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Strata Fee Calculator for BC Condos and Townhouses
Turn a monthly strata fee into numbers you can compare: the cost per square foot, what it adds to your monthly cost, and how much mortgage it takes away from you when the lender checks your income. Add a second unit to compare two listings.
Per square foot and borrowing room · verified 7 October 2026
An estimateWant this checked against your actual purchase?
This calculator uses the figures you enter. What a strata actually costs you depends on the depreciation report, the contingency fund, and any special levy coming. Send me the building or the address and I will pull what the documents say before you commit. No charge, no obligation.
Prefer to talk now? Call or text 778-903-7306.
What the fee pays for
Every owner in a BC strata pays a monthly fee toward the strata corporation’s budget. The fee has two parts. The operating fund pays for things that recur: insurance on the building, utilities for common areas, cleaning, landscaping and management. The contingency reserve fund saves for things that do not: a new roof, an elevator, a building envelope repair.
Your share is usually set by unit entitlement, which in most condo and townhouse buildings follows the size of your unit. That is why two units in the same building tend to pay a similar fee per square foot. The comparison means more between buildings.
Why the lowest fee is not always the better buy
A low fee can mean a well-run building, or a building that is not saving enough. Since 1 November 2023, BC strata corporations must put at least 10% of the operating budget into the contingency reserve fund each year. Since 1 July 2024, a strata corporation with five or more lots must get a depreciation report every five years, and owners can no longer vote to skip it. Existing Metro Vancouver strata corporations without a recent report had until 1 July 2026 to get one.
The depreciation report lists what will need repair and roughly when. If the fund is small and big work is coming, owners pay a special levy. That cost does not show up in the monthly fee.
| Ask for this | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Form B information certificate | Fee, levies, reserve balance |
| Depreciation report | Repairs coming, and when |
| Current budget | Where the fee goes |
| Recent minutes | Leaks, disputes, planned levies |
| Insurance summary | The deductible you could owe |
The strata corporation must provide a Form B within 7 days of a request and can charge at most $35, plus up to 25 cents a page for copies. Ask the strata manager for the rest.
How a lender counts the fee
When a lender checks whether you can afford the mortgage, it adds half the strata fee to your housing costs, along with the mortgage payment at the stress-test rate, property tax and heat. That total must stay under 39% of your gross income. So every dollar of strata fee reduces the mortgage you can qualify for. The calculator shows how much.
Questions people actually ask
How are strata fees calculated in BC?
The strata corporation’s annual budget is divided among the owners, usually by unit entitlement. In most condo and townhouse buildings, unit entitlement follows the size of the unit, so larger units pay more.
What is a good strata fee per square foot?
There is no single good number. Age, amenities, what utilities the fee includes and the health of the reserve fund all change it. Compare buildings of similar age and type, and always look at the contingency reserve fund and depreciation report.
Does the strata fee affect how much I can borrow?
Yes. Lenders add half the strata fee to your housing costs when they work out your gross debt service ratio, which must stay under 39%. A higher fee means a smaller mortgage you can qualify for.
What is a Form B?
An information certificate from the strata corporation. It shows the monthly fee, amounts owing, upcoming special levies, the reserve fund balance, legal proceedings and parking and storage allocations. It must be provided within 7 days and costs at most $35 plus copying.
How much must a strata save in its reserve fund?
At least 10% of the annual operating budget each year, a rule in force since 1 November 2023.
The other calculators
Sources, named and dated
This calculator is an estimate for planning only and is not financial or legal advice. Borrowing room assumes a 25-year amortization at the stress-test rate and counts only the strata fee; your lender will look at your whole file. Strata rules are those published on the dates cited above and change without notice. Tom Jahed, REALTOR®, Personal Real Estate Corporation, Vanak Realty.