Real Property Report (RPR)

A Real Property Report (RPR) — sometimes called a Building Location Certificate or Surveyor's Certificate — is a drawing prepared by a BC Land Surveyor showing the property's legal boundaries and the location of every building, deck, fence, shed, and major improvement relative to those boundaries. An RPR identifies setback violations, boundary encroachments (your fence on your neighbour's land or vice-versa), unpermitted additions, and zoning compliance issues at a level of detail that no other document captures. Cost: typically $1,000-$2,500 in BC depending on lot complexity; turnaround 2-6 weeks.

The trap most BC buyers fall into: assuming the seller will provide a current RPR. Most won't — and most BC lenders no longer require an updated RPR on detached homes, accepting lender title insurance instead. The result: many buyers close on detached homes with no current survey, then discover years later (when they go to renovate, sell, or refinance) that the deck or shed encroaches on a setback or onto a neighbour's lot. Title insurance covers some of this risk for the lender but does NOT cover the homeowner's cost to bring the structure into compliance. If you're buying a detached home and the seller's RPR is older than 5 years (or there have been improvements added since), commission an updated RPR yourself before subject removal — the $1,500 saves multi-figure rework on next-cycle renovations.