One of the first questions builders and developers ask us is: how long will this take? The answer matters because your construction fire safety plan often sits on the critical path to your building permit — and every day of delay costs money.
Our Typical Timeline
At Get Fire Plan, the typical timeline from first contact to a draft plan ready for your review is 5–7 business days. Here’s how that breaks down:
Day 1: Quote (Within 1 Business Hour)
We respond to every new inquiry within 1 business hour during business hours. After reviewing your project details — type of construction, location, approximate size, and any drawings you can share — we provide a firm, all-inclusive quote. No site visit required for the quote.
Once you approve the quote, we schedule your site visit, usually within 1–2 business days.
Days 1–3: Site Visit
One of our fire safety professionals visits your construction site. We document the site layout, photograph fire safety elements, identify access routes, locate fire hydrants, and assess site-specific hazards. The site visit typically takes 1–2 hours depending on site complexity.
Days 3–7: Plan Preparation
Back in our office, we prepare the complete construction fire safety plan package: CAD-drawn site plan showing all required fire safety elements, written emergency procedures tailored to your site, hot work permit procedures, fire watch requirements, extinguisher specifications, and the CFSD appointment form required by most Metro Vancouver fire departments.
Day 5–7: Draft Review
You receive the complete draft plan to review and approve before we submit it to the fire department. If you’d like any changes, we revise at no additional cost. Once you’re satisfied, we move to submission.
After Approval: Fire Department Submission
Once you’ve approved the draft, we submit the complete plan to the local fire department. Review times vary by municipality — typically 3–10 business days. We manage the entire review process, respond to any deficiency notices, and handle revisions until your plan is officially approved.
What Affects the Timeline?
Several factors can affect how long the process takes:
- Project complexity: A simple single-storey tenant improvement takes less time to document than a 25-storey tower under construction.
- Impaired fire systems: Projects involving sprinkler impairment require additional documentation and may require coordination with the fire department before work begins.
- Municipality: Fire department review times vary — some departments review and approve within a few days; others may take 1–2 weeks during busy periods.
- Completeness of information: Providing architectural drawings, the site address, and key contact information upfront speeds up the site visit and plan preparation significantly.
When Should You Start?
The earlier, the better. Ideally, start your construction fire safety plan at the same time as your building permit application. In most Metro Vancouver municipalities, fire safety plan approval is required before the building permit is issued — so leaving it until the last minute delays your permit.
For occupied-building tenant improvements where impaired fire systems are involved, the fire department may require notification and plan approval before work on the fire protection system even begins — regardless of building permit status.
Get Started Today
The fastest way to get your construction fire safety plan is to contact Get Fire Plan now. We respond with a firm price within 1 business hour. Most projects in BC are fully submitted within 7 business days of your first call.
Need a construction fire safety plan?
Firm quote within one business day, drafts in 5–7 business days, no site visit required, approval guaranteed — anywhere in BC.
Guides: BC Fire Code requirements · What a CFSP costs · How long it takes · What a plan must include