PlaceDossier / Zoning / Zone codes
R zoning in BC
R means whatever the bylaw that zones the lot says: there is no provincial R zone. 9 bylaws we've summarised use it, from 6 local governments. It goes by 3 names: Rural (6 bylaws), Residential (2 bylaws), Resource. What it allows is below, bylaw by bylaw.
R in each bylaw
| Local government | Homes allowed | Smallest lot for a subdivision | Lot coverage | Height limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Shuswap Regional District Rural · 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 Rural · Salmon Valley Land Use Bylaw No. 2500 | One house on lots under 2 ha, two on 2 ha or more, plus secondary dwelling units under s. 2.2.19 | 60 ha | No maximum stated | Main buildings 11.5 m, accessory buildings 10 m |
| Columbia Shuswap Regional District Rural · Kault Hill Rural Land Use Bylaw No. 3000 | One house on lots under 8 ha, two on 8 ha or more, plus secondary dwelling units under s. 2.3.16 | 4 ha | No maximum stated | Main buildings 11.5 m; accessory buildings 10 m with a dwelling in them, 8.5 m otherwise |
| District of Barriere Residential · District of Barriere Zoning Bylaw No. 111 | A house with a secondary dwelling unit (inside it or detached), a duplex, or a townhome building of two homes | 500 m² on community water and sewer, 4,000 m² on community water only | 25%, or 40% on community water and sewer | Main building 12 m, accessory buildings 5 m |
| Gabriola Island Local Trust Committee Resource · Gabriola Island Land Use Bylaw, 1999 (Bylaw No. 177) | One house (one single family dwelling) per lot and a secondary suite on a lot of 2 ha or more (s. B.6.6); no other building may be lived in, and a second home is prohibited unless the zone allows it (ss. B.1.2.1, B.1.2.3) | 2 ha (1 ha on community water and sewer), and 8 ha on average (s. D.2.4.3) | 10% (s. D.2.4.3) | 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) |
| Mayne Island Local Trust Committee Rural · Mayne Island Land Use Bylaw No. 146, 2008 | One home, and one more for every 4 ha of lot over 4 ha (s. 5.5(2)); a cottage with each home on a lot of 1 ha or more (s. 5.5(3)); a secondary suite where the Schedule D map allows (s. 5.5(6)) | 1 ha, and 4 ha on average (s. 5.5(12), (13)) | 10% (s. 5.5(5)) | 9 m for homes, cottages and accessory buildings (s. 5.5(10), (11)) |
| North Pender Island Local Trust Committee Rural · North Pender Island Land Use Bylaw No. 224, 2022 | One house, one secondary suite and one cottage at most (s. 5.3(2)); the cottage only on a lot of 1.2 ha or more (s. 5.3(3)) | 0.6 ha, and 4 ha on average (s. 5.3(13), (14)) | 25% (s. 5.3(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)) |
| Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee Rural · Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw, 1999 (Bylaw No. 355) | One house (s. 3.11.1); a seasonal cottage on a lot of 1.2 ha or more (s. 3.14); a secondary suite where the lot is in the Schedule I area (s. 3.16); a duplex only if built before July 31, 1990 (s. 3.11.2) | 2 ha on average across a subdivision; each lot at least 0.6 ha with a well and septic, 0.4 ha on community water (s. 9.10.3) | 33%; farm buildings up to 465 m² in all (s. 9.10.2) | 7.6 m and two storeys (s. 3.8.1); accessory buildings 6 m on a lot of 1.2 ha or less, 7 m on a larger one (s. 3.8.2); farm buildings 10.7 m where agriculture is a principal use (s. 3.8.3) |
| Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee Residential · Piers Island Land Use Bylaw, 2001 (Bylaw No. 373) | One single-family home per lot (ss. 3.5.1, 8.1.1) and one auxiliary guest cottage of up to 37 m² for non-paying visitors (ss. 3.8, 8.1.1) | 0.5 ha, with its own septic system and a community water connection (s. 5.2.1) | 20% (s. 8.1, density table) | 7.5 m and two storeys (s. 3.3.1); accessory buildings 4.6 m (s. 3.3.2) |
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 R 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.