Burnaby wants to make it easier to build more homes on one lot

A Metro Vancouver municipality is rolling out a new feature for residents and builders looking to construct multi-unit homes on one lot.

The City of Burnaby’s Housing Design Library is an online gallery of multiplex homes, including duplexes, laneways, quad and sixplexes.

The library comes after the city announced that it would end its single-family zoning, aligning with the province’s new legislation to change zoning bylaws and encourage gentle densification on single-family lots.

An example of some of the home designs included in the library. (City of Burnaby)

As of July 1, 2024, Burnaby allows up to six units to be built on lots previously zoned for single or two-family homes.

Carl Isaak, director of the City of Burnaby neighbourhood planning and urban design, told Daily Hive that the city initiated these changes before the provincial legislation was introduced.

“We had a Houses Choices program that was bringing in laneway homes and suites and duplexes. It wrapped up in 2023 and part of that program was going to be bringing in design samples and pre-reviewed designs for laneway homes,” stated Isaak.

He added that while the province has its own design catalogue, Burnaby’s was in the works before then.

The City of Burnaby’s design library contains 12 designs that have been reviewed by city staff and comply with the city’s bylaws and BC Building Code.

How does it work?

Residents or builders looking to construct one of the homes from the design library should first consider the type of lot they have and whether it meets the R1 zoning requirements. They will also need to determine the minimum lot width for the subdivision and the setbacks needed for development.

They can then browse the design catalogue and apply for an engineering pre-application review to start the application process.

Next, they’d need to contact the designer to purchase the licence to use the design and their plans.

The city notes that all designs from the library — including those that have been modified — still need to be reviewed for compliance. The city says it is not involved in any monetary exchange for the purchase of designs or professional services from the designer.

After this step, the builder will need to apply for a building permit. As for cost, it depends on what kind of home someone wants to construct.

A two-bedroom, two-storey laneway for a medium lot (at least 50 ft x 120 ft or 6,000 sq ft) comes with an estimated construction cost of $540,000.

An example of a laneway home in the Housing Design Library (City of Burnaby)

A sixplex for a large lot (at least 60 ft x 120 ft or 7,200 sq ft) is estimated to cost $3,800,000 for construction.

Isaak believes that the Housing Design Library “accomplishes a few objectives.”

The first is that many people or builders might not be familiar with “the development potential” of more homes on a lot.

“One thing that a catalogue … like this can do is open people’s minds to different ideas that could work on their property,” said Isaak.

He added that over time, the goal is for a “faster approval process” for these homes to make it “easier for folks to take advantage of the opportunity to build more homes on their lots.”

Burnaby “leading the way” for innovative housing

When asked about residents’ concerns about the changes coming to their neighbourhoods due to Burnaby’s new rezoning rules, Isaak said he’s heard more concerns about the lack of available housing.

“To be honest, from what I recall in the [consultation] process, a lot of the concerns that we heard were more around, where my or my children or my family members or friends going to be able to live in the community and less about how the neighbourhood may be changing as a result of new housing forms,” he said.

Isaak also added that the designs in the library are meant to be compatible with existing neighbourhoods rather than trying to completely transform them.

“I think [Burnaby is] leading in terms of the flexibility of what can be built where on a lot and the number of storeys,” he stated.

“Certainly, we’re exceeding a lot of the provincial recommendations to ensure that people are able to fit new homes on lots.”