B.C. real-estate owners can expect to see a big jump in their property values when they receive their assessments this week, according to figures released on Wednesday.

The biggest jump comes in commercial and industrial properties, which rose in value by between 20 and 50 per cent in many rural areas of the province.

That's a significant change from previous years, when residential property values increased significantly while commercial and industrial property values remained relatively stable.

In Vancouver, overall property assessments rose nearly 17 per cent in 2007, while residential properties went up 12 per cent.

Jason Grant, the area assessor for the Vancouver Sea to Sky region, told CBC News on Wednesday that that type of growth is similar throughout the province.

"The entire assessment roll provincially has gone up about 16 per cent since the 2007 assessment," Grant said.

And while that rate is impressive, it actually represents a slow down in the property market. Last year, the entire assessment roll rose 23 per cent, the result of record levels of new construction and a hot housing market.

Every year B.C. Assessment estimates the market value of the province's 1.8 million private properties and sends out assessment notices. The assessed values are used by municipal governments to levy property taxes.

But an increase in property assessment values doesn't necessarily mean an increase in property taxes, since municipalities generally adjust their tax rates as property values rise.

About 87.5 percent of B.C. properties are at least partially residential.