FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers to the questions buyers actually ask. Where something depends on your project, we say so rather than guess.
01Plans and permits
Do I need a traffic management plan?
Usually, if your work affects a road that carries meaningful traffic. In Surrey a plan must be accepted by the City’s Traffic Management Section before a Traffic Obstruction Permit issues, where the work affects an arterial or collector, or where there is a significant obstruction such as a full closure on a local road. Minor obstructions on local roads generally do not need one. Other municipalities apply similar logic with their own thresholds.
Who applies for the permit — you or me?
The applicant is usually the party doing the work or holding the event. We prepare the traffic management plan the permit depends on. Whether we submit the application on your behalf is being confirmed.
How much notice do you need?
For crew, it depends on the size of the job and the time of year. For anything requiring a permit the constraint is usually the municipality rather than us — figure roughly three to seven business days for processing from a complete application, plus the time to draw and revise the plan. The most common cause of a delayed start is a permit applied for the week work was due to begin.
How long does a permit take?
Municipal applications are typically processed in three to seven business days. That clock starts when the application is complete — an incomplete one waits rather than being rejected quickly.
02Commercial
What does it cost?
It depends on crew size, shift pattern, duration and what devices the plan requires. Night and emergency work price differently to planned daytime work. We quote against a scope rather than publishing a rate card, because a rate card without a scope is a number you cannot rely on. Send us the site, dates and shift and you will get a real figure.
Are you insured?
Insurance and coverage details are being confirmed and will be published on the safety page. In the meantime, ask and we will send what we hold.
03Crew and cover
What is the difference between a TCP and an LCT?
A Traffic Control Person directs traffic in real time. A Lane Closure Technician builds and maintains the closure itself — signage, tapers, delineation. Short municipal jobs often need TCPs only; longer arterial and highway closures usually need both.
Are your Traffic Control Persons certified?
Yes — through the BC Construction Safety Alliance TCP program: a two-day course, an 80% written exam, a practical evaluation requiring 100%, and a card valid for three years. We can provide certification records for the crew assigned to your site.
What is your emergency response time?
Crews are dispatched around the clock. Response times by area are being confirmed and will be published rather than estimated here.
What standards do you work to?
The BC Traffic Management Manual 2020 and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s Traffic Management Manual for Work on Roadways, alongside WorkSafeBC obligations for worker protection.
04Coverage and scope
Which municipalities do you work in?
Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. We publish a detailed page for a city only once we can set out that municipality’s permit process accurately, so our coverage is wider than the pages currently published. Ask about your location.
Can you handle events as well as construction?
Yes. Parades, festivals, Nagar Kirtans, road races and street events, as well as phased plans for bridge, tunnel and transit work. The two need different things and we treat them separately.
Do you rent equipment without crew?
Yes. Signage, cones, barricades and delineation, delivered and collected. Most equipment enquiries turn into staffing enquiries once the plan is drawn, but you can rent devices alone.