A Vancouver Laneway House is a smaller, detached home located where the garage would normally go on a single-family lot.
Vancouver Laneway Houses houses contribute to the overall sustainability of the city. They give people more opportunities to live close to where they work, shop, and play, and they make the city’s urban lanes more green, liveable, and safe.
Laneway Houses also contribute to the amount of affordable rental housing available in the city.
The City of Vancouver has a step-by-step how-to guide for anyone interested in building a Laneway House.
The guide will answer your questions about Vancouver Laneway Houses and help you put your ideas into action.
The how-to guide includes:
- Step-by-step help for the application process
- Illustrations of regulations and guidelines
- Sketches of Vancouver Laneway House floor plans and exteriors
- Resources for designing and building your Coach house
- Photos of completed Coach house
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Bylaw or Policy |
Zoning and Development Bylaw, 1997, No. 3575 |
Suite Defined |
Laneway House |
Premitted Zoning |
All one-family dwelling zones (RS zones) Minimum 33′ Wide Lots |
Type of Suite |
Laneway home is a smaller detached home, located at the rear of a single-family zoned lot where a garage would normally go |
Number of Suites Allowed |
Allowed both one laneway house and one secondary suite contained within the principal dwelling per lot |
Size of Suite |
Maximum floor area: 56m2 (644ft2) on standard 33ft x 122ft lots and 84m2 (900ft2) on 50ft x 122ft lots. Maximum size of laneway house is 900ft2 regardless of lot size. Minimum floor area: 26m2 (280ft2), with a possible relaxation down to 19m2 (204ft2). Upper storey is restricted to 60% of the footprint of the laneway house. Height – 1 storey: same maximum height as a garage, from 3.7m (12ft) with a flat roof, to 4.6m (15ft) with a sloped roof. Height – 1.5 storey: laneway home with a partial upper storey can have maximum height of 5.5m (18ft). |
Location on lot |
Minimum setbacks: rear lane 0.9m (if lot is less than 30.5m deep then rear setback can be 0.6m); sideyard minimum 10% of lot width (1 storey home could be reduced to 0.6m); exterior lot line 3m; 4.9m from the house. 1.5 storey laneway house is limited to the rear 7.9m (26ft) of the lot. 1 storey laneway house may extend into the yard a further 1.8m (6ft) to a maximum of 9.8m (32ft). |
Lane Access Required |
YES |
Parking Requirements |
Minimum of one unenclosed and uncovered on site parking space adjacent to the laneway house – for use by any of the dwelling units on site. An enclosed or covered parking space may be provided in the laneway house and is counted as part of the permitted floor area. This includes carports |
Owner Occupation Restriction |
NO |
Fees |
Application fees include: 1) Development permit fee: 1 storey $1,000, 1.5 storey $1,520. 2) Building permit fee: based on project value. 3) Development cost levy fees: $2.91 per ft2 of dwelling unit space. 4) Engineering fees. 5) Fees for trades permits and inspections. Site servicing costs include sewer, water, electricity and gas – fees for connection of each vary |
Notes |
City of Vancouver Laneway House |
DISCLAIMER: The City of Vancouver Laneway House Regulations are provided as a courtesy only. Always consult the City Vancouver Building Department prior to any construction.