Vancouver, Metro Vancouver
Renovations and builds in Vancouver
Most Vancouver homes are apartments, and one in five was built in 1960 or before. We renovate condos and older houses and build suites here, and the quote is free.
Vancouver · Metro Vancouver
Free written quotes
After a site visit, with what is fixed and what is an allowance.
One contract
One point of contact, from quote to final walkthrough.
Licensed trade partners
Electrical, plumbing and gas, under our management.
Victoria to the Lower Mainland
Greater Victoria, up-Island and Metro Vancouver.
What Vancouver’s housing looks like
Vancouver had 662,248 people and 305,335 occupied homes in the 2021 Census. Apartments make up 62.3% of them: 31.2% in buildings under five storeys and 31.1% in taller ones. Single-detached houses are 14.7%, and semi-detached, row houses, duplexes and other attached homes are 23.1%.
The stock spans every era. 20.4% was built in 1960 or before, 22.6% from 1961 to 1980, 27.2% from 1981 to 2000 and 29.8% from 2001 to 2021. If your project is in an apartment or a strata building, tell us that up front, because it changes how we plan and permit the job.
- 14.7% single-detached houses
- 23.1% semi-detached, row houses, duplexes and other attached homes
- 31.2% apartments under five storeys
- 31.1% apartments of five storeys or more
- 20.4% built in 1960 or before
Photo: David Abercrombie, CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0), via Wikimedia Commons (resized)
Vancouver rules: confirm these with the City
Vancouver issues permits under its own Vancouver Building By-law rather than the BC Building Code. Rules here have shifted often in recent years, so as of October 2026, confirm each point below with the City before you plan.
Heating in new houses is in flux. A by-law change in 2022 required zero-emission space and water heating in new one- to three-storey homes. Council voted in July 2024 to reverse the gas ban, and that reversal then failed on a tie vote in November 2024. Check the current rule with the City before you choose a heating system for a new house or laneway home.
If your house is in First Shaughnessy, ask the City about the Heritage Conservation Area there before you plan exterior changes. The City publishes a separate bulletin on retaining and renovating character buildings.
- Can my lot take a secondary suite, a laneway house, or both?
- How many multiplex units does my lot’s frontage allow in the R1-1 zone?
- Is my lot in the designated floodplain, and what Flood Construction Level applies?
- Does my tree need a permit under the Protection of Trees By-law?
- Which heating systems are allowed in a new house today?
Building permits: City of Vancouver: building permits
Neighbourhoods we cover in Vancouver
- Kitsilano
- Dunbar-Southlands
- Grandview-Woodland
- Marpole
- Oakridge
- Shaughnessy
Vancouver permits work under its own Vancouver Building By-law rather than the BC Building Code.
Floodplain and sea level
The City’s open data describes a designated floodplain along False Creek, the Fraser River and Still Creek, with shoreline and creek setbacks and Flood Construction Level requirements. If your lot is near any of them, ask the City which rules apply before you design a basement or a ground-floor suite.
The City’s Fraser River page describes the river foreshore as the part of Vancouver most at risk of coastal flooding, and the City plans for 1 m of sea level rise by 2100.
Vancouver: common questions
Sources
Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile: Vancouver, City (CY) · City of Vancouver: Building permits · City of Vancouver: Renovate your home · Canadian Climate Institute: Building a greener Vancouver one house at a time · City of Vancouver: Laneway houses and secondary suites · City of Vancouver: SSMUH printable guide · City of Vancouver: Building By-law update guide 2022 · BIV: Vancouver council reverses policy on natural gas ban in new homes (July 2024) · CBC: Vancouver gas ban vote (November 2024) · City of Vancouver: First Shaughnessy Heritage Conservation Area update (2018) · City of Vancouver: Character buildings retention and renovation bulletin · City of Vancouver: Protection of Trees By-law · City of Vancouver open data: Designated floodplain · City of Vancouver: Fraser River. Checked 2026-10-30.
Services
What we build in Vancouver
More of Metro Vancouver · How we run a job
Windows & doors
Replacement windows, exterior doors and patio doors, flashed properly into the wall.
Drainage & perimeter drains
Camera inspection, cleaning, repair and replacement of foundation perimeter drains.
Heat pumps & HVAC
Ducted and ductless heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, furnaces and fuel switching, sized to the house.
Handyman & small repairs
Fixes, installs, patching and minor carpentry: the jobs too small for a renovation.
Basements & secondary suites
Finished basements and legal rental or in-law suites, from permits to final occupancy.
Free quotes
Planning work in Vancouver?
Tell us what you want done, the type of home and the neighbourhood. We’ll email you to confirm your free quote visit.