PlaceDossier / Zoning / City of Surrey
Surrey Zoning By-law, 1993, No. 12000
The City of Surrey's zoning bylaw, which applies in Surrey. Our summary of its 12 agricultural, ground-oriented residential, manufactured home park, medium density townhouse and light industrial zones, read from the consolidation to 2026-07-27 and checked 2026-10-04. Its other zones aren't summarised here.
The zones side by side
| Zone | Homes allowed | Smallest lot for a subdivision | Lot coverage | Height limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 General Agriculture | One house, which may hold a secondary suite | 4 ha in the ALR, 2 ha outside it; at least a tenth of the lot's perimeter wide | No limit set (s. E) | House 9 m; other main buildings 12 m; accessory buildings 9 m; structures 12 m |
| RA Acreage Residential | 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). The zone is meant for acreages of 4,050 m² or more; a smaller lot already zoned RA gets the small-scale multi-unit housing counts | 4,050 m², 50 m wide, 60 m deep; at most 2.5 lots per hectare | 20%; on a smaller lot (by its Official Community Plan designation: up to 1,160 m² in a rural or suburban designation, 900 m² in Suburban-Urban Reserve, 1,858 m² in an urban one), 40% for a house on 560 m² or less, down 2 points for each 93 m² more to 25%; 45% for a duplex, down to 25%; 45% for a house with a coach house or garden suite in an urban designation, down to 30% | House 9 m (10 m in a floodplain); duplex 3 storeys and 11 m (12 m); coach house or garden suite 2 storeys and 7 m, roof peak 8.3 m (8.5 m); accessory buildings 4 m (5 m where roof and materials match the house); a skateboard ramp 5 m |
| R1 Suburban Residential | 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) | 1,858 m², 30 m wide, 30 m deep; at most 5 lots per hectare | House 40% on a lot of 560 m² or less, down 2 points for each 93 m² more to 25% (from 1,262 m²); with a coach house or garden suite 45%, down to 30%; duplex 50%, down to 35%; duplex with a coach house or garden suite 55%, down to 40% | House 9 m (10 m in a floodplain); duplex 3 storeys and 11 m (12 m); coach house or garden suite 2 storeys and 7 m, roof peak 8.3 m (8.5 m); kennel and farm buildings 9 m; accessory buildings 4 m (5 m where roof and materials match the house) |
| R2 Quarter Acre Residential | 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) | 930 m², 24 m wide, 30 m deep; 775 m² and 20 m wide where 15% of the land subdivided is kept as public open space, and up to half the lots 700 m² where 30% is (s. C.2); at most 10 lots per hectare | House 40% on a lot of 560 m² or less, down 2 points for each 93 m² more to 25% (from 1,262 m²); with a coach house or garden suite 45%, down to 30%; duplex 50%, down to 35% | 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, 6.5 m with a flatter roof (8.5 m); accessory buildings 4 m (5 m where roof and materials match the house) |
| R3 Urban Residential | On a lot under 4,050 m²: up to 4 homes as a house, a duplex or a houseplex, 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). A houseplex only on a corner lot, a through lot or a lot with a lane, and without secondary suites | 560 m², 15 m wide, 28 m deep; at most 18 lots per hectare | House 40% on a lot of 560 m² or less, down 2 points for each 93 m² more to 25% (from 1,262 m²); with a coach house or garden suite 50%, down to 30%; duplex 50%, down to 35%; houseplex 60%, down to 35% | 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); houseplex 3 storeys and 9 m, 7.3 m with a flatter roof (12 m); coach house or garden suite 2 storeys and 7 m, roof peak 8.3 m, 6.5 m with a flatter roof (8.5 m); accessory buildings 4 m (5 m where roof and materials match the house) |
| R4 Small Lot Residential | 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) |
| R5 Compact Residential | 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) | 291 m², 9.7 m wide, 30 m deep (a wide, shallow lot 270 m², 12.3 m by 22 m; a narrow, deep one 324 m², 9 m by 36 m; on a corner or flanking lane 293 to 369 m²); at most 37 lots per hectare | House 52% (60% on a narrow, deep lot); duplex 60% (65%); a coach house or garden suite counted in | House 9.5 m, 7.3 m with a flatter roof (10.5 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, 6.5 m with a flatter roof (8.5 m); accessory buildings 3 m (5 m where roof and materials match the house) |
