Question 1

How Do I Check Whether My Vancouver Lot Can Fit a Multiplex?

Accepted Answer

Start with the City of Vancouver's zoning map to find your lot's zone. The City allows a multiplex in the R1-1, RT-7, RT-9, R3, R4 and R5 zones and in First Shaughnessy. In R1-1, a multiplex of 3 or 4 homes needs at least 306 m² of site area, 10.0 m of frontage and 30.4 m of depth, vehicle access from the rear, and a site outside a designated flood plain. Our Multiplex Check gives a first set of numbers for your address.

Question 2

How Many Homes Can I Build on My Lot in Vancouver?

Accepted Answer

On a lot in Vancouver's R1-1 zone, it depends on the lot's area and street frontage. A multiplex of 3 or 4 homes needs at least 306 m² and 10.0 m of frontage, 5 homes need 464 m² and 13.4 m, and 6 homes need 557 m² and 15.1 m. If every home is a rental, the limit is 8. A multiplex also needs vehicle access from the back of the lot and must be outside a designated flood plain. A house or a duplex needs 306 m² and 7.3 m.

Question 3

Can I Build a Multiplex, Live in One Home and Sell the Others?

Accepted Answer

Yes, in Vancouver's R1-1 zone a multiplex of up to 6 homes can be sold as strata units, and you can keep one. Four rules apply: each home you sell needs BC home warranty insurance, so a licensed builder must build it; an owner builder may not build a multiplex at all; the homes become separate titles only when the strata plan is filed at the Land Title Office; and if the building has 5 or more strata lots, you must file a disclosure statement before you market any of them.

Question 4

Should I Renovate My Old Vancouver House or Build a New One?

Accepted Answer

Renovate when the house is sound and you mostly want new rooms, finishes or systems. Rebuild when you would replace most of it anyway, or when you want more homes on the lot: in Vancouver's R1-1 zone, a new multiplex can hold up to 6 homes on a lot with enough area, street frontage and a lane. Also know the legal test: BC Housing treats a renovated home as a new home once 75% or more of it is new, and then it needs a licensed builder and home warranty, the same as a new house.

Question 5

What Are the Steps to Build a Multiplex in Vancouver, and How Long Does It Take?

Accepted Answer

The City of Vancouver sets out six steps: check eligibility, complete the prerequisites (BC Hydro, sewer and water connection permits, rainwater rules), apply, pay fees, get permits, and build. A multiplex needs a development permit, a building permit for each building and a demolition permit if a house comes down, and work must start within 6 months of the building permit. The City's page gives no total time. Ask any builder for a written schedule that names each stage.

Question 6

Where Do We Live While Our New Vancouver House Is Built, and What About Our Tenants?

Accepted Answer

Plan to move out for the whole build: a house is demolished before the new one starts. If you have tenants, BC's Residential Tenancy Act lets you end a tenancy to demolish the unit only once you hold all the permits and approvals, with at least 4 months' notice and one month's rent in compensation. Before you move out, tell your insurer, because many home policies exclude a house left vacant or under construction, and claim the construction exemption from BC's speculation and vacancy tax.

Question 7

How Do I Check That a Home Builder in BC Is Licensed?

Accepted Answer

Search the company name on BC Housing's Licence Registry. For a new house or multiplex in Vancouver, you want the status Approved and the licence type general contractor. Then ask for the address of a home they finished and look it up on BC Housing's New Homes Registry, which shows whether that home has home warranty insurance and whether a licensed builder built it.

Question 8

What Is the Difference Between a Construction Manager and a General Contractor?

Accepted Answer

A general contractor signs one contract with you and hires the trades itself, usually for a fixed price or for cost plus a fee. A construction manager works for you and runs the trades for you: in the standard Canadian construction management contract, the trades sign with you and the construction manager administers those contracts. BC's home warranty rules treat both as a general contractor. The two models differ in who signs with the trades, who pays for cost overruns and who takes on site safety.

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