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Infill & Multiplex

Multiplex Builder in West Vancouver

Triplexes, fourplexes and six-unit buildings on single-family lots. We build them on the lots West Vancouver actually has: sloped, treed, often inside a wildfire development permit area, and always with a permit path that has to be sequenced properly. Fixed price, bonded, 25 Georgie and HAVAN awards.

Ask about your lot →
Proposed, not yet adopted

Multiplex forms in West Vancouver depend on Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 5446, which goes to first, second and third reading on 21 September 2026 and then requires Ministry of Transportation and Transit approval before it can be adopted. Read the full explanation → or check what your lot would allow →

What a multiplex looks like here

West Vancouver has written its four-unit rules to change as little as possible about how a street looks. The storey limit stays at two plus a basement. Front and side setbacks do not move. Height goes up by 38 centimetres, from 7.62 m to 8.0 m. What changes is what can be inside the building, and how many buildings a lot can carry.

In practice that means a multiplex here is not a small apartment block. It is a house-shaped building with three or four front doors, or a house with a second smaller building behind it, held to 6.4 m so the street still reads the way it always has.

Housing options on a West Vancouver lot, before and after the proposed four-unit zoneTwo rows of axonometric lots, with each dwelling shown as a separately coloured section of the building and its own front door, so the number of homes can be counted. Top row, permitted today: a house with one door; a house with a secondary suite on the lower level, two doors; and a house with a suite plus a coach house that can be rented but not sold, three doors. Bottom row, options a four-unit zone would add: a duplex with a secondary suite under each half, four doors in one building at two storeys; a triplex, three homes side by side under one roof; and a fourplex split across a front building with two homes and a lower rear building with two more, capped at 6.4 metres.WHAT YOU CAN BUILD TODAYcount the front doorsWHAT A FOUR-UNIT ZONE WOULD ADD1unitHouseone front door2unitsHouse + secondary suitesuite on the lower level, rented3unitsHouse + suite + coach housecoach house can be rented, not sold4unitsDuplex + two suitestwo homes side by side, a suite under each3unitsTriplexthree homes, three doors, one roof4unitsFourplex across two buildingstwo at the front, two behind at 6.4 m
The forms a four-unit zone would add. Each colour is a separate home with its own entrance.

Working a real lot: 731 m² in RS4

Abstract rules are hard to plan around, so here is the arithmetic on a minimum-size RS4 lot, which is one of the most common situations in the District.

MeasureFigureWhere it comes from
Lot area731 m² (7,868 ft²)RS4 minimum lot area
Homes permitted4over 280 m², more than 400 m from frequent transit
Total floor area, all buildings475 m² (5,114 ft²)0.65 all-inclusive FAR
Maximum for one principal dwelling329 m² (3,541 ft²)0.45 FAR cap
RS4 maximum building size438.9 m² (4,724 ft²)zone cap, whichever is smaller applies
Separate buildings allowed2lot is under 930 m²
Average per home if split four ways119 m² (1,279 ft²)475 m² divided by four

Four homes of about 1,280 ft² each is a real product in West Vancouver: a downsizing couple, an adult child, a rental that actually covers something. It is also, deliberately, not four large houses. The floor area ratio is what stops that happening, and it is the number that decides whether a scheme works long before anyone thinks about finishes.

The all-inclusive floor area ratio budget under the proposed four-unit zoneA single bar divided into three parts totalling 0.65 floor area ratio for the whole lot: 0.45 for the principal dwelling, 0.15 for a detached accessory building such as a coach house, and 0.05 for vehicle storage. An axonometric lot shows the three buildings those slices buy. A note lists what the all-inclusive ratio replaces: basement and attic exclusions, the coach house bonus of up to 74.3 square metres, the secondary suite bonus of up to 46.5 square metres, and the vehicle storage exclusion of up to 41 square metres.ONE FAR BUDGET FOR THE WHOLE LOT0.45FARPrincipal dwelling0.45 FAR maximum0.15FARDetached accessorycoach house or second building0.05FARVehicle storagegarage or carport=0.65total, every building on the lotThe owner decides how to spend the budget across buildings.WHAT THIS REPLACES— Basement and attic exclusions— Coach house bonus of up to 74.3 m²— Secondary suite bonus of up to 46.5 m²— Vehicle storage exclusion of up to 41 m²
One budget for the whole lot, with a cap on any single dwelling so the density goes into homes rather than into one very large house.

The two rules that shape the building

Beyond the unit count, two provisions do most of the work on how a multiplex here actually looks.

