How Many Units Can You Build on a White Rock Lot?
White Rock renamed its residential zones as small-scale housing zones, so most lots allow 3 or 4 units and lots near a prescribed bus stop reach 6. The catch is size: every house-plex unit must be at least 96 m².
White Rock zoning changes: see the sourced amendment timeline alongside this guide.
White Rock's Zoning Bylaw 2024 No. 2506 builds small-scale multi-unit housing into the zone names themselves. RS-1, RS-2, RS-3, RI-1, RI-2 and the two RE zones are SSMUH zones, so there is no override to hunt for. The unit count is set in the use table for each zone.
The unit count is the easy part. White Rock is unusual for what comes after it: a minimum size for every unit, and a floor area calculation that counts basements.
| Situation | Units | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Lot of 280 m² or less | 3 units | The provincial floor |
| Lot above 280 m² | 4 units | Under 4,050 m² |
| Prescribed bus stop within 400 m | 6 units | Lot must be at least 281 m² |
The unit ladder
A lot of 280 m² or less allows 3 units. A lot above 280 m² and under 4,050 m² allows 4. Where the City's parcel flag confirms a prescribed bus stop within 400 m, and the lot is at least 281 m², the figure is 6. About 440 parcels carry that flag.
Very large lots fall off the ladder: at 4,050 m² or more, a lot goes back to the count its zone's use list gives, which is 3 in RS-1 and RS-2 and 2 in RS-3, RI and RE-2.
Every house-plex unit needs 96 m²
Floor space ratio runs from 0.75 in RS-1 to 0.95 in RS-2 and 1.25 in RS-3, with RI-1 at 0.85 and RI-2 at 1.1. The estate zones are lower, 0.3 in RE-1 and 0.4 in RE-2.
What counts toward floor area
In the SSMUH zones basements count toward floor area. Exclusions are narrow: a garage up to 46.5 m², decks up to 37 m² and a stairwell up to 13 m². A ceiling taller than 5 m counts twice. Hard surface is capped at 70, 80 or 60 percent of the lot depending on the zone.
Height is 7.7 m in most zones, 9 m in RI-1, and coverage is 40 to 50 percent.
RS-1 lots under 742 m²
RS-1 sets a parcel minimum of 742 m², but section 4.3 gives relief to lots that already exist. A smaller existing RS-1 lot is shown with a caution, and its unit count is left unchanged.
Apartment and townhouse zones use a density rate
The RM zones do not state a unit cap. They set density as a rate against lot area, so the unit count is the lot area divided by the rate for that zone, rounded down. The report prints the resulting whole-unit figure.
White Rock's small-scale housing zones
| Zone | Name | Dwelling units |
|---|---|---|
| RS-1 | RS-1 SSMUH Residential Zone | Up to 4 (6 near frequent transit) |
| RS-2 | RS-2 SSMUH Residential Zone | Up to 4 (6 near frequent transit) |
| RS-3 | RS-3 (Small Lot, Hillside) SSMUH Residential Zone | Up to 4 (6 near frequent transit) |
| RI-1 | RI-1 (Infill 1) SSMUH Residential Zone, South of Hospital Lands | Up to 4 (6 near frequent transit) |
| RI-2 | RI-2 (Infill 2) SSMUH Residential Zone | Up to 4 (6 near frequent transit) |
| RE-2 | RE-2 SSMUH Estate Residential 2 Zone | Up to 4 (6 near frequent transit) |
| RE-1 | RE-1 SSMUH Estate Residential 1 Zone | Up to 2 |
The zones differ in floor area and coverage more than in unit count. RS-1, RS-2, RS-3, RI-1, RI-2 and RE-2 share the 3, 4 and 6 unit ladder. RE-1, the large-estate zone, is held at 2 units.
Every White Rock zoning district, A to Z
White Rock Bill 44 FAQ
How many units can I build on my lot in White Rock?
In the RS, RI and RE-2 zones, 3 units on a lot of 280 m² or less, 4 on a larger lot under 4,050 m², and 6 where the City's parcel flag confirms a prescribed bus stop within 400 m on a lot of at least 281 m². RE-1 is limited to 2.
Why does my White Rock lot show fewer units than the bylaw allows?
Because each house-plex unit must have at least 96 m² of residential floor area. If the floor area your lot is allowed does not fit the full entitlement, the report states the smaller form the floor area supports.
Does White Rock require sewer or water for the unit bands?
No. The bylaw's use table sets the counts without a servicing condition, because the City zoned for small-scale multi-unit housing itself.
Do basements count toward floor area in White Rock?
In the SSMUH zones, yes. Only a garage up to 46.5 m², decks up to 37 m² and a stairwell up to 13 m² are excluded.
What does an RM lot allow in White Rock?
RM zones set density as a rate against lot area. The report works out the whole number of units for your lot from that rate.
Next steps for your lot
- Run your address for the exact permitted unit count and buildable envelope.
- White Rock Bill 44 map
- White Rock zoning districts
- See what Surrey lots allow
- See what Port Coquitlam lots allow
- See what New Westminster lots allow
Last reviewed September 2026.