Guides for Greater Vancouver Lot Owners
Original research on what Vancouver duplexes are worth and cost, plus the rules, fees, timelines and taxes behind a build, checked against each city’s own documents.
Every post here is built on our own analysis of City of Vancouver open data: 12,000 new-building permits and every property on the 2026 assessment roll. We explain what your lot allows, what a build costs, how long permits take, and what new homes sell for, in plain words. Every figure links to where it comes from, and you’re welcome to cite them.
Costs and financing
What it costs to demolish, build, title and finance a new home in Vancouver, line by line.
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Research · 5 min read
What a multiplex costs to build in Vancouver
A Vancouver fourplex costs about $1.7M to $2.5M to build before land. What 187 City permits show per home, the $130,500 in charges, and how to plan the budget.
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Research · 5 min read
What it costs to demolish a house in Vancouver
Tearing down a Vancouver house costs about $30,000 to $50,000, plus a $15,310 deposit. What 5,990 demolition permits show about the houses coming down.
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Research · 5 min read
What a laneway house costs in Vancouver
A Vancouver laneway house costs about $350,000 to $600,000 all-in. What 4,153 City permits show about size, cost and wait times, and what the rent pays back.
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Research · 5 min read
What it costs to strata a duplex in BC
The cost to strata title a duplex in BC, line by line, for new builds and for converting an existing duplex, and why the $30k to $80k figure online is for multiplexes.
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Research · 5 min read
Construction loans for a BC duplex
How much lenders advance, a sample draw schedule, the 10% lien holdback, current rates, and what your builder has to hand the bank.
Rules and permits
What your lot allows, how the City counts floor area, and how long permits really take.
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Research · 4 min read
Adding a secondary suite in Vancouver
The rules, what 1,032 City permits show a suite costs, how long the permit takes, and what it can rent for.
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Research · 5 min read
Vancouver multiplex permits, by the numbers
About 340 Vancouver multiplex projects have building permits, with roughly 1,200 homes. How big they are, where they are, and how long permits take.
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Research · 6 min read
Duplex floor plans for a 33 ft lot
Four duplex layouts that fit a 33 by 122 ft Vancouver lot, the real square footage of each, and what 615 recent permits show people build.
- Guide · 6 min read Protected trees and your build Which trees are protected, when one can come out for a new home, what it costs, and how trees change a duplex or multiplex plan.
- Guide · 5 min read The BC Step Code for new homes What the Energy Step Code and Zero Carbon Step Code ask of a new house, duplex or multiplex, how cities differ, and what happens during the build.
- Guide · 10 min read Vancouver duplex rules, in plain words Floor area, lot size, suites, height and energy rules, straight from the R1-1 schedule, plus where Vancouver’s new duplexes are being built.
- Guide · 9 min read How long it takes to build a duplex in Vancouver Permits are much faster than they were. Here’s every step from lot check to strata title, how long each takes, and what slows it down.
- Guide · 10 min read Duplex vs triplex vs multiplex The same lot can take very different buildings. How they compare on floor area, homes, fees, ownership and risk, and what Vancouver owners are choosing now.
Values and selling
What new homes are worth, when a build pays, and what happens when you sell.
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Research · 4 min read
Renovate or rebuild your Vancouver house?
What 61,095 R1-1 lots show about what an older house is worth, and what renovations and rebuilds cost.
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Research · 4 min read
What new duplexes sell for in Vancouver
New half-duplexes in Vancouver are assessed at a median $1.66 million. Values for 2,258 new halves by neighbourhood, how they changed, and our 2027 forecast.
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Research · 6 min read
Is building a duplex worth it in Vancouver?
We compared 1,129 new Vancouver duplexes with the houses around them. What a duplex adds in value, what it costs, and when it pays.
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