, and monitoring programs.
Onsite Wastewater Treatment & Disposal
Design and assessment of onsite wastewater treatment and disposal systems for sites beyond municipal sewer. Includes Type 1, 2, and 3 systems, soil and site evaluations, and coordination with health authorities under the Sewerage System Regulation.
Sustainable Infrastructure
Low-impact development, green infrastructure, and energy-efficient building systems. Regionally appropriate solutions that perform in northern climates.
Survey & Mapping
Engineering survey, RTK GPS, UAV photogrammetry, and GIS data collection
Engineering Survey
Topographic surveys, construction layout, as-built surveys, and control network establishment using optical total stations and RTK GPS. Accurate control networks for projects of all sizes.
UAV Photogrammetry
Drone-based aerial survey and mapping for large sites. High-resolution orthophotos, point clouds, and digital terrain models. Cost-effective for large-area topographic mapping, stockpile volumes, and construction progress monitoring.
Mapping & GIS
Site mapping, utility location, and GIS data collection. Digital deliverables compatible with CAD and GIS software for seamless integration with your project workflow.
Planning & Feasibility
Community planning, energy studies, asset management, and development feasibility
Community Planning
Community energy plans, asset inventory and condition assessment, and infrastructure master planning for municipalities and First Nations communities.
Development Feasibility
Feasibility studies for intentional communities, strata and conventional subdivision development, and mixed-use projects. Includes servicing cost estimates and regulatory pathway analysis.
Asset Management
Infrastructure asset inventories, condition assessment, remaining life analysis, and capital replacement planning. Helps communities prioritize infrastructure investment.
Grant & Funding Support
Technical support for infrastructure funding applications, including project scoping, cost estimation, and feasibility documentation for provincial and federal programs.
Subdivision Planning & Agency Support
From concept to final approval — layout, servicing, and navigating the regulatory process
Subdivision Design
Bare land strata and conventional subdivision layout, including lot configuration, road design, servicing plans, grading, and covenant preparation. Practical designs that balance development goals with site constraints and local bylaws.
Rezoning & Zoning Analysis
Zoning bylaw review, land use analysis, and rezoning application support. We help you understand what's permitted, what requires variance, and the most efficient path to approval.
Agency Coordination
Navigating the regulatory process on your behalf — coordinating with the Agricultural Land Commission, Ministry of Transportation, regional districts, health authorities, and other approving agencies to move your project through to completion.
Servicing & Infrastructure
Engineering design for subdivision servicing including water, sewer, stormwater, roads, and utility corridors. Cost estimates and phasing plans to support financing and sales.
Onsite Wastewater
Septic system design, soil assessment, and regulatory compliance
Septic System Design
Type 1, 2, and 3 onsite wastewater systems for residential, commercial, and institutional applications. Includes treatment selection, disposal field design, and regulatory filing under the Sewerage System Regulation.
Soil & Site Assessment
Percolation testing, soil characterization, groundwater assessment, and setback analysis. Determines site suitability and appropriate treatment technology.
Maintenance Planning
Operating permits, maintenance schedules, and long-term monitoring programs for existing onsite systems. Compliance documentation for health authority requirements.
Wildfire Risk Assessment & Design
Property-level wildfire exposure assessment and construction hardening specifications
Wildfire Exposure Assessment
Site-specific assessment of your property's wildfire exposure based on vegetation type, distance, slope, and neighbouring structures. We evaluate all four exposure mechanisms — ember attack, radiant heat, direct flame contact, and structure-to-structure fire — and assign a Wildfire Exposure Rating (WER-1 through WER-4) for each building face. Deliverable: sealed assessment report with WER level determination, exposure map, and prioritised hardening recommendations.
FireHard Design & Specification
Construction-ready wildfire hardening specifications for new builds, renovations, or retrofits. We translate WER level requirements into material specifications, assembly details, and construction drawings your contractor can build from — covering roof, walls, openings, vents, decks, fencing, and perimeter zones. Specifications are tailored to your property, WER level, and budget.
Close Neighbour Exposure (CNEL) Analysis
For properties within 10 metres of neighbouring structures — which includes most subdivisions in Northern BC — we assess structure-to-structure fire risk and specify hardening measures for each exposed building face. A burning neighbour produces 20–80 kW/m² of sustained radiant heat. The CNEL system addresses this specific and often overlooked hazard with tiered specifications based on separation distance.
Community & Multi-Property Assessment
Community-scale wildfire exposure assessment for municipalities, regional districts, First Nations, strata councils, and developers. We identify priority hardening zones and provide specifications that can be referenced in development permits or incentive programs. Includes community exposure mapping and implementation recommendations.
New Construction Wildfire Integration
Integrate wildfire hardening into new builds from the start — when it's cheapest and most effective. Per-face WER specifications, CNEL analysis where neighbours are planned, and material selections that meet both wildfire resistance and Northern BC climate requirements including snow loads, moisture management, and energy efficiency.
Insurance Documentation
Professional documentation of existing hardening measures and recommended upgrades. As Canadian insurers begin recognising wildfire hardening — following California's lead with mandatory discount programs — documented specifications will support insurance applications and future rebate programs.
About FireHard
BVES developed the FireHard Wildfire Exposure Rating (WER) system and publishes all associated design guides and technical documents through FireHard Canada. Free self-assessment guides are available to any homeowner at firehard.ca. Professional assessment is recommended for WER-3 and WER-4 exposures, CNEL analysis, new construction, and any project requiring sealed engineering documentation.
Working with BVES
New to working with a consulting engineer? Here's what to expect.
Why You Might Need an Engineer
A local authority such as a building inspector may have mandated it, you need help navigating codes and regulations, you want to get your project right the first time, or you need detailed design and contract documents for competitive quotes and tenders.
How BVES Can Help
We ensure your project meets the requirements of the BC Building Code, environmental and sewerage regulations, energy efficiency standards, WorkSafe BC, fire and life safety codes, accessibility standards, and local or regional building authorities.
First Steps
1. Online Intake Form: Submit a quote request with all the information and documents you have. This helps us understand your project quickly.
2. Follow-Up: If needed, we may follow up with a call, email, or schedule a meeting or site visit.
3. Proposal: If we're a good fit, we'll provide a detailed proposal outlining scope, deliverables, timeline, and costs.
4. Agreement: Both parties sign a contract outlining responsibilities and expectations.
Costs
Hourly Rate: Projects may be billed at $100–$200 per hour, depending on the task and responsibility.
Fixed Fee: Smaller projects are typically billed on a fixed fee basis for upfront cost confidence.
Our designs are often conservative, and fees may not be affordable for everyone. If you wish to avoid these costs, consider first discussing with a trusted, experienced contractor and the authority directly to see if the project can proceed without an engineer.
Project Phases
Planning & Design: Feasibility studies, preliminary designs, and detailed engineering plans aligned with your vision and regulatory requirements.
Permitting & Approvals: We help obtain necessary permits and ensure regulatory compliance.
Construction & Supervision: We review construction to ensure adherence to design and specifications, working with contractors to address issues.
Completion & Handover: Final inspections and necessary documentation, such as as-built drawings and compliance certificates.
Your Responsibilities & Ours
You: Communicate goals clearly, stay engaged, make timely decisions, and pay invoices.
Us: Provide expert advice, detailed plans, and regulatory compliance. Communicate project parameters clearly. Consider overall project success — not just our part of it. Act with integrity and professionalism.