Adding a suite, a duplex or a fourplex in the City of North Vancouver: what the Ground Oriented zone allows

Many house lots in the City of North Vancouver can now hold more than one home without a rezoning. On December 8, 2025, City Council adopted a new Ground Oriented zone. It applies mainly to lots that were zoned for single-family houses and duplexes, and it allows 3 to 6 homes on a lot, depending on the lot's size and where it is.

We are a renovation company based in North Vancouver. This article sets out the numbers from the City's own pages and its December 2025 handout, and the provincial law behind them.

Why the rules changed

In the fall of 2023 the Province changed the law to require local governments to allow small-scale multi-unit housing. The Province's policy manual sets the minimums: 3 units on a lot of 280 square metres or less, 4 on a larger lot in an urban area, and 6 on a lot over 281 square metres within 400 metres of a bus stop with frequent service. The same manual says a local government may not hold a public hearing on a zoning change made only to meet this law, and may not require parking for the units needed to reach the six-unit minimum.

The City says it changed its Official Community Plan and its Zoning Bylaw to meet the Province's 20-year housing need requirements. The changes had first reading on October 6, 2025 and a public hearing on November 17, 2025, and Council adopted them on December 8, 2025.

How many homes on your lot

The City replaced its older single-family land use designations with two new ones. Your lot's designation and its size decide the count:

• a lot of 280 square metres or less: 3 units
• a larger lot in Low Rise Neighbourhood 1: 4 units
• a larger lot in Low Rise Neighbourhood 2 or Residential Level 4: 6 units

The City's Growing Livable Neighbourhoods page has the map that shows which designation covers your street. The units may be in one building or more, and they may be stratified, which means sold separately, or kept under one title.

How big the buildings can be

The zone limits floor area, the share of the lot covered by buildings, and the share of the lot left as soil that takes in rain. These are the figures in the City's handout.

Floor area is 0.85 times the lot area in Low Rise Neighbourhood 1, and 1.0 times the lot area in Low Rise Neighbourhood 2. The zone leaves some spaces out of that count, so the building you can build depends on the exclusions as much as the figure.

Lot coverage and permeable area depend on the number of units:

• 1 unit: up to 30% of the lot covered, at least 50% permeable
• 2 units: up to 35% covered, at least 45% permeable
• 3 or 4 units: up to 40% covered, at least 35% permeable
• 5 or 6 units: up to 45% covered, at least 30% permeable

Buildings must sit at least 3 metres from the front lot line, 1.5 metres from the rear, 1.2 metres from an interior side, and the lesser of 3 metres or 0.2 times the lot width from a side street. Buildings may have at most 3 storeys. The handout lists a minimum of 0.5 parking spaces for each unit, and bicycle parking or a storage area for bikes and mobility devices.

New lots made by subdivision must be at least 7.5 metres wide in Low Rise Neighbourhood 1, with conditions, and 15 metres wide in Low Rise Neighbourhood 2.

Where the zone does not apply

The City created a Heritage Special Study Area that keeps its Heritage Character Areas out of the new zone and its design guidelines for now. The City says it will hold more engagement there. Check the map before you plan.

Renovating the house you have

A new building is one way to use the zone. The City's Ground Oriented Housing page lists the others: a new single house with or without a suite and a coach house, a duplex with or without suites, a multiplex or townhomes, a coach house on its own, an addition, a deck, a garage, and interior or exterior renovations, including adding a secondary suite or turning a suite into a duplex.

Each of these needs the City's application form, the same as new construction. The City says you need only one form even when the project needs both a development permit, which covers design, and a building permit, which covers construction. Some projects also need an architect.

For an older house, start with the house itself: whether the foundation, the wiring and the plumbing can serve a second home, and whether the floor area left under the cap is enough for what you want. A suite or a duplex conversion keeps the house, and goes through the same application as a new building.

How to apply

The City asks owners to start by contacting its staff by phone, by email or in person at City Hall. Staff send the application form, a checklist of what to include, and the fees. You send the full package back by email and pay the application fees. The City checks the package, sends comments if it needs changes, and then issues the building permit, and a development permit where one is needed. Construction can start, and inspections can be booked, once all the permits are issued.

The City publishes Low Rise Neighbourhoods development permit guidelines with the zone. They set the design rules that make a new building fit the street. Read them with the handout before you pay for drawings.

This article is general information from a renovation contractor. Part 5B of the City's Zoning Bylaw is the legal text, and City staff can confirm what applies to your own lot.