Straight answers
How big can a laneway house be in Vancouver?
Up to 0.25 FSR, to a ceiling of 186 square metres (2,000 square feet). That applies to a laneway house built alongside a new or existing single detached house in the R1-1 zone, which took effect on 17 October 2023 and covers everywhere the city previously zoned RS. The 900 square foot limit still quoted on many builder pages is the pre-2023 rule and no longer applies.
Figures verified against the sources below · August 31, 2026
01 — The longer answer
The rest of the envelope: height, setbacks, parking
The laneway house's 0.25 FSR sits on top of the main house allowance: a single detached house is permitted up to 0.6 FSR on the same lot.
Section 11 of the Zoning and Development By-law sets the rest: height not more than 8.5 metres and two storeys, a 0.9 metre rear setback from the ultimate rear property line, 1.2 metre side setbacks, and a minimum site width of 9.8 metres measured at the lane. No vehicle parking is required, since Vancouver removed minimum parking city-wide in June 2024. We still confirm the figures against your lot before design.
If a guide quotes RS zoning for Vancouver, it predates October 2023. Bylaws change and every lot is different; we confirm the current rules for your exact address as the first step of every project, free.
03 — Sources
Each figure above links to the authority it came from.
R1-1 zone effective 17 October 2023 in all areas previously zoned RS; laneway house permitted alongside a new or existing single detached house at up to 0.25 FSR, 186 square metres (2,000 square feet) maximum; single detached house up to 0.6 FSR
vancouver.ca
Follow this journal
Add KYRAX as a preferred source in Google and our guides show up higher in your own search results, marked as preferred where Google cites us. It changes what you see, not what anyone else does.
Have a lot in mind?
We check your destination before you sign anything. 30 minutes, no obligation.