The top storey is limited to 75% of the storey below, with a 2.0 m step-back along at least half of the lowest-facing side. This replaces the Highest Building Face envelope, which had to be verified at many points and cross-sections around a building and was one of the more expensive things to get wrong on a sloped West Vancouver lot. The new rule is a proportion you can read off a floor plan, and for designers working here that is a significant simplification.

How the proposed bylaw replaces the Highest Building Face envelopeTwo building sections side by side. On the left, the current method: an envelope drawn as a 6.7 metre vertical line from grade then a 45 degree plane inward, which must be verified at many points around the building. On the right, the proposed method: the top storey is limited to 75 percent of the floor area of the storey below, with a 2.0 metre step-back along at least half of the lowest-facing side, measured once from the floor plan.MANAGING THE TOP STOREYBasementMain storeyTop storey6.7 m45° envelope, checked all round the buildingToday: Highest Building Face envelopeone envelope, verified at many points and cross-sectionsBasementMain storeyTop storey2.0 m step-backtop storey ≤ 75% of the floor belowProposed: one simple proportionmeasured once, from the floor plan
From an envelope verified all round the building to a proportion measured once.

Lot size decides how many separate buildings you get. At 930 m² or larger you may put three detached buildings on the lot, which opens up a front house plus two smaller dwellings behind. Below that you are limited to two, which usually means one larger building holding several homes, plus a coach house.

How many separate buildings are permitted, by lot sizeTwo axonometric lots. On the left, a lot of 930 square metres or larger, marked with a green check, holding three detached buildings: a principal house, a coach house and a second smaller building. On the right, a lot smaller than 930 square metres, marked with a red cross, holding only two buildings. A note below states that additional units are always optional and never required, and that an owner can still build one house with a secondary suite and nothing else.HOW MANY SEPARATE BUILDINGS?Lot 930 m² (10,000 ft²) or largerup to three detached buildingsLot smaller than 930 m²two buildings only, to avoid crowdingAdditional units are always optional, never required.An owner can still build one house with a secondary suite and nothing else.
The 930 m² threshold, and the reminder that none of this is compulsory.

Six units near Marine Drive

Lots within 400 m of frequent transit, broadly along Marine Drive out to about 25th Street, are prescribed six homes by the Province and would fall into a new RG-4 zone. The rules are meaningfully different: a floor area ratio of 0.8 rather than 0.65, three storeys plus basement once you build three or more homes, site coverage up to 45%, and a front building that may reach 10.67 m with the rear held to 8.0 m. At six homes, one must be secured as an affordable rental unit.

The provision that surprises people: the District is prohibited by Provincial legislation from requiring any on-site parking here. It could not impose a requirement even if it wanted to. To encourage underground parking anyway, the proposal excludes it from the floor area calculation entirely.

A six-unit lot in the proposed RG-4 zoneAn axonometric lot within 400 metres of frequent transit. A front building of three storeys plus basement at 10.67 metres contains three homes shown as separately coloured sections each with its own front door, and a lower rear building of two storeys plus basement at 8.0 metres contains three more, with a lane behind. One of the six is flagged as the affordable rental unit required at six units. Callouts note a floor area ratio of 0.8 for the lot, a maximum of 0.45 for any principal dwelling and 0.6 for any single building, site coverage of 40 to 45 percent at five or six units, three storeys only at three or more units, that no on-site parking can be required under Provincial law, and that underground parking is excluded from the floor area ratio.THE SIX-UNIT RG-4 ZONE, NEAR FREQUENT TRANSITlanefront building, 3 homes10.67 m, 3 storeys + basementrear building, 3 homes8.0 m, 2 storeys + basement1one of the six must be securedas an affordable rental unitSix homes across two buildingsthe rear building stays lower, keeping the established street scaleTHE RULES THAT DIFFER— FAR 0.8 for the lot— 0.45 max for any principal dwelling— 0.6 max for any single building— Site coverage 40–45% at five or six units— Three storeys only at three or more unitsPARKING— No on-site parking can be required— That is Provincial law, not a choice— Underground parking is free of FAR
Six homes across a taller front building and a lower rear building, with the required affordable rental unit.

If you own two adjoining lots in this strip, the numbers change again. Assembled sites of two or more lots would get a floor area ratio of 1.2 and 50% site coverage for townhouses. Two RS4 lots is roughly 18,900 ft² of buildable townhouse, which is a development project rather than a homeowner decision. That is work we are set up for: see large-scale residential.

