Contents 10 sections
For a new duplex, the government’s share is small: Land Title Office filing fees, and no City approval fee. Almost all of the cost is the land surveyor and the lawyer. Converting an existing, lived-in duplex in Vancouver costs more: a $7,640 City application fee, an inspection and a sign-off from Council or the Approving Officer. The $30,000 to $80,000 range that shows up in search results comes from multiplex guides.
Why a duplex needs a strata plan
Each half of a duplex has to be its own legal title before it can be sold or mortgaged on its own. In BC that almost always means a strata plan. Once it’s deposited at the Land Title Office, a strata corporation exists, and for a duplex its only members are the two owners.
It’s more common than people think. On Vancouver’s 2026 assessment roll there are 2,789 two-home strata corporations on low-density lots (R1-1 and RT zones). That’s 83% of all strata plans in those zones. Of those, 1,129 trace back to a new-duplex permit issued since 2017.
New duplex or existing duplex?
The two routes cost very different amounts, and the difference is mostly the City.
| Item | New duplex | Existing duplex that’s been lived in |
|---|---|---|
| City approval | Not needed. Vancouver’s strata policy says new multi-unit buildings go straight to registration | Council or the Approving Officer, under the City’s conversion guidelines |
| City fee | $0 | $7,640, plus a special inspection fee |
| When the plan is drawn | Near the end of construction, from the building as built | From the existing building, often with as-built measurements |
| Suites | Stay on the title of their half | Stay on the title of their half. The City won’t make a suite its own strata lot |
| Building upgrades | None. It’s built to current code | Possible, as a condition of approval |
One thing Vancouver won’t do: convert a house with a suite, or a house with a laneway home, into strata. Its policy, last amended October 21, 2025, rules those out. Duplexes and other buildings with two or more principal homes can apply.
The costs, line by line
| Item | New duplex | Converting an existing duplex | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| City conversion application | $0 | $7,640 plus inspection | City of Vancouver 2026 fee schedule |
| Land Title Office filings | $105.30 to file a plan, $83.82 per title transfer, $33.53 per general filing such as bylaws | Same | LTSA fees from April 1, 2026. Your lawyer will confirm the full list |
| BC land surveyor, strata plan | Quoted per project | Quoted per project | Usually higher for an older building that needs measuring |
| Lawyer: unit entitlement, bylaws, filings | Quoted per project | Quoted per project | Custom bylaws add to this, and are worth it |
| Disclosure statement | $0 | $0 | Only needed at 5 or more strata lots |
| Depreciation report | $0 | $0 | Stratas with 4 or fewer lots are exempt |
| Building upgrades | $0 | Depends on the building | Set during the City’s review |
| Strata insurance | Every year | Every year | Full replacement value plus at least $2 million liability |
Where the $30,000 to $80,000 figure comes from
It’s from multiplex guides. One widely cited table budgets $15,000 to $30,000 for the survey, $5,000 to $15,000 for legal work, $1,500 to $3,000 per strata lot in filings and $2,000 to $5,000 for first-year insurance, with the top end covering projects that need a disclosure statement. A duplex has two lots, a simple plan, no disclosure statement and no depreciation report, so it sits well below that range.
Insurance is not optional
The Strata Property Act requires the strata corporation, not each owner, to insure the building. That means full replacement value for the building and common property, the original fixtures in each home, and at least $2 million of liability cover. Each owner still needs their own policy for contents, upgrades and their share of the deductible.
The risk in a small strata is two owners each buying a homeowner’s policy on their half and skipping the strata policy. That leaves the strata corporation in breach of the Act and the owners exposed. Get one strata policy, and put how the deductible is split into your bylaws.
Living in a two-home strata
With two owners, every vote is either unanimous or a tie. Strata disputes in BC go to the Civil Resolution Tribunal, and in a two-owner strata there’s no third vote to settle things before it gets that far. A few things prevent most of the trouble:
- File your own bylaws. BC’s Standard Bylaws were written for condo buildings. Spell out who looks after the shared wall, the roof, the exterior and each yard, and how costs are split.
- Fund a small reserve. The Act requires a contingency reserve fund even in a two-home strata. A modest monthly amount beats a fight over a $20,000 roof.
- Agree on a tie-breaker. Mediation first, then the Tribunal, written into the bylaws before anyone moves in.
- Keep minutes. A one-page record of each year’s meeting and budget makes selling much easier, because the buyer’s lawyer will ask for it.
How long it takes
For a new duplex, the strata plan is drawn from the finished building, so the work happens near the end. Plan it from day one: the sale of each half can’t close until the City issues occupancy and the strata plan is deposited. For a conversion, add the City’s review, which depends on the building and whether upgrades are needed.
What we expect in 2027
- Fewer new two-home stratas. With duplex permits falling and multiplexes rising, the number of new two-lot strata plans in Vancouver will slow after the 2025 to 2026 completions.
- More five-unit stratas hitting the depreciation report rule. As six-unit multiplexes get built, more small stratas will cross the five-lot line and need reports. A duplex, triplex or fourplex stays exempt.
- More custom bylaws. As small stratas multiply, lenders, insurers and buyers’ lawyers will look harder at bylaws written for apartments.
Sources
Every outside figure traces to one of these pages, all opened on October 5, 2026. T-City’s own analysis uses the City of Vancouver open datasets. Rates and fee schedules change, so we recheck them for your lot during feasibility.
- City of Vancouver Strata Title Policies for R1-1, R3, R4, R5, RT and RM Zones (amended October 21, 2025)
- City of Vancouver 2026 development and building permit fee schedule
- LTSA fees (from April 1, 2026)
- Province of BC: Depreciation report requirements
- Waypoint Insurance: Insuring strata corporations in BC
- VanPlex: Bare land vs building strata (multiplex cost table)
- City of Vancouver Open Data: Property tax report (2026 roll, BC Assessment values as of July 1, 2025)
- City of Vancouver Open Data: Issued building permits (1,902 new-duplex permits, 2017 to October 2, 2026)