Business rentals for light electronics work, zoning and insurance (BC CA) - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: berke
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2025, 05:24:07 pm
content: I've moved back to BC from France and I'd like to re-create my lab here, otherwise I'm limited to dry software work.I see a number of reasonably priced small offices in Vancouver (many around CAD$800/month). Now if I get one of those, I'm sure no one will object if I have a computer and two FPGA boards on a desk, or if I add a power supply and a scope.But what happens if I need to do some occasional (de)soldering or drilling? As in, I just got my fabbed PCBs but my footprint was wrong and I need to desolder and rotate a transistor.Is it just a matter of the renter or maybe the insurance being comfortable with that, or are there zoning laws that would prevent this in some places no matter what?Any tips welcome.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2025, 06:04:42 pm
content: Quote from: berke on September 24, 2025, 05:24:07 pmWhy would you even tell them about it? How would they know?If you mention soldering, they will imagine someone using a blowtorch so don't do that.You may regard drilling as using a dremel, they may think of a road drill.And don't even think about telling them about your little bottle of IPA or flux pen - "dangerous flammable materials"

author: berke
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2025, 05:01:25 am
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on September 24, 2025, 06:04:42 pmFrom the listings I've seen, many of these rentals are single offices with limited privacy, as in a floor with 8 offices plus some common areas.QuoteGood pointMaybe I can tell them that I will be connecting some circuits together.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2025, 08:03:33 am
content: Quote from: berke on September 25, 2025, 05:01:25 amJust tell them it's general office / IT work. No need to go into details that they may have issues with.Ask for a copy of the contract, and check it for any conditions on allowed use.

author: asmi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 02:48:32 pm
content: As long as ventilation is decent enough, and you don't plan to solder/desolder 24/7, I don't think anybody is going to care if you solder a few parts every once in a while. Of course, use common sense for organizing the workspace regarding heat/fire safety - i.e. use heat-resistant desk cover, be mindful of what hot air gun is going to hit once placed back on a stand (they typically don't turn off immediately but slowly ramp down temperature to avoid overheating of heating element, so make sure the stand is well clear of anything which can ignite or be affected by residual heat), keep workspace clean of various stuff that tends to pile up (like PCBs, loose components, leftover passive strips, paper printouts), have a small fire extinguisher somewhere accessible just in case.Oh, and one more thing - I don't know how it is in BC, but here in ON you can not call/advertise yourself as a "professional engineer" unless you are properly licensed by "Professional Engineers Ontario", so you might have to be careful with the language in your contracts/business paperwork if you plan to work commercially.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 09:13:57 pm
content: Quote from: berke on September 25, 2025, 05:01:25 amThe major risk here is setting off the fire alarm, this can cause the fire department to show up. So as long as you have a decent fume extractor, if you plan on soldering a lot, shouldn't be too much of an issue. I think Dave used to just use a blueair air filter before?

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 09:50:15 pm
content: Fume extraction is probably important.In cramped quarters, solvent vapors can travel farther than you think, and will attract unwanted attention.(Even at my university, ether traveled far from our lab.)

author: berke
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2025, 03:53:01 pm
content: Quote from: asmi on September 26, 2025, 02:48:32 pmYes, this should be all common sense and that's what I have been doing here at my home office in France. On the plus side people in Vancouver seem to believe they live in a tropical climate and maybe except for new buildings they seem to have single pane windows that let copious amounts of air through.QuoteThanks, I'm well aware of that and it's similar in BC and QC. The workaround is that instead of saying "tomato juice" you say "tomato beverage", and instead of "hardware engineer" you say, well... circuit person?

author: berke
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2025, 09:26:27 am
content: Quote from: TimFox on September 26, 2025, 09:50:15 pmOf course it is. Some people are not aware that lungs are not user-servicable and voluntarily inhale combustion products. That's why I need at least one openable window, but many ads are for small offices with no windows at all, or non-openable windows.

author: asmi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2025, 03:42:08 pm
content: Quote from: berke on October 01, 2025, 03:53:01 pmWell to be fair it doesn't really get that cold in Vancouver compared to other parts of the country. Here in southern Ontario we get at least two weeks of <-20°C every winter, so conserving heat is taken seriously here (well as much as it's possible in typical North American cardboard homes).Quote from: berke on October 01, 2025, 03:53:01 pmWhen I worked on contracts, I typically called myself a consultant as this is super-broad and you can fit it to just about any work in our field. I never worked on a full-time position, but over there it's not really your problem, but rather that of your employer, and they typically have legal department which tells them what it write in a job contract. I personally don't really care what they call me in paperwork as long as I get paid what was agreed upon.