What actually drives the cost

Zoning tells you what you may build. These decide whether it is worth building, and none of them are visible from a lot size.

  • Slope and geotechnical conditions. Most of West Vancouver is on a hillside. Retaining, excavation and foundations on a steep lot can cost more than an additional unit is worth.
  • The wildfire development permit area, which covers roughly half the District's land. Where it applies, the permit must be approved before a building permit application, adding four to six weeks and requiring a qualified professional's hazard assessment, an arborist report, a survey, drawings showing exterior materials and a fire-resistant landscape plan.
  • Environmental and Foreshore permit areas, creeks and riparian setbacks. A single lot can sit inside more than one area, each with its own consultant and its own report.
  • Trees. The tree bylaw governs removal and replacement, and mature trees often decide where a second building can physically sit.
  • Servicing. Water, sewer and electrical capacity to a 1970s property frequently needs upgrading before it can carry four or six homes.
  • Permit time. West Vancouver runs about 8 to 14 weeks for simple permits, 14 to 24 for complex ones and 22 to 44 weeks for a custom home or major project. Those figures are stable rather than a temporary backlog, so they have to be financed.
  • Step code. Every new home has to meet current energy and carbon requirements, which costs more per square foot on smaller units than on one large house.
An honest word on feasibility. An analysis of all 56,088 lots zoned for multiplex in the City of Vancouver concluded that the great majority do not work financially, largely because a 33 ft lot cannot reach the unit counts that make a project pay. West Vancouver has the opposite geometry, with minimum lot areas from 488 m² to 1,625 m², so width is rarely the constraint here. Land value, site conditions and construction cost are. Across British Columbia, under one percent of eligible lots are redeveloped in a year, and cost rather than zoning is why. We would rather tell you your lot is not a candidate than sell you a feasibility study that says what you want to hear.

Who this actually suits

The mortgage-free owner

You have held the property for decades and want a second home on the lot for a child, or rental income while you stay put. Smallest step, largest group, and the one the ownership coach house was written for.

Coach houses →

The recent buyer

You have bought a tired house on a good lot and are deciding between one large home and several. This needs a feasibility answer before an architect, not after.

Check the lot →

The lot assembler

You control two or more adjoining lots in the transit strip and are looking at townhouses at 1.2 FAR. Contract sizes we already handle.

Large-scale work →

The out-of-area builder

You have built multiplex in Vancouver and taken on a West Vancouver site. The zoning is the easy part. We can carry the local approvals and site knowledge.

Talk to us →

Credentials you can verify

Since 2009building in West Vancouver
25+Georgie and HAVAN awards
100+completed projects
Fixed pricebonded, $5M general liability

BC Licensed Residential Builder, Pacific Home Warranty certified, WorkSafeBC registered. We work on a fixed-price basis, which on a multi-unit project funded from equity or a construction loan is what keeps the number you started with the number you finish with. See our completed projects, or the wider infill and multiplex section.

What it costs to build

Our construction cost for new multi-unit work in West Vancouver currently runs $450 to $650 per square foot. That is a wide range on purpose, because in this District the site decides the number more than the drawings do.

  • Access. A lot with a usable lane and room to work sits near the bottom of the range. A steep driveway, a tight side yard, or craning material over the existing house sits near the top.
  • Lot terrain. Flat and stable is the low end. Hillside, retaining walls, deeper foundations and a geotechnical engineer move you up quickly.
  • Finishes. A well-built rental-grade interior and a high-end owner's residence are not the same building, and the gap between them is most of the spread.
  • How many buildings. One building with shared walls costs less per square foot than the same floor area split across two or three separate buildings, because you pay for more envelope, more roof and more foundation.

Put against the worked lot above: a 731 m² RS4 lot gives 475 m² (5,114 ft²) of total floor area across all buildings. At $450 to $650 that is roughly $2.3M to $3.3M of construction for four homes, or about $575,000 to $830,000 per home before land and soft costs.

The range covers construction. It does not include land, District fees and development cost charges, design and consultants, geotechnical and arborist reports, survey, landscaping or furniture.

We do not hold a per-square-foot number against a project and neither should you. It is a planning range, useful for deciding whether to keep going. The number we stand behind is the fixed price we give once we have walked the lot and the design is complete.

If the lot next door is in play, the arithmetic changes completely. Two or more assembled lots would be allowed a 1.2 floor area ratio with underground parking excluded, which is a townhouse project rather than a multiplex. Townhouses on assembled lots →

Multiplex construction in West Vancouver: FAQ

What does it cost to build a fourplex in West Vancouver?

