ADU and Garden Suite Builders in Greater Vancouver
A self-contained second home on your property, whether it is detached in the garden or built into the house.
An accessory dwelling unit is a self-contained home on the same lot as a principal residence, with its own kitchen, bathroom and entrance. In Greater Vancouver that usually means a detached garden suite or laneway house at the rear, or a secondary suite created inside the existing house. Both add a full home without subdividing your land.
What counts as an ADU?
An accessory dwelling unit is any self-contained home that shares a lot with a principal residence. The three common forms in Greater Vancouver are the secondary suite built inside the existing house, usually in a basement; the garden suite, a detached building in the rear yard; and the laneway house, a detached building addressing a rear lane.
All three give you a complete home with its own kitchen, bathroom and private entrance. What separates them is cost, disruption, and how they count under your municipality’s density rules.
- Secondary suite: self-contained home inside the existing house
- Garden suite: detached home in the rear yard
- Laneway house: detached home addressing a rear lane
How do ADUs count under the new density rules?
They count toward your total. Provincial small-scale multi-unit housing legislation sets the number of dwelling units a lot may have — three on lots under 280 m² (3,014 sq ft), four on lots between 280 m² and 4,050 m², and up to six within 400 m of frequent transit. An ADU is a dwelling unit, so it uses one of those slots.
That is worth understanding before you commit. On many lots the choice is not "ADU or nothing" but "one ADU behind the existing house, or redevelop the whole lot into three to six units". They are very different projects with very different budgets, and the right answer depends on what you want the property to do for you.
Garden suite or secondary suite: which should I build?
A secondary suite is the cheaper option because it uses space that already exists. You are adding a kitchen, a bathroom, separate entry, fire separation, sound insulation and often egress windows — real work, but no foundation, roof or new servicing. The trade-offs are that you give up space inside your own home and the two households share a building.
A garden suite costs more because it is a new building from the ground up, but it is genuinely separate. Its own outdoor space, no shared walls, no noise transfer, and typically higher rent. It also leaves the main house untouched, so you keep living normally through construction.
What does an ADU cost to build?
We price after feasibility and design. Detached ADUs carry a high cost per square foot because foundation, roof, servicing and permit costs spread across a small floor area. Secondary suites are cheaper in absolute terms but can surprise owners when existing conditions — old wiring, low headroom, undersized services — need to be brought up to standard.
The honest answer on either is that the number depends on your building and your lot, and we would rather assess it properly than quote a range that turns out to be wrong.
- Detached or interior, which is the largest single factor
- Servicing: running water, sewer and electrical, or upgrading what exists
- For suites: headroom, egress, fire separation and sound insulation
- For garden suites: foundation, tree retention and lane or side access
- Parking requirements, where they still apply
- Finish level, which you control during interior design
How does T-City handle an ADU project?
On one contract, through the same six steps as every project: feasibility, in-house architectural design, city permits with us acting as your representative, interior design in parallel, confirmed price and move-in date, then construction with daily photo and video updates through your client portal.
On ADU projects that portal earns its keep, because you are usually living on site throughout and want to see progress without standing in the middle of it.
What warranty applies to an ADU?
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
What is the difference between an ADU and a laneway house?
A laneway house is a type of ADU — a detached one addressing a rear lane. ADU is the broader term covering laneway houses, garden suites and secondary suites.
Can I have both a secondary suite and a laneway house?
On many lots, yes. Each counts as a dwelling unit toward the total your lot permits, so it depends on lot size and transit proximity.
Do I need to rezone to build an ADU?
Generally no. Provincial legislation requires municipalities to permit additional units on lots previously restricted to single detached housing without a rezoning application.
Can I sell an ADU separately?
Not in most cases. ADUs stay on the same title as the principal residence. If you want individually sellable homes, a strata-titled duplex or multiplex is the route.
How long does an ADU take to build?
Permitting is usually the longest phase. We confirm the move-in date before construction begins and hold it, since design and permit management are handled in-house.
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.