PlaceDossier / Zoning / Zone codes
AG zoning in BC
AG means whatever the bylaw that zones the lot says: there is no provincial AG zone. 6 bylaws we've summarised use it, from 6 local governments. It goes by 3 names: Agriculture (3 bylaws), Agricultural (2 bylaws), Greenbelt. What it allows is below, bylaw by bylaw.
AG in each bylaw
| Local government | Homes allowed | Smallest lot for a subdivision | Lot coverage | Height limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunshine Coast Regional District Agricultural · Sunshine Coast Regional District Zoning Bylaw No. 722 | One house of up to 350 m²; on a lot over 1 ha, an auxiliary dwelling of up to 90 m² too (s. 7.17.2). Everything here is also subject to the ALR Use Regulation | Set by the lot's subdivision district, not its zone (s. 4.2): from 1,000 m² to 100 ha; a lot's report gives its district in "What you can build (zoning)", under "The record", as "Subdivision district (smallest new lot)" | 15% for all buildings but greenhouses; 10% for the house and its buildings; 50% for greenhouses | 11 m; a house on a lot under 750 m² 8.5 m unless the lot's average slope is over 20%; a detached auxiliary dwelling or accessory building 8.5 m (s. 5.11) |
| Gabriola Island Local Trust Committee Agriculture · Gabriola Island Land Use Bylaw, 1999 (Bylaw No. 177) | One house, and a secondary suite on a lot of 2 ha or more (ss. D.2.1.1, B.6.6); in the ALR, on a lot of 2 ha or more with farm status, also a manufactured home for the owner's family or a farm worker, up to 120.7 m² and 9 m wide, under a covenant to remove it when no longer so used (and for a farm worker, the Agricultural Land Commission's written approval) (s. D.2.1.2) | 8 ha, and 8 ha on average (s. D.2.1.3) | 35%; in the ALR 75% counting greenhouses; agri-tourism 1%; cannabis buildings 200 m² (s. D.2.1.3) | 9 m for houses; accessory buildings 7 m on a lot of 0.4 ha or less, 9 m on a larger one; buildings only for forestry or farming 12 m (s. B.2.3.2) |
| Galiano Island Local Trust Committee Agriculture · Galiano Island Land Use Bylaw No. 127, 1999 | One home, and one more for each 4 ha of lot over 4 ha (s. 6.1.2); a secondary suite on a lot of 0.4 ha or more (ss. 6.1.1, 2.28); the zone doesn't list cottages | 4 ha (s. 6.1.8) | 35%, plus 40% for commercial greenhouses (s. 6.1.4) | 9 m; accessory buildings 5 m and one storey, farm and timber buildings 9 m and two storeys (s. 6.1.5) |
| North Pender Island Local Trust Committee Agricultural · North Pender Island Land Use Bylaw No. 224, 2022 | One house, one secondary suite and one cottage at most (s. 5.6(2)); the cottage only on a lot of 1.2 ha or more (s. 5.6(3)) | 16 ha (s. 5.6(12)) | 35%, plus 40% for commercial greenhouses (s. 5.6(7)) | Homes and cottages 9.7 m (s. 3.4(1)); other buildings 4.6 m and one storey (s. 3.4(3)); farm buildings where agriculture is a principal use 10 m and two storeys within 30 m of a lot line, 15 m farther in (s. 3.4(2)) |
| Town of Oliver Agriculture · Town of Oliver Zoning Bylaw No. 1423 | Two houses and one secondary suite (s. 17.1.5(a)); more homes for farm workers where the Agricultural Land Commission approves them (s. 17.1.5(b)). On a lot under 1.0 ha, a second house must be on Town sewer (s. 17.1.9(d)) | 4.0 ha; at least a quarter as wide as it is deep; no depth set (ss. 17.1.2 to 17.1.4)Exceptions (1)
Listed in s. 17.1.10 of the bylaw. | 30%; on a lot of 1.0 ha or more, 75%, of which 60% only for greenhouses (s. 17.1.8) | 10.0 m; accessory buildings 15.0 m (s. 17.1.7) |
| City of Prince George Greenbelt · City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 | One house or manufactured home with a secondary suite; on a lot of 30 ha or more in the ALR, a second home as part of the farm, a manufactured home up to 9 m wide (s. 9.1.5). A detached secondary dwelling (up to 100 m² of ground floor, 8 m high) is also listed; whether a lot may have one as well as the suite is unclear, so ask the City | 15 ha, 100 m wide | 30% on a lot under 0.4 ha; no limit set on bigger lots | 11 m and 3 storeys; accessory buildings 6 m, secondary dwelling 8 m |
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 AG 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.