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R4 zoning in BC
R4 (also written R-4, R.4) means whatever the bylaw that zones the lot says: there is no provincial R4 zone. 12 bylaws we've summarised use it, from 12 local governments. It goes by 11 names: Residential 4 (2 bylaws), Country Residential, Intensive Small-Scale Residential, Low Density Multiple Family Residential and 7 more. What it allows is below, bylaw by bylaw.
R4 in each bylaw
| Local government | Homes allowed | Smallest lot for a subdivision | Lot coverage | Height limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regional District of East Kootenay Multiple Family Residential – High Density · Columbia Valley Zoning Bylaw No. 3255, 2023 | Multi-unit buildings, up to 60 homes per hectare of usable land | 1,500 m² | Not set | Main building 13 m (16 m over an underground parkade), accessory buildings 5 m |
| Regional District of North Okanagan Residential Manufactured Home Subdivision · Regional District of North Okanagan Zoning Bylaw No. 3000, 2023 | One manufactured or modular home | 450 m² with community water and community sewer (frontage 15 m, 7 m for a pie-shaped lot); 1 ha without them; 8 ha in the ALR (or as the Agricultural Land Commission approves) | 35% (accessory buildings 7.5%) | Home 8 m; accessory buildings 6 m |
| City of Burnaby Low-Rise Apartment 2 · Burnaby Zoning Bylaw 2026, No. 14815 | Apartments and townhouses up to 6 storeys (8 in a Transit-Oriented Area), with no number of homes set (s. 1.4.4). Small-scale multi-unit housing and secondary suites aren't listed here | None set in the district; subdivision goes to the City's Approving Officer (our reading) | None set in the district; at least 30% of the lot left permeable, shown on a landscape architect's plan (Part 4-4.3) | 6 storeys; 8 in a Transit-Oriented Area; up to 12 with a community benefit bonus at the City's discretion (s. 1.4.4, Table 4-2.3) |
| Village of Clinton Country Residential · Village of Clinton Zoning Bylaw No. 607, 2025 | One residential building (a house, manufactured home, duplex or semi-detached pair), with a secondary suite and an accessory dwelling unit; at most 3 homes per lot | 4,047 m² (0.4 ha, 1 acre) | 60% | 12 m |
| City of Coquitlam Intensive Small-Scale Residential · City of Coquitlam Zoning Bylaw No. 3000, 1996 | At least 3 homes on a lot; no upper limit set beyond the floor area ratio; more than one principal building allowed (ss. 1005(3), (7)) | 930 m² (no width set) (s. 1005(4)) | 50% (s. 1005(6)) | Principal buildings 9.5 m, or 11.0 m where at least 80% of the roof is pitched 3 in 12 or steeper; detached accessory buildings 3.7 m, 4.6 m with a roof of 4 in 12 or steeper (s. 1005(10)) |
| City of Cranbrook Low Density Multiple Family Residential · City of Cranbrook Zoning Bylaw No. 3977, 2019 | Townhouses (buildings of three or more homes) at up to 35 homes per gross hectare, up to 40 with one more home for each extra 24 m² of recreational space (s. 7.09.5; s. 3.04); a secondary suite (s. 7.09.2(b)). The zone lists no house or duplex | No area set; the City's text reads "the minimum parcel size ... which has a front parcel line less than 12.0 m" with words missing, most likely meaning at least 12.0 m along the street (our reading; unclear, ask the City); 6.0 m along the street for each townhouse lot split along a shared wall (s. 7.09.3) | 50% (s. 7.09.7(c)) | 7.6 m; a two-, three- or four-family building 8.6 m or 2½ storeys, whichever is less; accessory buildings 4.5 m (s. 7.09.7(a), (b)) |
| City of Fort St. John Manufactured Home · City of Fort St. John Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 | One house (factory-built or not) or one duplex, each home with a secondary suite, and up to two detached suites: at most 4 homes on a lot connected to City services, in at most 3 residential buildings (ss. 12.3, 4.20, 4.21). Unlike R-1 and R-2, the zone sets no share of the floor area the house or duplex must hold | 550 m²; 18.0 m wide for a duplex, 15.0 m for a house | 40%; at least 40% of the front yard left open with a house, 30% with a duplex | 11.0 m for the house or duplex (4.8 m wide at least); accessory buildings two storeys and 7.0 m, or the main building's height if lower |
