PlaceDossier / Zoning / Zone codes
R-1(B) zoning in BC
R-1(B) (also written R-1B, R1-B) means whatever the bylaw that zones the lot says: there is no provincial R-1(B) zone. 5 bylaws we've summarised use it, from 4 local governments. It goes by 5 names: Residential, Single Family Dwelling District, Single Family Residential – Medium Lot, Single Family Residential – Small Lot and 1 more. What it allows is below, bylaw by bylaw.
R-1(B) in each bylaw
| Local government | Homes allowed | Smallest lot for a subdivision | Lot coverage | Height limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regional District of East Kootenay Single Family Residential – Medium Lot · SweetWater Zoning & Floodplain Management Bylaw No. 2127, 2009 | One house, with a secondary suite | 570 m² | 35% | House 10 m, accessory buildings 7 m |
| Regional District of East Kootenay Single Family Residential – Small Lot · Columbia Valley Zoning Bylaw No. 3255, 2023 | One house (or, in strata plan NES3039, a park model trailer or RV) | 280 to 400 m² on community water and sewer (up to 1,280 m² in NES3039) | Not set | Not set |
| Sunshine Coast Regional District Single Family Residential B · Sunshine Coast Regional District Electoral Area A Zoning Bylaw No. 337 | One house; a second house on a lot over 1 ha (s. 603). A secondary suite is allowed where the zone allows only one house or a duplex; a lot can have one secondary suite or one auxiliary dwelling, not both, and neither counts toward the zone's limit on homes (ss. 502, 506). On SCRD sewer a suite needs the SCRD's sign-off on capacity first. | Set by the lot's subdivision district, not its zone (ss. 401, 407): from 640 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)". Lots on Ruby, Sakinaw, Hotel, Garden Bay and Mixal lakes in the larger districts need 60 m of lakeshore (s. 408) | 35% | 11 m (s. 512) |
| Township of Langley Residential · Township of Langley Zoning Bylaw 1987 No. 2500 | One of these (s. 402.2): small-scale multi-unit housing, up to 4 homes (3 on a lot of 280 m² or less) where the lot meets the conditions below; or one house with either a secondary suite or one accessory dwelling unit (such as a coach house), not both. In the ALR, subject to the Agricultural Land Commission Act | 464.5 m², 15.25 m wide, 25 m deep (s. 110.1) | 35%, or 45% where new homes are added beside a kept older house (infill housing) (s. 402.3) | Homes 9.0 m; infill housing within 7.5 m of the rear lot line 4.5 m (a coach house on a lane excepted); accessory buildings that aren't homes 3.75 m |
| City of Victoria Single Family Dwelling District · City of Victoria Zoning Regulation Bylaw No. 80-159 | A house with one of a secondary suite, a garden suite or up to 4 roomers or boarders; or more homes under s. 52 or Schedule P (below): up to 4 housing units on a lot over 280 m² (3 on smaller lots, 6 near a frequent bus stop), or a houseplex or corner townhouse in the Residential Fabric. Whether a lot qualifies we don't check: ask the City | 460 m², 15 m wide on average (s. 1.2.2); a panhandle lot 600 m², 18 m wide (Schedule H) | 40% (s. 1.2.6); under s. 52 or Schedule P, 40% with 45% open site space | House 7.6 m and 2 storeys, no roof deck; public building 11 m and 2½ storeys; garden suite 3.5 m (4.2 m on a plus site); accessory buildings 3.5 m; under s. 52 or Schedule P, 11 m (12 m with a pitched roof) |
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-1(B) 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.