PlaceDossier / Zoning / Zone codes
AR1 zoning in BC
AR1 means whatever the bylaw that zones the lot says: there is no provincial AR1 zone. 4 bylaws we've summarised use it, from 4 local governments. It goes by 4 names: Agricultural, Agriculture (20 ha), Rural Residential, Rural Resource. What it allows is below, bylaw by bylaw.
AR1 in each bylaw
| Local government | Homes allowed | Smallest lot for a subdivision | Lot coverage | Height limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Shuswap Regional District Agriculture (20 ha) · South Shuswap Zoning Bylaw No. 701 | One house on lots under 2 ha, two on 2 ha or more, plus secondary dwelling units under s. 3.22 | 20 ha | Not set | Main buildings 11.5 m; accessory buildings 10 m with a dwelling in them, 8.5 m otherwise |
| City of Merritt Agricultural · City of Merritt Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020 | One house or mobile home, plus one detached secondary dwelling and secondary suites | 8 ha in the Agricultural Land Reserve, 1 ha outside it; 40 m wide | 75% | Houses 12 m or 2.5 storeys; farm buildings 14 m; detached secondary dwellings 10.5 m or 2 storeys |
| City of Nanaimo Rural Resource · City of Nanaimo Zoning Bylaw No. 4500 | One house or mobile home; on a lot over 0.4 ha one more home (s. 8.3.1), in a form the zone doesn't set, so ask the City what it may be. A secondary suite under Part 6 (ss. 8.2.2, 6.15); whether a suite counts as the second home is unclear | 2 ha, 15 m wide, 45 m deep (s. 8.4.1) | 20%, not counting farm buildings (s. 8.6.1) | 9 m for a main building; farm buildings aren't limited (ss. 8.6.2, 6.8.1.2); accessory buildings 4.5 to 5.5 m by roof pitch, up to 7 m outside the main building's setbacks (ss. 6.6.5, 6.6.5.1) |
| City of Prince George Rural Residential · City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 | One house or manufactured home with a secondary suite. 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 | 4 ha, 100 m wide | 30% on a lot under 0.4 ha; no limit set on bigger lots | 20 m, but a house 11 m and 3 storeys; accessory buildings 15 m (6 m on a lot under 0.4 ha), 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 AR1 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.