Costar and its Director of Sales, Louis Nguyen, were interviewed for a guide REW published on building a multiplex, aimed at single-family homeowners in British Columbia who are deciding whether to develop their lot themselves or partner with a builder.
REW's guide explains why the timing suits homeowners now: provincial legislation (Bill 44) requires most single-family lots in BC to allow multiplexes, and softer demand in the condo market has pushed developers toward smaller-scale projects like duplexes and triplexes. The guide lays out two paths for a homeowner. Developing the project directly gives the most control but carries the most risk. Partnering with a professional developer, usually through a limited partnership, gives the homeowner a controlled role while someone else carries the construction risk. A general partnership sits between the two: more control for the homeowner, but more financial exposure as well.
On timeline, the guide says it is difficult to estimate how long a city will take to approve permits. After the permit is issued and the household moves to a temporary home, it says to expect about a year to 18 months before the new multiplex is move-in ready, and that the time may vary. After completion, a multiplex is managed like any strata property, with shared maintenance responsibilities and monthly strata fees split across the units.
Nguyen is quoted in the guide saying, "We continue to build up this network of people who truly believe that multiplexes for generational living are one of the important products." Costar set out its own view of multiplexes for multi-generational families in an earlier post. He also told REW that a homeowner considering a multiplex should consult an architect early in the process, visit an active construction site to see what the build actually involves, and arrange professional property management before the units are occupied.
Read the full guide at REW: Building your own multiplex: a guide for current single-family homeowners.
More REW Coverage Since January
REW has published two more pieces on Costar since this guide. On July 30, 2026, REW's Zak Khan published Costar Construction: a family building family homes. It covers Louis Nguyen's comparison of multiplexes to the Vancouver Special, Costar's 2024 Georgie Award for Best Multiplex Home, and the We Killarney multiplex. On September 25, 2026, REW uploaded a 5 minute 40 second video, From One Lot to the Ultimate Multi-generational Multiplex with Costar Construction, in which Louis Nguyen explains what a multiplex is and walks through the We Killarney six-plex. Both sit on REW's own website and channel. The video also plays on Costar's multiplex guide.
Related on this site: Multiplex construction in Vancouver · Quintet Townhomes, a five-unit multiplex in Vancouver · Book a one-hour project consultation