| City of Kamloops Residential 4 · City of Kamloops Zoning Bylaw No. 55, 2021 | Up to 6 homes: a house, a house with a residential suite, a duplex, or small-scale multi-unit housing, which by definition holds 3 or 4 homes, or 5 or 6 where the zone allows (s. 2.2); 5 homes need 557 m² and 6 homes 650 m², each with a lane giving vehicle access (s. 8.4.3) | For 5 homes, 557 m², 15 m wide and 15 m of frontage, with 15 m along a lane giving vehicle access; for 6 homes, 650 m² and 18 m of each | 40% of the lot for all buildings (55% with three or more homes); non-habitable accessory buildings 12% of the lot up to 112 m²; hard (impermeable) surfaces 60% | Main buildings 2 storeys, or 3 storeys and 11 m with three or more homes; structures 12 m; accessory buildings 5 m (3 m under 10 m²) |
| City of Merritt Residential Modular Home · City of Merritt Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020 | A modular home park of up to 60 homes per hectare; or houses, duplexes, townhouses or apartments: up to 3 homes on a lot of 280 m² or less, on a bigger lot 4, or 40 per hectare (60 for townhouses and apartments) if that is more; plus secondary suites | A modular home park 2,500 m², 50 m wide, with 160 m² home sites; 180 m², 9 m wide for a house (160 m² with lane access, 220 m² on a corner); 180 m² for a duplex; 225 m², 15 m wide for townhouses or apartments | 70% | 14 m or 3 storeys; in a modular home park 12 m or 2.5 storeys |
| Municipality of North Cowichan Residential Small Lot Mobile Home · Zoning Bylaw 1997, No. 2950 | One manufactured home (a modular or mobile home): the zone allows one residential building and lists no secondary suite, duplex or second home (s. 59(1), (4); definition in s. 12) | 465 m², with 15 m of frontage (s. 59(2), (3)) | 30% (s. 59(5)) | Main building 5.0 m; accessory buildings 5.0 m (s. 59(7)) |
| District of Squamish Residential 4 · District of Squamish Zoning Bylaw No. 2200, 2011 | A house, a duplex, or a triplex or fourplex (three or more attached homes). At most 5 homes on a lot in all, counting secondary suites, accessory dwelling units and flex units, and no more than 4 on strata titles; 6 of each within 400 m of a bus route the bylaw counts as frequent, once one runs (ss. 8.5(b), 8.5(c), 4.55). A house or each half of a duplex can have one secondary suite, and an accessory dwelling unit (a detached or garage suite) can be added (ss. 4.5, 4.38). The lot needs community water and sewer to build (s. 8.13) | 690 m², 18.4 m wide, 27.4 m deep (s. 8.2) | 33% for a house or duplex, 40% with a secondary suite and an accessory dwelling unit, 50% for a triplex or fourplex (s. 8.4) | House or duplex 9 m; triplex or fourplex 11.0 m or three storeys, whichever is less (s. 8.3); accessory dwelling unit 8 m or three storeys; other accessory buildings 4.58 m (ss. 4.38, 4.4) |
| City of Surrey Small Lot Residential · Surrey Zoning By-law, 1993, No. 12000 | On a lot under 4,050 m²: up to 4 homes as a house or a duplex, with secondary suites, a coach house or a garden suite (3 homes, as a house, on a lot under 280 m²), or up to 6 on an eligible lot in a Frequent Bus Stop Area; inside a Transit-Oriented Area, up to 2. On 4,050 m² or more, up to 2: a house with a suite, coach house or garden suite. At most 2 on heritage-protected land or land not connected to community water or sewer (s. B.1) | 336 m² (380 m² on a corner), 12 m wide and 28 m deep, or 13.4 m wide and 24 m deep on a wide, shallow lot (corner 14 m or 15.4 m); at most 30 lots per hectare. The bylaw's lot table also lists 8,094 m², 50 m by 60 m, without saying what it applies to: unclear, so ask the City | House 50% (59% with a coach house or garden suite); duplex 60% (65%) | House 9 m, 7.3 m with a flatter roof (10 m in a floodplain); duplex 3 storeys and 11 m, 9.3 m with a flatter roof (12 m); coach house or garden suite 2 storeys and 7 m, roof peak 8.3 m, 6.0 m with a flatter roof (8.5 m); accessory buildings 3 m (5 m where roof and materials match the house) |
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 R4 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.