R-1: Residential – Single & Two Family

What the zone allows

Homes allowed

Three at most: a house with a secondary suite and a garden suite, or a duplex with a garden suite (s. 36.4)

Main uses

Homes; bed and breakfast, day care centre, home occupation, religious centre (s. 36.1)

Smallest lot for a subdivision

697 m² on community water and sewer; 1,393.5 m² on one of them; 10,120 m² on neither (s. 36.3)

Lot coverage

50% for the house, accessory buildings and parking together; accessory buildings no more than the house covers (ss. 36.5, 36.8)

Height limit

9.75 m; accessory buildings 4.8 m, a garden suite 7.6 m (ss. 36.6, 36.7)

Setbacks

Front 6 m, rear 6 m, interior side 1.5 m, exterior side 4.6 m; accessory buildings 1.5 m from the rear and sides and no nearer the front than the house (ss. 36.10, 36.11)

The zone is for houses and duplexes; a house must be at least 40 m² (s. 36.9). A duplex's two homes are of about the same floor area (s. 2).

Secondary suite (ss. 2, 29): one a lot, inside the house, at most 90 m² or 40% of the house's floor area, whichever is less, with the sewage approval for it.

Garden suite (ss. 2, 22): one a lot, detached from the house, 12 m² to 90 m², on a permanent foundation, never strata-titled and never holding a suite of its own; one without its own street frontage needs a clear path at least 1 m wide to the street.

Parking (Table 2, s. 26.10): two spaces for a home over 90 m², one for a home of 90 m² or less.

Bed and breakfast (s. 2): a home occupation, in the owner's principal residence, up to three bedrooms for travellers, one parking space each (Table 2, s. 26.10). Short-term rental isn't a use the zone lists.

Home occupation (s. 19): inside the home or an accessory building, at most 30% of the home's floor area, two employees from off the lot, one sign of 1 m² at most, no outdoor storage.

Mobile homes (CSA Z240, built after June 1, 1989) are allowed in the zone only south of the Kettle River in the North and South Ruckle neighbourhoods (ss. 2, 21.2).

A tiny house on wheels counts as a garden suite once it's on a full foundation with a building permit; left on its wheels it needs a temporary use permit (s. 23).

Living in a tent or RV isn't allowed; staying in one is allowed only on a lot that has a home, for up to 7 days in 30 (7 more if no one complains), never connected to the City's sewer or drains and never for business (s. 7.4).

Only the uses the zone lists are allowed.

Site-specific exceptions listed in the bylaw by legal description can add or change uses for one property, and development permit areas, the ALR and building rules apply on top. Confirm with the City of Grand Forks' development services department before you buy or build.

Source: Section 36 of City of Grand Forks Zoning Bylaw No. 2039, 2018 (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-20); zone map: Open Government Licence – City of Grand Forks.