Is a through-wall AC unit possible in a concrete Brentwood tower?

Through-wall AC units are technically possible in concrete Burnaby towers, but the barriers in a strata building usually matter more than the technical side. Budget roughly $1,500–$4,500 for a through-wall sleeve and unit installed, though concrete core-drilling and any electrical work can push that higher depending on what the suite already has.

The Strata Hurdle Comes First

In a concrete high-rise, the exterior wall is common property under the Strata Property Act. That means you need written council approval before any contractor touches the wall, and many Burnaby strata corporations have blanket rules against new penetrations because of waterproofing, structural and aesthetic concerns. Check your bylaws and get a council resolution in writing before spending anything on quotes. If the building already has sleeve openings from a previous unit, your path is much easier.

Assuming council says yes, a contractor will core-drill through the concrete, install a metal sleeve, fit the through-wall unit and connect it to a dedicated electrical circuit. The drilling itself is noisy, dusty and takes a specialist, which is part of why some stratas refuse it outright.

Burnaby issues its own electrical permits, so the contractor pulling the circuit for the unit will apply to the City of Burnaby, not Technical Safety BC. Make sure that permit is included in any quote you receive.

On placement and noise: Burnaby's noise bylaw sets limits of 55 dBA by day and 45 dBA at night for mechanical equipment. A through-wall unit exhausts directly through the sleeve rather than sitting on a pad, so the sound question is mainly about the exhaust grille facing a neighbour's window or a shared outdoor space. Confirm the proposed location with your strata before the contractor finalises the sleeve position.

One important City of Vancouver rule does not apply here: the requirement that new permanent cooling in a detached house or duplex must be a heat pump is a City of Vancouver rule only. That rule does not cover Burnaby, so ask the contractor to confirm what the City of Burnaby allows for a cooling-only unit.

That said, a ductless mini-split is worth comparing. A single-zone mini-split in the $4,500–$8,000 range typically delivers better efficiency, quieter operation and no core-drilling, since the line set runs through a much smaller penetration. It still needs strata approval and an electrical permit from the City of Burnaby, but the wall impact is far less, which often makes council approval easier to obtain.

Before hiring anyone, ask the contractor for their refrigerant certification under BC's Ozone Depleting Substances and Other Halocarbons Regulation, their WorkSafeBC coverage, and confirm the electrical permit is in the quoted price.

Timing matters here: contractors book up quickly ahead of Metro Vancouver's summer heat season, and concrete core-drilling crews are in demand from April onward. If you want cooling in place before July, getting strata approval and contractor quotes in February or March gives you the best chance of a smooth install. Once council has said yes, a few Burnaby strata-experienced contractors can price it, and Vancouver HVAC Pro takes one request to reach them.