Contents 16 sections
- What we found
- Where do the duplex rules come from
- What are the numbers
- How do the yards and height shape the building
- Side by side or front to back
- Can a duplex have suites
- Where are new duplexes being built
- What if my lot is smaller than the minimum
- Why can’t I add a laneway house
- What energy rules does a new duplex have to meet
- How long does approval take, and what does it cost
- How do duplex rules compare in other Metro Vancouver cities
- When does a duplex stop being the best option
- What should you check before you design
- Questions
- Sources
In Vancouver’s R1-1 zone, you can build a duplex on a lot of at least 306 m² with 7.3 m of frontage. You don’t need a rezoning. The duplex can have a floor space ratio of 0.70, be 11.5 m tall with 3 storeys, and have one suite in each half. That’s up to four homes. You can’t add a laneway house to a duplex.
What we found
We looked at every building permit and every property on the City of Vancouver’s open data, up to October 2, 2026.
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62,765
Lots are zoned R1-1 on the 2026 assessment roll. That’s the zone where a duplex is allowed outright, if the lot is big enough.
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1,902
New-duplex permits were issued from January 2017 to October 2, 2026. The busiest year was 2022, with 375.
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71%
Of those duplexes are on the east side. Kensington-Cedar Cottage had the most (277), then Hastings-Sunrise (263).
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20%
Of 2026 duplex permits include a suite. In 2021 and 2022 it was 48%.
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1975
Is the median year the house on an R1-1 lot was built. 30% were built before 1950.
Where do the duplex rules come from?
Almost every old single-family lot in Vancouver became R1-1 on October 17, 2023. R1-1 means “Residential Inclusive.” Its rules book is called the R1-1 district schedule. It covers houses, duplexes, multiplexes of up to six homes (or eight rentals), and keeping character houses. We checked the June 2026 version.
A duplex is an “outright” use. That means if your design follows the rules, the City has to approve it. There’s no rezoning and no public hearing.
A duplex with suites is a “conditional” use. The Director of Planning approves it. In practice, the City just looks at the suites a little more closely.
Two other rule books matter too. Section 11 of the Zoning By-law covers laneway houses. The Vancouver Building By-law covers energy and construction. We point to each one below.
What are the numbers?
These figures decide what a duplex can be on your lot:
| Rule | Duplex |
|---|---|
| Floor space ratio (FSR) | 0.70 of the site area |
| Smallest lot allowed | 306 m² (3,294 sq ft) |
| Narrowest frontage allowed | 7.3 m (24 ft) |
| Height | 11.5 m (38 ft) and 3 storeys. The third storey can be no more than half the floor below |
| Front / side / rear yard | 4.9 m / 1.2 m / 10.7 m |
| Site coverage | Buildings can cover 50% of the lot. Hard surfaces can cover 75% |
| Suites | One secondary suite per half (conditional approval), or a lock-off unit |
| Lock-off unit size | Up to 29.7 m² (320 sq ft) |
| Laneway house | Not allowed with a duplex |
FSR is the floor area you can build, as a share of the lot’s area. On a standard 33 by 122 ft lot (374 m²), 0.70 FSR gives about 2,820 sq ft for both halves together. On a 50 by 122 ft lot it’s about 4,270 sq ft. Some decks, porches and parking don’t count.
How do the yards and height shape the building?
The yards set the building’s footprint first. On a lot 122 ft (37.2 m) deep, a 4.9 m front yard and a 10.7 m rear yard leave about 21.6 m to build in. The 1.2 m side yards take 2.4 m off the width. So a 33 ft (10.06 m) lot leaves about 7.7 m.
Then site coverage caps all buildings at 50% of the lot. That’s about 187 m² on a 374 m² lot. On a standard lot, the yards limit you before coverage does.
Height works the same way. The limit is 11.5 m and 3 storeys. But the third storey can only be half the size of the floor below. So most of the space sits on two full floors, often with a basement under them. That’s why the basement is one of the biggest decisions in a duplex budget.
