Custom Homes
Custom Home Builders in Greater Vancouver
One house, designed around how you actually live, from first sketch to move-in on one contract.
- 25+ yrs
- of family building experience
- 1
- contract, design to keys
- Daily
- photo updates
- 5.0
- Google rating
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See the Difference
A custom home is designed around you rather than adapted from a plan someone else drew. T-City handles the whole path on one contract: feasibility, in-house architectural design, city permits, interior design, and construction, with the price and schedule set out in writing before we break ground.
Before
After
- 01
Designed in-house
Architectural and interior design by the team that builds it.
- 02
Price in writing
The price and schedule are set out in writing before we break ground.
- 03
See it every day
Daily photo and video updates in your private client portal.
- 04
One contract
Design, permits and construction under one contract, with the price in writing before we break ground.
Two directions
Designed Around Your Lot
A custom home is designed for your lot’s orientation, yards and trees, and for what else the lot could hold.
Custom Single-Family Home
One home, designed and built for the way you live, by the team that will build it.
- Design:
- Architectural and interior design in-house.
- Price:
- Set out in writing before we break ground.
- Updates:
- Daily photos and video in your client portal.
Custom Home With a Suite
A custom house with a secondary suite, or a laneway home behind it, for income or family.
- Adds:
- A self-contained home with its own entry.
- Planned:
- From the first sketch, not retrofitted later.
- Rules:
- Checked against your city’s bylaw first.
The details
Everything to Know Before You Build
Rules, costs and timelines, checked against each city’s own bylaws and fee schedules.
01
What does full-service actually mean?
It means one team and one contract from the first conversation to the day you get the keys. Our in-house design team takes your ideas and makes them buildable. We prepare and submit the permit application and act as your representative with the city. Interior design meetings begin while permits are in motion so the two run in parallel rather than in sequence.
The alternative — an architect, a separate interior designer, a permit expediter and a general contractor who all meet for the first time on your project — is where most delays and most surprise costs come from. Removing the handoffs is the point.
02
How do you avoid surprise costs?
By not quoting until we can quote honestly. We price after feasibility and design, when the scope is genuinely known, rather than producing an attractive early number that gets revised upward once reality arrives. The quote sets out in writing what is included, and the construction schedule is set at the same time.
Keeping design, permitting and construction with the same team is what makes that possible. Most surprise costs come from the gaps between separate consultants, and there are far fewer of those gaps when one team runs the whole project.
03
What can I build on my lot?
More than you may think. Provincial small-scale multi-unit housing rules mean most Greater Vancouver lots that were restricted to a single detached house now permit three or more units. That does not oblige you to build them, but it is worth knowing before you commit to a single home, because it may change what the land is worth and what you want to do with it.
Some owners build one custom home and add a laneway house behind it. Others discover a duplex or multiplex suits their goals better. Feasibility is where that gets decided with real numbers.
04
How do I know what is happening on site?
Daily photo and video updates, and a private client portal to track progress. Most owners are not on site every day and should not have to be, but they should be able to see the build without chasing anyone for an answer.
Immediate responsiveness is part of what we sell. You are dealing with a family-run team, not a call centre — the people you meet at the start are the people building your home.
05
What energy rules apply to a new Vancouver home?
Vancouver sets its own energy standard through the Vancouver Building By-law rather than the provincial Step Code alone. The 2025 by-law took effect September 15, 2025. Since January 1, 2022, most new low-rise homes have needed electric space heating and hot water, usually a heat pump.
Every new home also works with an Energy Advisor from design to completion: a pre-permit checklist, an EnerGuide energy model, a blower door test for air leakage, a mid-construction review and a final evaluation. Homes over 325 m² (3,498 sq ft) must also meet a greenhouse gas cap of 2 tonnes of CO₂ a year.
Council asked staff on May 21, 2026 to review these rules for cost and duplication, with recommendations due in 2027. Until then, the current by-law applies, and we design to it from the first sketch.
06
What is covered by warranty?
New homes built by a BC Housing Licensed Residential Builder must carry third-party home warranty insurance, known as 2-5-10 coverage: materials and labour for 12 months on most defects (24 months for major systems such as electrical, plumbing and heating), 5 years on the building envelope, including water penetration, and 10 years on structure.
We confirm the warranty provider and policy for your home in writing before construction starts.
Project showcase
From Vision to Reality.
The journey
How We Work
A clear, step-by-step process from the first lot check to the day you get the keys.
01
Lot check & feasibility
Zoning, frontage, site area, trees and servicing, checked before any design money is spent.
01 / 0602
Architectural design
In-house design to your zone’s rules, with suites, layout and energy needs planned from the first sketch.
02 / 0603
Permits
Sewer and water connection permit first, then the development and building permit, with us as your representative.
03 / 0604
Interior design
Finishes chosen while the permit is in review, so the two run side by side.
04 / 0605
Price & schedule in writing
A quote that sets out what is included, and a schedule with a target move-in date.
05 / 0606
Construction & keys
Daily photo and video updates in your client portal, inspections at each stage, then the keys.
06 / 06The T-City promise
One Team, No Surprises.
Most delays and surprise costs start in the handoffs between a designer, a permit consultant and a builder. We keep all three with one team, and put the price in writing first.
Price in writing. The price and schedule are set out in writing before we break ground.
One contract. Design, permits and construction with one team, so nothing falls between consultants.
Rules checked at the source. Every zoning figure is checked against the city’s own bylaw before design starts.
Daily updates. Photos and video from site in your private client portal.
Questions about warranty or after-care?
Ask Our Team“The team was professional, helpful, and easy to work with throughout the process. They paid attention to the details, communicated well, and made sure everything was done properly.”
Common questions
Questions, Answered.
Do you design as well as build?
Yes. Architectural design and interior design are both handled in-house, which removes most of the handoffs that cause delays and surprise costs.
Can I build a custom home and a laneway house together?
Often yes, and doing both at once is more efficient than doing them years apart. Whether your lot supports it is confirmed during feasibility.
How long does a custom home take?
Permitting usually takes longer than construction. We set the construction schedule and a target move-in date before we break ground.
Do you handle the permit application?
Yes. We prepare and submit it and act as your representative with the city, so the file is our responsibility rather than yours.
What if I already have drawings?
We can work from existing drawings, though we will review them against current bylaws and site conditions first. If they were prepared before the current density rules, they may be leaving value on the table.
Ready to Start Your Project?
Send us the address. We reply within one business day, with no obligation. Or call 778-239-2078.