West Vancouver

What can I build on my West Vancouver lot?

Enter your zone and lot size. This tool applies the rules proposed in Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 5446 and tells you how many homes would be permitted, how much floor area you would have, how many separate buildings you could put on the lot, and whether your property is exempt.

Check my lot ↓

Proposed rules, not yet adopted

Bylaw 5446 goes to first, second and third reading on 21 September 2026, and must then be approved by the Ministry of Transportation and Transit before it can be adopted. This tool shows what the bylaw would permit. It is a planning aid, not a permit, and it does not replace advice from District of West Vancouver planning. Read the full explanation of Bylaw 5446 →

Your zone

Lot area

Within 400 m of frequent transit?

Does any of this apply to your property?

Not sure which zone you are in? The District's WestMap tool shows zoning by address, or you can call planning on 604-925-7040. If you tell us the address we will look it up for you.

What this tool does not tell you

Zoning is the easy half. It sets how many homes you may build. Everything below decides whether you actually can, what it costs, and how long it takes, and none of it is visible from a lot size.

Development permit areas. The Wildfire Hazard area covers roughly half of West Vancouver's land, and where it applies the permit has to be approved before you can even apply for a building permit. Environmental and Foreshore areas apply elsewhere. A single lot can sit inside more than one.
Slope and geotechnical conditions. Most of West Vancouver is on a hillside. Retaining, excavation and foundation costs on a steep lot can exceed the cost of an extra unit.
Trees. The tree bylaw governs what can come out and what has to go back, and mature trees often decide where a second building can physically sit.
Covenants on title. Site-specific covenants can restrict what a lot allows regardless of zoning.
Servicing capacity. Water, sewer and electrical service to an older property may need upgrading before it can carry four or six homes.
Whether it pencils. Zoning capacity and financial feasibility are different questions. Most owners who could add units will not, and construction cost rather than zoning is usually the reason.

That is the work we do before anyone draws anything. If you want the real answer for your property rather than the zoning answer, send us the address.

Questions about lot capacity

How many units can I build on my lot in West Vancouver?

Under the proposed Bylaw 5446, a lot larger than 280 m² and more than 400 m from a frequent transit bus stop would permit four units. A lot of 281 m² or larger within 400 m of frequent transit would permit six, and could not be required to provide on-site parking. Lots of 280 m² or smaller are prescribed three units, which is what they already allow. Around 641 parcels are exempt because of heritage designation, a site area over 4,050 m², or the absence of municipal water and sewer. None of these are requirements: an owner can still build a single home.

How do I work out my floor area?

Multiply your lot area by the floor area ratio. The proposal uses one all-inclusive ratio of 0.65 in the four-unit zones and 0.8 in the six-unit RG-4 zone, and every square foot of floor area counts toward it. No single principal dwelling may exceed 0.45, so if you want the largest possible house you still have the remainder available for other buildings. In the RG-4 zone no single building may exceed 0.6.

Is my lot too small to add units?

Probably not, in terms of permission. Even small lots are prescribed at least three units. Whether it makes sense is a different question: on a lot below the zone's minimum lot area, or below 930 m², you are limited to two separate buildings rather than three, and the floor area budget on a small lot may not support units large enough to sell or rent well. This is worth checking before you spend money on design.

Does the maximum building size or the floor area ratio control?

Whichever is more restrictive. Each RS zone keeps its own maximum building size, from 293 m² in RS5 up to 975.5 m² in RS2, and that caps any one building regardless of how much floor area ratio the lot generates. On a large RS2 lot the building size cap usually binds first; on a smaller lot the floor area ratio usually does.

Can I put three separate buildings on my lot?

Only if the lot is 930 m² (about 10,000 ft²) or larger. Below that the proposal permits two buildings, which is the same allowance most lots have today for a house and a coach house. The intention is to stop smaller parcels becoming overcrowded.

Is this tool accurate enough to design from?

No, and it is not meant to be. It applies the headline rules from a bylaw that has not yet been adopted, and it knows nothing about your development permit areas, slope, trees, covenants or servicing. Use it to decide whether the idea is worth a real conversation. Confirm anything you intend to act on with District of West Vancouver planning on 604-925-7040.

This tool works one lot at a time. If you are looking at two adjoining lots, the proposed assembly provision allows a 1.2 floor area ratio across the combined site rather than 0.65 on each. See what two lots together would build →

Want the real answer for your property?

Send us the address. We will confirm the zone, check which development permit areas apply, flag the slope, tree and servicing issues, and give you a realistic cost and permit timeline before you commit to anything.

Ask about your lot → Infill & Multiplex →

How this tool works. Figures are taken 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 and has not been adopted, and it may be amended. This tool is general information, not planning, legal or design advice, and it does not account for development permit areas, slope, geotechnical conditions, trees, covenants or servicing capacity. Confirm current requirements with District of West Vancouver planning at 604-925-7040 or SSMUH@westvancouver.ca. Last updated 1 September 2026.