RI1: Residential Infill One

What the zone allows

Homes allowed

One house or, where at least one of the two homes is under a housing agreement with the Municipality limiting it to employees and capping its rent and resale price, a duplex (s. 52(3), (5)); plus one auxiliary home on a lot of 695 m² or less, up to two on a larger lot, one in the house and one in an accessory building (s. 52(4)). Auxiliary homes 32.5 to 90 m², at most 40% of the floor area on the lot; a house up to four bedrooms (s. 52(19)-(22))

Main uses

A house or duplex, auxiliary homes, park and playground (s. 52(2))

Smallest lot for a subdivision

695 m² (465 m² of it usable) with 18 m of frontage for a house or duplex of up to 325 m², 928.6 m² (575 m² usable) with 24 m for a larger one (s. 52(11)); a lot of 1,100 to 1,390 m² can be split into two of at least 400 m² (325 m² usable, 12 m of frontage) where one of them is under an employee housing agreement with the Municipality (s. 52(12))

Lot coverage

35% (s. 52(13)); a house or duplex up to 465 m² and 0.35 times the lot area (s. 52(6)); parking inside buildings up to 70 m² (s. 52(7)); an accessory building holding an auxiliary home up to 90 m² (Part 5, s. 3(2))

Exceptions (1)

• On two bare land strata plans the bylaw names, each house's floor area is the plan's land (less its access roads) times 0.35, shared equally among its strata lots, and still at most 465 m²

Listed in s. 52(8) of the bylaw.

Height limit

7.6 m (s. 52(9)); an accessory building holding both an auxiliary home and parking at least 2 storeys and up to 7 m (s. 52(10)); other accessory buildings 5 m (Part 5, s. 3(4))

Setbacks

Front 7.6 m, rear 7.6 m, sides 3 m (6 m for a house or duplex over 325 m²) (s. 52, setbacks table); an auxiliary home in a garage or carport building 5 m from the front, or 2 m where Part 5's steep-lot rule applies (s. 52(14)-(15), Part 5, s. 14)

Exceptions (1)

• On two bare land strata plans the bylaw names, a house or duplex only has to sit inside its strata lot; no other setbacks apply

Listed in s. 52(16) of the bylaw.

The zone is for modest infill in lower-density neighbourhoods: duplexes with an employee home, small-lot subdivisions and auxiliary homes (s. 52(1)).

Short-term rental (tourist accommodation) isn't a use this zone lists; ask the Resort Municipality of Whistler before renting a home short term.

An owner can instead build the whole lot under the bylaw's small-scale multi-unit housing rules: on municipal water and sewer, inside the Whistler Urban Development Containment Area and outside a transit-oriented area and on a lot of 4,050 m² or less, three homes on a lot of 280 m² or less and four on a larger one, with one of three or two of four kept as long-term rentals (Part 5, s. 35(5), (16)-(18), (26)).

A lot can't have both an accessory building with an auxiliary home and one with parking (s. 52(23)); at most 4 parking spaces (s. 52(17)).

Houses and duplexes in this zone aren't exempt from development permits where a development permit area applies (Part 5, s. 28(2)(b)).

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 Resort Municipality of Whistler's planning department before you buy or build.

Source: Part 12, Section 52 of Zoning and Parking Bylaw No. 303, 2015 (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-05); zone map: Open Government Licence – Resort Municipality of Whistler.