Floor area for both homes is capped at 0.70 FSR, about 2,820 sq ft, and buildings may cover no more than 50% of the lot. A rear garage, found in 98% of recent duplex permits, counts toward that 50%. Site envelope from the Vancouver R1-1 District Schedule (June 2026).
Side by side or front to back?
The rules allow both. Your lot usually decides.
A side-by-side duplex splits the building down the middle. Each half gets its own front door on the street and part of the back yard. It suits wider lots. The two halves are mirror images, so they’re easy to price and sell.
A front-to-back duplex puts one home facing the street and one facing the lane. It works on a standard 33 ft lot. Side by side, each half there would be only about 3.8 m wide inside the side yards. Front to back, each home gets a real width to live in.
The catch with front to back is price. The street home and the lane home aren’t always worth the same. In our data, though, the two halves were assessed within 5% of each other 79% of the time.
Can a duplex have suites?
Yes. Each half can have one secondary suite, so you can have four homes on one lot. Or a half can have a lock-off unit instead. That’s a smaller space, up to 29.7 m², that closes off from the main home. You can mix them: a suite in one half and a lock-off in the other.
Suites stay on the same title as their half. You can rent them out, but you can’t sell them on their own. If you want four homes you can sell, look at a four-home multiplex instead.
Each suite needs its own entrance, kitchen and bathroom, plus fire and sound walls. Suites of 29.7 m² or less don’t pay the City’s development levy. That makes a lock-off a cheap way to add a rental. See adding a secondary suite.
- Peak years
- 2026 runs to October 2
T-City analysis of City of Vancouver open data: issued building permits, January 2017 to October 2, 2026. A permit counts if its use category or description includes a secondary suite
Fewer owners are adding suites. In 2021 and 2022, almost half of new-duplex permits had one. In 2026 it’s one in five. Each suite takes space from the same 2,820 sq ft, so owners are choosing bigger main homes instead.
Where are new duplexes being built?
Mostly on the east side. Seven in ten new-duplex permits since 2017 went to east side neighbourhoods. East side lots cost less, so a duplex adds more compared with the price of the house it replaces. Our duplex value analysis shows how that plays out.
- East side neighbourhood
- West side neighbourhood
T-City analysis of City of Vancouver open data: issued building permits, January 2017 to October 2, 2026 · 1,902 new-duplex permits
The west side is catching up. From 2024 to 2026, Dunbar-Southlands was third, with 67 permits, behind Kensington-Cedar Cottage (80) and Hastings-Sunrise (76).
What if my lot is smaller than the minimum?
The 306 m² and 7.3 m minimums can bend. The Director of Planning can lower them if the homes will still work well. So a slightly small lot is worth a closer look.
If a duplex doesn’t fit, you can usually still build a house with a suite. You may be able to add a laneway house too. That needs a lot at least 9.8 m wide (the City may accept 7.3 m) and a lane at the back. We check both options during feasibility.
Why can’t I add a laneway house?
Vancouver only allows a laneway house with a single house, with or without a suite. The lot also needs a lane at the back. A duplex with two suites gets you to four homes instead.
So on a good laneway lot, compare two options. A house, a suite and a laneway house gives three homes on one title. A duplex with two suites gives four homes on two titles. The duplex is usually worth more if you plan to sell. The laneway lets you keep your house and stay in it.
What energy rules does a new duplex have to meet?
Vancouver sets its own energy rules, and they’re stricter than most of BC. Since January 1, 2022, new homes need electric heat and hot water. In practice that means heat pumps. Gas is only allowed outside, for a patio heater or barbecue.
Every new home also needs an Energy Advisor, an energy model, an airtightness test and a final check. Homes over 325 m² have a yearly carbon limit of 2 tonnes. The rules were updated on September 15, 2025. Council started a review on May 21, 2026, with a report due in 2027.