| R5S Special Compact Residential | 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) | 291 m², 9.7 m wide, 30 m deep (a narrow lot 324 m², 9.0 m wide; on a corner or flanking lane 369 m² and 12.8 m wide, or a narrow one 363 m² and 10.5 m wide, 36 m deep); at most 31 lots per hectare (ss. C.1, D.1) | House 52% (60% with a coach house or garden suite); duplex 62% (65%) (s. E) | House 9.5 m, 7.3 m with a flatter roof (10.5 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, 6.5 m with a flatter roof (8.5 m); accessory buildings 3 m (5 m where roof and materials match the house); structures 3 m |
| R6 Semi-Detached Residential | On a lot of 280 m² or more: up to 4 homes in one half of a semi-detached building or a duplex, with secondary suites, a coach house or a garden suite, or up to 6 in a duplex on an eligible lot in a Frequent Bus Stop Area. Under 280 m²: up to 3, in one half of a semi-detached building. Inside a Transit-Oriented Area, up to 2; at most 2 on heritage-protected land or land not connected to community water or sewer (s. B.1) | 200 m², 7.2 m wide, 28 m deep (corner 226 m², 8.7 m wide); at most 50 lots per hectare | 60% | Semi-detached building 11 m, 9.3 m with a flatter roof (12 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, 6.5 m with a flatter roof (8.5 m); accessory buildings 3 m (5 m where roof and materials match the house) |
| RMM Manufactured Home Residential | A manufactured home park, under the City's Mobile Homes and Trailer Regulation and Control By-law, and one house for the park's manager (s. B). Each home space at least 225 m² and 12 m wide; at most 22 homes per hectare when subdivided (s. D) | 2 ha, 50 m wide, 50 m deep; a bare land strata lot in a park 225 m², 12 m wide, 15 m deep (s. C) | 5% for the manager's house and an indoor amenity building; the zone sets none for the homes on their spaces (s. E) | Manufactured homes 4.5 m; the manager's house 9 m; accessory buildings and structures 4 m (s. G) |
| MR2 Medium Density Townhouse | Townhouses (homes each with its own outside door and private open space other than a balcony) built as one planned project on the lot: at most 62 homes per hectare and a floor area of 0.9 times the lot area, amenity space not counted (ss. B.1, D; Part 1 definitions). Inside a Transit-Oriented Area or a Frequent Bus Stop Area, one lock-off suite as well; the zone doesn't say whether that is one on the lot or one in each home: unclear, so ask the City (s. B.4) | 2,000 m², 30 m wide, 30 m deep (s. C) | 45% (s. E) | Main buildings 13 m; a building for the residents' amenity space 11 m; other accessory buildings and structures 4.5 m (s. G) |
| IL Light Impact Industrial | No homes except caretaker units inside the main buildings: one in a building under 2,800 m², two in a bigger one; at most 2 on a lot under 4 ha, 3 on a bigger one, and one on a whole strata plan; the first at most 140 m², others 90 m², and never more than a third of the building (s. D.3) | 1,800 m², 30 m wide, 30 m deep (s. C) | 60%; floor area at most 1.00 times the lot area (ss. D.1, E) | Main buildings 18 m; accessory buildings and structures 6 m (s. G) |
"Not set" means the zone itself sets no figure; general rules elsewhere in the bylaw may still apply. Each zone's page has its uses, setbacks and the general rules that apply to it.
Where the bylaw is unclear
Points we couldn't settle from the bylaw's text. Ask before you rely on them.
- MR2: The zone also says that a "Section B.4" applies to townhouses with building permits issued after May 12, 2025, without saying which part's section it means: unclear, so ask the City (s. B.5).
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 Surrey's planning and development department before you buy or build.
Source: Surrey Zoning By-law, 1993, No. 12000 (summarised in our words); zone map: Open Government Licence – Surrey.