Duplex Builders in Greater Vancouver
Two homes on one lot, designed together and built on a single contract.
A duplex puts two self-contained homes on a single lot, either side by side or front to back. Under British Columbia’s small-scale multi-unit housing rules most Greater Vancouver lots now permit at least three units outright, so a duplex is usually the most conservative thing you can build — and often the fastest to permit.
What is a duplex, and how is it different from a multiplex?
A duplex is two dwelling units on one lot. A multiplex is three or more. The distinction matters less than it used to: since Bill 44 came into force, municipalities across BC have had to allow small-scale multi-unit housing in areas that were previously restricted to single detached houses, which means a duplex is rarely the ceiling of what your lot allows.
Duplexes are still the right answer for plenty of owners. They keep unit counts low, produce larger individual homes, avoid the parking and massing complexity of a six-unit building, and are the simplest form to strata title and sell. If your goal is one home to live in and one to sell or rent, a duplex is usually the cleanest route to it.
How many units can I actually build on my lot?
Provincial rules set the floor, and your municipality sets the detail. The provincial framework allows a maximum of three dwelling units on lots under 280 m² (3,014 sq ft), and a maximum of four units on lots between 280 m² and 4,050 m² (one acre). Where a lot sits within 400 m of a bus stop with frequent service — every 15 minutes or better — up to six units are permitted on lots in that same size range, and minimum parking requirements are removed entirely.
That is the provincial minimum a municipality must permit, not a cap on what makes sense. Frontage, setbacks, floor space ratio, tree retention and servicing all shape what actually fits. This is exactly what a feasibility study is for.
- Lots under 280 m² (3,014 sq ft): three units
- Lots 280 m² to 4,050 m²: four units
- Within 400 m of frequent transit: up to six units, no minimum parking
What does the duplex build process look like?
Our process is the same six steps on every project, from a laneway suite to a six-unit multiplex. We start by listening and running a feasibility study on your lot. Our in-house team then takes the design from concept to permit drawings, and we act as your representative through the city permit process so you are not the one chasing the file.
Interior design meetings begin while permits are in motion, so nothing waits on anything else. Before construction starts we confirm the move-in date and the price, and neither changes. Once we break ground you get daily photo and video updates through a private client portal.
What drives the cost of a duplex build?
We quote after feasibility and design, not before, because an honest number depends on things that are specific to your lot. The variables that move a duplex budget most are site conditions, form, and finish level.
Site conditions come first: slope, soil, tree retention, and whether existing services can be reused or have to be upgraded. Form matters next — a side-by-side duplex on a wide lot builds differently from a front-to-back on a narrow one. Then finishes, which is the part owners have the most control over and the part we work through with you during interior design.
- Site conditions: slope, soil, servicing, tree retention and demolition
- Form and layout: side-by-side versus front-to-back, and unit sizes
- Structure and envelope: foundation type, framing complexity, glazing
- Finish level: kitchens, bathrooms, millwork and flooring
- Whether units are strata titled for sale or held as rentals
How long does a duplex take to build?
Timelines are dominated by permitting, not construction. Design and permit approvals typically account for the larger share of the calendar, and the construction phase is the part we can schedule tightly. We confirm your move-in date before construction begins and we hold it — guaranteed move-in dates and no surprise costs are the two commitments the whole business is built on.
That is only possible because we do the design in-house and manage the permit process ourselves. When design, permitting and construction sit with one team, the handoffs that usually cause delay simply do not exist.
What warranty comes with a T-City duplex?
Every project we build is covered by comprehensive warranty protection: two years on labour and materials, five years on the building envelope against water penetration, and ten years of structural coverage on the foundation and framing.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a duplex without rezoning in Vancouver?
In most cases yes. Since the provincial small-scale multi-unit housing legislation, municipalities have had to permit multiple units on lots that were previously restricted to single detached houses, without a rezoning application. A feasibility study on your specific lot confirms it.
Can each half of a duplex be sold separately?
Yes, if the duplex is strata titled. Stratification is a separate legal process from the building permit, and we factor it into the schedule from the start so it does not hold up your completion.
Is a duplex or a fourplex a better return on my lot?
It depends on lot size, frontage, transit proximity and what you intend to do with the units. More units is not automatically better once parking, massing and construction complexity are priced in. The feasibility study compares the realistic options on your lot side by side.
Do I have to demolish the existing house?
Usually, though not always. Some lots suit retaining and converting the existing home while adding units. Which is cheaper depends heavily on the condition of the existing structure, and we assess it during feasibility.
Do you build duplexes outside Vancouver?
Yes. We build across Greater Vancouver including Burnaby, Richmond and Surrey. Each municipality interprets the provincial rules through its own bylaws, and we deal with those differences as part of the permit process.
Next Step
Find out what your lot allows
Every project starts with a feasibility study. No obligation, no pressure, and a reply within one business day.