SURREY — In the next few days, owners of more than 494,000 properties throughout the Fraser Valley region can expect to receive their 2019 assessment notices which reflect market value as of July 1, 2018.
"The majority of residential home owners within the Fraser Valley can expect a modest change compared to last year's assessment," says Fraser Valley Deputy Assessor Brian Smith. "As of July 1, we continued to see strong market activity in the strata residential market throughout the region, where as the single family residential market was relatively stable."
As B.C.'s trusted provider of property assessment information, BC Assessment collects, monitors and analyzes property data throughout the year. The table below indicates the Fraser Valley region's estimated range of percentage changes to 2019 assessment values by property type compared to 2018. Please note property assessments may vary by jurisdiction or municipality within the region.
Residential Single Detached Homes | -10% to +15% | -5% to +35% |
Residential Strata Units (e.g. condominiums) | +5% to +35% | Not Applicable |
Commercial | 0% to +35% | -10% to +40% |
Light Industrial | +5% to +10% | 0% to +15% |
Overall, the Fraser Valley's total assessments increased from almost $489.8 billion in 2018 to more than $540.4 billion this year. A total of almost $10.7 billion of the region's updated assessments is from new construction, subdivisions and rezoning of properties. BC Assessment's Fraser Valley region includes properties in Surrey, Richmond and Delta, and throughout the rest of the Fraser Valley up past Hope and Boston Bar.
The summaries below provides estimates of average 2018 versus 2019 assessed values of properties throughout the region. The average is represented by the median, or mid point, value which removes the influence of outliers.
These examples demonstrate market trends for single family residential properties by geographic area:
| City of Surrey | $1,004,000 | $1,042,000 | +4% |
| City of White Rock | $1,340,000 | $1,313,000 | -2% |
| City of Richmond | $1,570,000 | $1,532,000 | -2% |
| City of Delta | $978,000 | $1,003,000 | +3% |
| Township of Langley | $920,000 | $972,000 | +6% |
| City of Langley | $803,000 | $862,000 | +7% |
| City of Abbotsford | $693,000 | $758,000 | +9% |
| City of Chilliwack | $559,000 | $613,000 | +10% |
| City of Maple Ridge | $757,000 | $820,000 | +8% |
| City of Pitt Meadows | $804,000 | $871,000 | +8% |
| District of Mission | $633,000 | $698,000 | +10% |
| District of Kent | $441,000 | $512,000 | +16% |
| District of Hope | $356,000 | $416,000 | +17% |
| Harrison Hot Springs | $539,000 | $609,000 | +13% |
These examples demonstrate market trends for strata residential properties (e.g. condominiums) by geographic area for select urban areas:
| City of Surrey | $458,000 | $522,000 | +14% |
| City of White Rock | $412,000 | $479,000 | +16% |
| City of Richmond | $598,000 | $654,000 | +9% |
| City of Delta | $529,000 | $568,000 | +7% |
| Township of Langley | $500,000 | $561,000 | +12% |
| City of Langley | $311,000 | $396,000 | +27% |
| City of Abbotsford | $275,000 | $353,000 | +28% |
| City of Maple Ridge | $394,000 | $464,000 | +18% |
| City of Chiliwack | $289,000 | $355,000 | +23% |
BC Assessment's website at bcassessment.ca includes more details about 2019 assessments, property information and trends such as lists of 2019's top valued residential properties across the province. The website also provides self-service access to a free, online property assessment search service that allows anyone to search, check and compare 2019 property assessments for anywhere in the province. As a new option, property owners can unlock additional property search features by registering for a free BC Assessment custom account to store/access favourites, create comparisons and use our new interactive map.
"Property owners can find a lot of information on our website including answers to many assessment-related questions, but those who feel that their property assessment does not reflect market value as of July 1, 2018 or see incorrect information on their notice, should contact BC Assessment as indicated on their notice as soon as possible in January," says Deputy Assessor Brian Smith.
"If a property owner is still concerned about their assessment after speaking to one of our appraisers, they may submit a Notice of Complaint (Appeal) by January 31st, for an independent review by a Property Assessment Review Panel," adds Smith.
The Property Assessment Review Panels, independent of BC Assessment, are appointed annually by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and typically meet between February 1 and March 15 to hear formal complaints.
"It is important to understand that increases in property assessments do not automatically translate into a corresponding increase in property taxes," explains Smith. "How your assessment changes relative to the average change in your community is what may affect your property taxes."
The Fraser Valley Region BC Assessment offices are located at:
Surrey Office: 100 – 5477 152 Street, Surrey BC V32 5A5
Abbotsford Office: 240 – 31935 South Fraser Way, Abbotsford BC V2T 5N7
During the month of January, office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. Property owners can contact BC Assessment toll-free at 1-866-valueBC (1-866-825-8322) or online at bcasssessment.ca
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