Is blasting allowed near houses in Saint John?

We found no provincial homeowner blasting permit, and we did not find Saint John's own blasting rules, so ask the City of Saint John before anyone plans a blast. What is clear is who may blast: WorkSafeNB's General Regulation 91-191 says a blasting operation must be conducted by a blaster who holds an appropriate certificate of qualification issued under the Apprenticeship and Occupational Certification Act. That certificate requirement applies province-wide, and it is not something a general excavation contractor can work around by hiring an uncertified person.

What Shapes a Blasting Job Near a Home

A hydraulic breaker on an excavator is sometimes used instead of or alongside blasting; published price guides read in September 2026 put a hydraulic breaker at $200 to $300 per hour, with larger machines running higher. Blasting costs are not well published for New Brunswick, so the machine-time figure is the best reference point for comparison. Few New Brunswick prices are published, and a quote will be built from equipment hours, crew, trucking and materials.

Before any blasting or rock-breaking begins, locates are mandatory. Info-Excavation, reached through Click Before You Dig, requires three working days' notice; that locate is valid until the end date written on the request. NB Power runs its own separate underground locate service and asks for at least five business days' notice; its locate is valid for 60 days from the date on the locate form and covers only NB Power-owned lines. Those are two separate requests, not one. Under WorkSafeNB's General Regulation 91-191, the employer must determine the location of any underground utility line or piping before beginning, and must notify the operating authority and follow an adequate operating procedure within 600 mm of a line. Private lines, such as wiring run to a garage or shed by a past owner, are the property owner's to find and mark before the crew arrives.

If a gas line, pipeline or power line is struck or damaged at any point during the work, everyone stops immediately, clears the area, and calls emergency services from a safe distance.

For Saint John specifically, the City issues building permits, and a Water and Sewerage Permit Package is required for any new, renewal or repair work on water, sanitary or storm sewer installations. A Street Excavation permit also exists under the City's street and sidewalk permits. For anything beyond those, check directly with the City of Saint John to confirm what approvals apply to your specific job. If the site is within 30 metres of a watercourse or wetland, a provincial Watercourse and Wetland Alteration permit is required before any ground disturbance, including blasting or clearing.

Ask to see the blaster's certificate of qualification before work starts, ask for a WorkSafeNB clearance certificate for the company, and hold back 10% of the contract price as required under New Brunswick's Construction Remedies Act, kept for 60 days after substantial performance.

Before you agree to anything, ask the contractor directly who is responsible for marking private lines on your property, and what their procedure is if the drill or breaker hits something that was not on any locate.