How Many Units Can You Build on a District of North Vancouver Lot?
The District of North Vancouver caps its detached zones at 3 units, a house, a suite and a coach house, which is below the 4 units the Province expects on a lot above 280 m². The map marks that gap lot by lot.
District of North Vancouver zoning changes: see the sourced amendment timeline alongside this guide.
The District of North Vancouver is the one Metro Vancouver municipality where the by-right unit count sits below the provincial floor. Bylaw 8799, adopted on 20 July 2026, replaced nineteen older single-family zones with two new ones, R1 and R2, but neither reaches the 4 units the small-scale multi-unit housing rules expect on a lot above 280 m².
That does not mean a lot cannot be redeveloped. It means the number you can build by right is 3 on most lots, and that the District relies on provincial exemptions, mainly hazard areas and Transit-Oriented Areas, for lots where the higher number would otherwise apply.
| Situation | Units | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| R2 Urban Detached | 3 units | House, suite and coach house |
| R1 Rural and Suburban | 2 units | House and suite |
| Multiplex by right | None | No zone allows one outright |
R1 and R2 replaced nineteen zones
R2 alone holds more than half of the District's zoning areas. It allows one dwelling, a secondary suite and a coach house, which is 3 units on every lot regardless of size. R1 is the same without the coach house, so 2 units.
Floor area is not a simple ratio in either zone. It is a formula on net lot area: 0.7 times the area plus 92.9 m² for a lot up to 464.5 m², and 0.55 times the area plus 92.9 m² above that, to a cap of 650.3 m². A coach house raises the allowance and the cap. Net lot area excludes land such as a panhandle, riparian area and transmission right-of-way, so it is not the same as the parcel area.
The older RS zones still apply on some lots
Some neighbourhoods keep an RS zone, among them the Canyon Heights, Delbrook, Edgemont, Highlands, Norgate and Queensdale zones. They allow 3 units inside the Urban Containment Boundary and 2 outside it, where the bylaw prohibits a coach house. Floor space ratios run from 0.35 to 0.55 and heights from 7.3 m to 9.8 m.
Where the count falls short of the provincial figure
This is a statement about the bylaw as written, not about what a rezoning or a development permit could achieve.
Hazard areas and Transit-Oriented Areas
- Hazard Development Permit Areas. The District's stated position is that parcels in the wildfire, creek or slope hazard areas are exempt from the provincial rules. Nearly half of the District's parcels are inside at least one of them.
- Transit-Oriented Areas. There are two, around the Phibbs and Capilano University bus exchanges, each a 400 m circle. A lot inside one keeps its house, suite and coach house and is exempt from the provincial figure. Nothing in the bylaw removes a unit there.
Because the Transit-Oriented Areas here are bus exchanges, only tiers 4 and 5 exist, at 4.0 FAR and 12 storeys and at 3.0 FAR and 8 storeys. Those are rezoning minimums, not by-right entitlements.
No multiplex by right
No District zone permits a multiplex outright, so the report labels every residential result as not a multiplex. The RM, RL and RH zones are multi-family zones with their own site-area minimums and density rules, and they do not use a fixed unit count.
The District's main detached residential zones
| Zone | Name | Dwelling units |
|---|---|---|
| R1 | Rural and Suburban Detached Residential Zone | Up to 2 |
| R2 | Urban Detached Residential Zone | Up to 3 |
| RS1 | Single-Family Residential One Acre Zone | Up to 3 |
| RS2 | Single-Family Residential 12000 Zone | Up to 3 |
| RS3 | Single-Family Residential 7200 Zone | Up to 3 |
| RS4 | Single-Family Residential 6000 Zone | Up to 3 |
| RS5 | Single-Family Residential 4000 Zone | Up to 3 |
R2, the Urban Detached Residential zone, holds the most lots and allows 3 units: a house, a secondary suite and a coach house. R1, the Rural and Suburban zone, has no coach house and allows 2. The older RS zones also allow 3, dropping to 2 outside the Urban Containment Boundary where a coach house is prohibited.
Every District of North Vancouver zoning district, A to Z
District of North Vancouver Bill 44 FAQ
How many units can I build on my District of North Vancouver lot?
In R2, the most common zone, 3 units: a house, a secondary suite and a coach house. In R1, 2 units. In the older RS zones, 3 units inside the Urban Containment Boundary and 2 outside it.
Does the District of North Vancouver allow four units?
Not by right. The bylaw's detached zones cap at 3 units. The provincial rules expect 4 on a lot above 280 m², so the map marks lots where the District's count falls short of that figure.
Why are some District of North Vancouver lots marked exempt?
Because the District treats lots in the wildfire, creek and slope hazard areas, and lots inside a Transit-Oriented Area, as outside the provincial rules. Nearly half the District's parcels are inside a hazard area.
Can I get six units in the District of North Vancouver?
ZoneScout does not show 6 units for any District lot, because there is no source for prescribed bus stops. Confirm with the District if your lot is within 400 m of a frequent transit stop.
What is the difference between the City and the District of North Vancouver?
They are separate municipalities with separate zoning bylaws. The City of North Vancouver has its own guide and zone pages, and the two share one Bill 44 map.
Next steps for your lot
- Run your address for the exact permitted unit count and buildable envelope.
- District of North Vancouver Bill 44 map
- District of North Vancouver zoning districts
- See what City of North Vancouver lots allow
- See what West Vancouver lots allow
Last reviewed September 2026.