Siding Contractor in White Rock, BC
Mi Casa Exteriors is a trusted siding contractor in Surrey, offering installation, repair, and replacement.
White Rock Rule Most Contractors Miss
White Rock runs two separate approvals, and you can need both.
- The building permit. Plan on needing one. The city's building permit guide states that no erection, alteration, enlargement, repair, removal or demolition of any building or structure, or part thereof, may be undertaken without a permit first being obtained from the Building Department. A re-clad is an alteration to part of a building. That language doesn't leave much room.
- The development permit. This is the one almost nobody mentions. White Rock is divided into seven Form, Character and Sustainability Development Permit Areas, plus three Environmental Development Permit Areas. If your property sits in one, changes to the outside of your building can require a Development Permit on top of the building permit.
White Rock is five square kilometres of hillside above Semiahmoo Bay. Almost every home here faces salt air, wind off the water, or both. Walls dry slower on the north side of the hill and take a beating on the south.
It’s also the one city in our service area where the look of your new siding can need city approval.
The city does exempt some work. Building envelope remediation is exempt if there’s no change to exterior appearance or design. In-kind replacement of missing, worn, or damaged materials is exempt on the same condition.
Read that carefully. Swap your cladding like for like and you’re likely fine. Change the material, the profile, or the colour, and you may need approval first.
Check whether your address falls in a permit area on the City of White Rock development permits page, or call the Building Division at 604-541-2149.
There’s one more White Rock rule worth knowing. Under the city’s building bylaw, alterations worth more than 50% of a building’s assessed value can require the whole building to be brought up to current code. That’s rare on a re-side. It isn’t impossible on a small older home sitting on high-value land.
Noisy Bylaw Hours
White Rock sets construction hours. Monday to Friday runs 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday is 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday and statutory holidays run 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
That’s tighter than some neighbouring cities, and it affects scheduling on a tight lot with close neighbours. We plan around it rather than start a job and get shut down.
Salt Air Changes What You Install
Homes near East Beach, West Beach, and along Marine Drive get salt in the air year round. Salt is hard on fasteners and finishes.
What we see here:
- Rust staining bleeding from nail heads on older installs
- Paint failing early on south-facing walls above Marine Drive
- Wood trim going soft at the bottom where it sits close to grade
- Cedar shakes cupping on exposed upper storeys
The fix isn’t just better cladding. It’s correct fasteners, correct flashing, and a drainage gap behind the wall so it can dry between storms. Homes built before December 15, 2006 usually don’t have that gap, because that’s when the BC Building Code started requiring it on coastal builds.
Our installs include a 10 mm rainscreen gap as standard. You can read what that involves on our rain screen siding systems page.
Tell Us About Your Project
Sharing a few details about your home or project helps us better understand your needs before we connect.
Steep Lots and Tight Sites
The hill is the other White Rock factor. Lots step down toward the water, and many homes have three exposed storeys on the view side and one on the street side.
That changes staging, safety setup, and cost. It also means the wall you can’t easily see is often the one taking the weather. We look at all four elevations, not just the front.
What We Do Here
Siding replacement for whole-home re-clads. Siding repair when damage is limited to one area. Fascia, trim, and soffit work. Wood rot repair when we find it.
Popular choices on the hill are fiber cement siding for durability near salt air, and cedar siding where the neighbourhood character calls for it.
Who You're Hiring
- In-house crews. Not subcontractors
- WorkSafeBC registered, clearance number C136733062
- $2,000,000 general liability insurance
- 25-year workmanship warranty, signed by our company and by your installer
- No deposit. No final payment until the work satisfies you
- BBB Accredited
Costs on a White Rock Home
Steep access, three-storey elevations, and tight neighbour setbacks all cost more to stage than a flat Surrey lot. That’s honest, and you should expect it in any quote here.
What we won’t do is guess at rot. We look, we quote in writing, and if a wall opens up worse than expected we show you before we carry on.
What We Check on the First Visit
- We walk all four walls. The view side is usually the worst one, and it's the one you can't easily inspect yourself.
- We look at the base of every wall for clearance and soft spots. We press on trim near grade.
- We check every window head and sill. On a windy hillside, those take the most water.
- We look at deck attachments and railing bolts. Every hole through a wall is a possible leak.
- If we suspect rot, we open a small test area, then close it up.
Then we write the quote. We also confirm whether your address falls in a Development Permit Area before we price a material change.
Questions Worth Asking any White Rock Contractor
- Is my property in a Development Permit Area, and will a colour or material change need approval?
- Are you registered with WorkSafeBC, and what's the clearance number?
- How much liability insurance do you carry?
- Are your crews in-house?
- What deposit do you want before starting?
- Who signs the warranty, and how long is it?
- What fasteners are you using this close to salt air?
Our answers: WorkSafeBC clearance C136733062. $2,000,000 liability. In-house crews. Zero deposit. A 25-year workmanship warranty signed by our company and by your installer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need city approval to change my siding colour in White Rock?
Possibly. If your property is in a Form, Character and Sustainability Development Permit Area, a change to exterior appearance can require a Development Permit. Like-for-like replacement with no appearance change is generally exempt. Confirm with the city at 604-541-2149.
Do you work near East Beach and West Beach?
Yes. Both are inside our regular service area, along with the Hillside area and homes above Marine Drive and around Five Corners.
What time can crews start in White Rock?
Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m., Saturday from 9 a.m., and Sunday or holidays from 9 a.m. under the city noise bylaw. We schedule to those hours.
Is fiber cement better than cedar this close to the ocean?
Both work when installed correctly. Fiber cement holds paint longer in salt air and won’t rot. Cedar suits older White Rock character homes and needs more upkeep. We’ll price both.
Book an Inspection
Call 604-603-0257. We’ll walk all four walls of your White Rock home and give you a written quote.