Tattoo Studios in Metro Vancouver

Updated 01 August 2026 · FanVancouver Local Desk

Illustration — we do not publish photographs of individual businesses.

Tattoo pricing in Vancouver does not work like a menu, which is why so few studios publish one. Almost everything here is quoted per artist, per piece, and the numbers that matter are the shop minimum, the hourly or day rate, and the deposit.

What you will actually be quoted

• Shop minimum — the floor for any tattoo, however small. In Vancouver studios this generally sits between $100 and $150. A one-inch design does not cost less than the minimum, because the setup, the needles and the sterile field cost the same either way.
• Hourly rate — most established artists in the city quote in the $150–$250 range, with well-known names above it. Some price by the piece instead, which protects you from a slow day and them from a fast one.
• Deposit — typically $100–$200, non-refundable, and applied to the final cost. It pays for the drawing time, which is why moving your appointment inside the studio’s notice window usually costs it.
• Tip — 15–20% is customary for tattoo work in Canada, on the same logic as any other service.

The rules that protect you

British Columbia has no separate tattoo licence. Studios are regulated as personal service establishments and inspected by the regional health authority — Vancouver Coastal Health in Vancouver, Richmond and the North Shore, Fraser Health from Burnaby east. That inspection covers sterilisation, single-use needles, surface disinfection and record-keeping.

• Needles and tubes come out of sealed, single-use packaging in front of you. Nothing sterile is opened before you are sitting down.
• Reusable equipment is autoclaved, and the autoclave is spore-tested on a schedule. Asking to see the test log is a normal question in a good studio.
• Ink is poured into single-use caps, never re-used between clients.
• You will be asked for government photo ID. Reputable studios in Vancouver do not tattoo minors, and no parental consent changes that in most shops.
• Aftercare instructions should be given in writing. If you are told to keep a wrap on for days or to use a product with no name, ask again.

Finding the right artist, not the nearest studio

Style is the whole decision. Fine-line, traditional, Japanese, blackwork, realism and cover-up work are close to different trades, and a brilliant traditional artist will do you a mediocre fine-line piece. Look at healed work rather than fresh photos — fresh ink flatters everyone. Most Vancouver artists keep a public portfolio and open their books in batches; walk-in availability is common for small flash pieces, rare for custom work.

Consultations are usually free and usually 20 minutes. Bring reference images, the placement you want and your actual budget. Saying the budget out loud is not rude here; it lets the artist scale the design instead of surprising you.

Tattoo studios in Metro Vancouver: the list

39 tattoo studios across Metro Vancouver, grouped by municipality. Every entry has an address and at least one way to reach it — a phone number, a website or published opening hours. Listings are alphabetical within each city and in no other order: we do not rank them and nobody pays to be here.

Vancouver (25)

Burnaby (3)

New Westminster (5)

Port Coquitlam (1)

Langley (1)

Delta (2)

White Rock (2)

Frequently asked

Where this data comes from. Addresses, phone numbers, opening hours and websites are from OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed under the Open Database Licence (ODbL), extracted 31 July 2026. Prices are the lowest rates published by the businesses themselves on their own websites, read the same week; they are starting prices before 5% GST and tip, and they change. Opening hours change too — call before you travel across the region for a specific shop. We take no payment for a listing and accept none: nothing on this page is an advertisement. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.