PlaceDossier / Zoning / Zone codes
A zoning in BC
A means whatever the bylaw that zones the lot says: there is no provincial A zone. 6 bylaws we've summarised use it, from 5 local governments. It goes by 2 names: Agriculture (5 bylaws), Agricultural. What it allows is below, bylaw by bylaw.
A in each bylaw
| Local government | Homes allowed | Smallest lot for a subdivision | Lot coverage | Height limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Shuswap Regional District Agriculture · Magna Bay Zoning Bylaw No. 800 | One house on lots under 8 ha, two on 8 ha or more, plus secondary dwelling units under s. 3.10; or a standalone residential campsite | 60 ha (100 m wide) | 25% | Main buildings 11.5 m, accessory buildings 10 m |
| Columbia Shuswap Regional District Agriculture · Scotch Creek/Lee Creek Zoning Bylaw No. 825 | One house on lots under 8 ha, two on 8 ha or more, plus secondary dwelling units under s. 3.19; or a standalone residential campsite | 60 ha (100 m wide) | 25% | Main buildings 11.5 m, accessory buildings 10 m |
| Denman Island Local Trust Committee Agriculture · Denman Island Land Use Bylaw No. 186, 2008 | Outside the Agricultural Land Reserve, one single-family home per 15.0 ha of lot, and one on a smaller lot (s. 3.4 Table 3); in the ALR one home per lot of up to 410 m², one secondary suite and one secondary dwelling unit as the ALR Use Regulation allows, all homes together within a 500 m² footprint (s. 3.4 Table 3 and its note). Whether a secondary dwelling unit is possible outside the ALR is unclear: s. 2.1(4) names the A zone for one by Temporary Use Permit, but the zone's table and Part 5 don't | 15.0 ha (s. 3.4 Table 7); in the ALR a subdivision needs the Agricultural Land Commission's approval too | 35%, or 75% counting greenhouses (s. 3.4 Table 3) | 7 m for homes within 100 m of the sea, 9 m farther back; 6 m for accessory buildings; 15 m for farm and forestry buildings in the ALR, silos and grain bins aside; boathouses 4.5 m (s. 3.4 Table 4) |
| Mayne Island Local Trust Committee Agricultural · Mayne Island Land Use Bylaw No. 146, 2008 | One home, and one more for every 8 ha of lot over 8 ha (s. 5.7(2)); a cottage with each home (s. 5.7(3)); a secondary suite where the Schedule D map allows (s. 5.7(6)) | 8 ha (s. 5.7(11)); in the Agricultural Land Reserve a subdivision needs the Agricultural Land Commission's approval too (s. 5.7's note) | 20% (s. 5.7(5)) | 9 m for homes, cottages and accessory buildings (s. 5.7(9), (10)) |
| City of Penticton Agriculture · City of Penticton Zoning Bylaw No. 2024-22 | One house, plus either a secondary suite or one carriage house; one farm-help home on a lot of 2 ha or more; a temporary second house while the first is replaced | 2 ha; width at least 20% of the lot's depth | 10% for homes and their buildings; 35% with farm buildings; 75% with greenhouses that have closed wastewater and stormwater systems and recirculating irrigation | Main building 12 m; accessory buildings 13 m; farm buildings 16 m |
| City of Port Coquitlam Agriculture · City of Port Coquitlam Zoning Bylaw, 2008, No. 3630 | One farm residence (a single residential building; Section 1) with a secondary suite, and up to four boarders in it (Table 1.3, Note 2) | 8 ha, 30 m wide, frontage at least 10% of the lot's perimeter, 70 m deep (Table 1.2) | Farm residence 10%, at most 500 m² of floor area (crawl spaces not counted); Type 1 farm buildings 35%, up to 75% with greenhouses; Type 2 farm buildings (swine, fur-bearing animals, cannabis) 20% (Table 1.4, Notes 1 and 5) | Farm residence 11 m; farm buildings one storey (Table 1.4) |
Listed by local government, not ranked. "Not set" means the zone itself sets no figure; general rules elsewhere in its bylaw may still apply. Each zone's page has its uses, setbacks and the bylaw's sections.
Two lots both zoned A under different bylaws can allow quite different things, and provincial law sets a floor of homes on most house zones in towns (how many homes can I build?). Site-specific exceptions, development permit areas and the ALR apply on top. Find the lot's own zone with the search above, then confirm with the local government before you buy or build.
Sources: each zone's bylaw, linked from its page, summarised in our words. Other councils' zones aren't here: the zoning we cover.