Part 2: The Grants
Building to Step 4 costs about $8–15k a unit. The rebates pay back about the same. Here's the stack.
The reason this project went past code isn't complicated. Four programs stack on a Part 9 build in BC, and together they land close to what the upgrade costs. Below is what's available, what we expect to capture, and what it takes to actually keep it.
| Program | Per unit | What it's for |
|---|---|---|
| FortisBC New Home Program | up to $15,000 | Step 4 performance + high-efficiency mechanical. The largest single line. |
| CleanBC Better Homes — New Construction | up to $15,000 | Step Code compliance (to $10k), heat pump (to $4k), energy advisor ($1k) |
| BC Hydro New Home Program | $2,000–$4,000 | Heat pump as principal heating |
| Municipal (Surrey) | varies | Confirm at permit stage — typically small, usually stackable |
Headline numbers are ceilings, not cheques. What a project actually captures depends on mechanical choices, step level achieved, and whether every document lands on time.
What we expect here: $12,000–$15,000 per unit. Roughly $96,000–$120,000 across Phase 1, and $144,000–$180,000 across all 12 units.
Why it matters
Set that against the cost of the upgrade:
| Item | Per unit |
|---|---|
| Step 4 upgrade — as budgeted on this project | $11,000 |
| Expected rebate capture | $12,000 – $15,000 |
| Net cost of building past code | Rebates exceed the upgrade |
That's the whole argument in one line. Building to Step 4 and Zero Carbon EL-4 on this project is close to cost-neutral once the rebates land — and you end up holding a better product with a lower operating cost and a documented rating.
The programs exist precisely to close that gap. Most builders we talk to assume the premium is a straight cost. On a Part 9 build in BC right now, it usually isn't.
Four things that can cost you the money
Rebates are real, but they're conditional. The risks worth planning around:
The blower-door test is pass/fail, and the rebate follows the step you actually hit. Miss Step 4 and you keep the construction cost but lose the Step 4 money.
You have to register before you build. Most programs require registration before construction — some before pre-drywall. Register late and the money is gone regardless of how the building performs.
The money arrives at the end. Rebates pay as a lump sum after final verification, typically 60–120 days after documents are submitted. You carry the cost through the build and get reimbursed after. That's a cash-flow item, not a budget item.
Programs change annually. Amounts and criteria get revised year to year. A budget built on last year's program table is a budget with a hole in it.
The one we're watching
This project is modelled at 1.50 ACH against a 1.50 maximum. That's compliant on paper with no margin — every rebate tied to Step 4 depends on the as-built test coming in at or under the modelled number.
Air sealing is where we have the least room and the most to lose. It's the line item we'd tell any owner to over-invest in, because the downside isn't a slightly worse building. It's the whole Step 4 rebate.
We'll report the actual blower-door result when we have it, whichever way it goes.
What's next
Post 3 — The rental path: CMHC MLI Select, what the refreshed criteria reward, and the September 30 deadline that closes the old scoring window.