Plan for this early. Wall thickness, windows, heat pumps and ventilation all affect the design. Sorted at the start, they’re ordinary choices. Added late, they cause redesigns.
How long does approval take, and what does it cost?
Permits are much faster than they were. In our data, a new-duplex permit took a median of 130 days in 2026, down from 324 days in 2023. The City’s own count was 20 weeks for new low-density homes in August 2026.
You apply for sewer and water connections first. After the permit is issued, work has to start within 6 months.
City and regional charges are due before the permit is issued. On a standard 33 by 122 ft lot, they come to about $70,800 at 2026 rates.
How do duplex rules compare in other Metro Vancouver cities?
Every city follows the same provincial law, but each writes its own zone. The duplex rules differ more than you might expect:
| City | How a duplex is treated |
|---|---|
| Burnaby (R1) | No floor-area limit. Height, yards and lot coverage decide the size. City charges apply to the main homes only, not suites |
| Richmond (RSM) | 0.6 FAR on the first 464.5 m² of lot, then 0.3, plus flex space. City DCCs aren’t charged on small-scale housing right now |
| Surrey (R3) | 1.0 FAR including basements, up to 560 m². A garage or carport is required away from frequent bus stops |
| Coquitlam (R-1) | 0.65 FAR for one or two homes, 0.75 for three or four. 1 to 2 parking spaces per home, by size |
| City of North Vancouver (GO) | 0.85 or 1.0 FSR, by neighbourhood. Buildings can cover 35% of the lot for two homes |
| New Westminster (RGO-A, RGO-B) | 0.6 FSR for a duplex, rising to 1.0 for five or six homes. A Development Permit is needed |
| Port Coquitlam (RS1–RS4) | 0.75 FAR for a duplex, with or without suites. 10.5 m and 3 storeys, counting basements |
| Delta (RS, RD) | Floor area by zone formula, about 288 m² on a 650 m² RS1 lot. Suites in each half allowed |
Never assume a Vancouver rule applies next door. With no FSR cap, Burnaby can allow a bigger duplex than Vancouver. In Coquitlam, the jump to 0.75 at three homes can make a triplex the better choice.
When does a duplex stop being the best option?
When your lot can take a multiplex. In R1-1, a multiplex gets 1.00 FSR instead of 0.70. That’s about 43% more floor area on the same lot. From 10.0 m of frontage and 306 m² of lot, you can build three or four homes and sell each one. A standard 33 ft lot is 10.06 m wide, so it qualifies if it’s at least 30.4 m deep, has a lane, and is outside the flood plain. Vancouver issued permits for about 340 multiplex projects by October 2026.
A duplex is still simpler. It has fewer homes, bigger homes, and is easier to finance and sell. We model both during feasibility, so you decide on real numbers.
What should you check before you design?
This short list catches most problems we see:
- Zone and lot size. Confirm R1-1. Measure the lot area and frontage yourself, not just the listing
- Lane access. It decides where parking goes, and whether a multiplex is possible
- Trees. Protected trees can move the building. Find them before drawings start
- Site history. Old oil tanks, polluted soil and archaeological sites all change the process
- Title. Covenants and rights-of-way on title can limit what you build
- Services. Whether the old sewer and water pipes can be reused or need replacing
- Your goal. Live in one half, sell both, or rent both. It changes the right design
Sources
Every outside figure traces to one of these pages, all opened on September 21, 2026. Rates and fee schedules change, so we recheck them for your lot during feasibility.
- City of Vancouver Open Data: Issued building permits (January 2017 to October 2, 2026)
- City of Vancouver Open Data: Property tax report (2026 roll)
- Vancouver R1-1 District Schedule (June 2026)
- Vancouver Zoning By-law Section 11, s.11.3.8
- City of Vancouver: Housing options in lower density areas
- City of Vancouver: Energy requirements for homes
- City of Vancouver: Build a new duplex, single detached house, or laneway house
- City of Vancouver DCL Bulletin (amended Aug 25, 2026)