Our construction cost for new multi-unit work in West Vancouver currently runs $450 to $650 per square foot, depending on access, lot terrain, finishes and how many separate buildings the design needs. On a minimum-size RS4 lot, where the proposed bylaw allows 5,114 ft² of total floor area across four homes, that is roughly $2.3M to $3.3M of construction, or about $575,000 to $830,000 per home. It excludes land, District fees and development cost charges, consultants and landscaping. It is a planning range, not a quote.

How many units can I build on a West Vancouver lot?

Under proposed Bylaw 5446, a lot over 280 m² and more than 400 m from a frequent transit bus stop would permit four homes. A lot of 281 m² or larger within 400 m of frequent transit would permit six. Lots of 280 m² or smaller are prescribed three, which is what they already allow. Roughly 641 parcels are exempt because of heritage designation, a site area over 4,050 m², or the absence of municipal water and sewer. Building additional homes is always optional.

How big can each unit be?

It comes out of one all-inclusive floor area ratio for the lot: 0.65 in the four-unit zones and 0.8 in the six-unit RG-4 zone, with a maximum of 0.45 for any single principal dwelling. On a 731 m² RS4 lot that is 475 m² of total floor area, or about 119 m² each if split four ways. Each RS zone also keeps its own maximum building size, and whichever is more restrictive applies.

Will a fourplex look out of place on my street?

The bylaw is written specifically to avoid that. Front and side setbacks do not change, the storey limit stays at two plus a basement in the four-unit zones, height rises only from 7.62 m to 8.0 m, the top storey is capped at 75% of the floor below with a step-back, and any rear building is held to 6.4 m. The result reads as a house with more front doors rather than as an apartment building.

Is it cheaper to convert my existing house into units?

Usually not. The District's own council report is explicit that converting existing homes into strata-titled units typically requires substantial upgrading and remedial work to comply with Building Code requirements. Fire separation, sound separation, egress, servicing and often structural work all come into play, and on a 1970s house the total frequently exceeds the cost of building new. It is worth pricing both properly before deciding.

Do I need to provide parking?

In the six-unit RG-4 zone, no. Provincial legislation prohibits the District from requiring on-site parking there, and it excludes underground parking from the floor area ratio to encourage it voluntarily. In the four-unit zones the existing parking regulations continue to apply. Note that a garage or carport does count toward your all-inclusive floor area budget, unlike today.

How long does a multiplex take to permit in West Vancouver?

Longer than most people expect, and the permit rather than the build is usually the critical path. West Vancouver runs roughly 8 to 14 weeks for simple permits, 14 to 24 weeks for complex ones and 22 to 44 weeks for a custom home or major project. If your property sits in a wildfire, environmental or foreshore development permit area, that permit has to be approved before the building permit application, adding four to six weeks plus the consultant reports ahead of it.

Can I sell the units separately?

Under the proposal, yes. Any dwelling other than a secondary suite may be stratified or rented at the owner's choice, so a triplex or fourplex could be sold as separate titles, held as rentals, or a mix of both. Secondary suites are the exception and cannot be stratified under section 130.05 of the Zoning Bylaw.

What if I own two adjoining lots?

In the six-unit RG-4 zone, assembling two or more lots for townhouses would attract a floor area ratio of 1.2 and site coverage of 50%, with underground parking excluded from the calculation. Two assembled RS4 lots is roughly 18,900 ft² of buildable townhouse. This is the single largest provision in the bylaw and it has had very little attention. If you are in that position it is worth modelling properly.

Considering a multiplex in West Vancouver?

Send us the address. We will confirm the zone and unit count, work out your real floor area, check which development permit areas apply, flag the slope, tree and servicing issues, and give you a cost range and permit timeline before anyone draws anything.

Ask about your lot →    Check What You Can Build →

Sources and status. Zoning provisions are from the District of West Vancouver council report of 20 July 2026 on proposed Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 5446 and its Appendix A working approach. The bylaw is proposed, has not been adopted, and may be amended. Diagrams are Eurohouse Construction's own illustrations, simplified for explanation. Vancouver R1-1 feasibility figures are from a published analysis of 56,088 lots. This page is general information, not planning, legal or design advice. Confirm current requirements with District of West Vancouver planning at 604-925-7040 or SSMUH@westvancouver.ca. Last updated 1 September 2026.

Primary sources