The Ground-Oriented Residential 3 zone in North Vancouver (City)
- 76
- Lots
- 5,994 sq ft (557 m²)
- Middle lot size
The City's townhouse zone: townhouses, small rental apartment buildings, duplexes and houses, in areas the City's plan marks Residential Level 4A.
What you can build in this zone
The Ground-Oriented Residential 3 zone's own section allows a house, a secondary suite, a coach house, a duplex and a townhouse. Each one has a page of its own.
The rules in this zone
Distance from property lines
- Front
- 9 ft 10 in (3 m)
- Back
- 5 ft 3 in (1.6 m)
- Each side
- 7 ft 10 in (2.4 m)
On a corner lot, 7 ft 10 in (2.4 m) from the side street.
Lot coverage
| Any lot | 60% |
Height
Buildings must fit inside a 39 ft 4 in (12 m) envelope measured from the street for the front half of the lot and from the lane for the back half.
A laneway home or coach house
Yes, with a single house: one coach house at the back of the lot.
- Only with a single house, one coach house per lot, and the owner has to live on the property.
- It cannot be sold on its own, because it cannot be stratified.
- At most 1,000 sq ft (92.9 m²) of floor space and 22 ft (6.7 m) tall.
- It needs a development permit and a building permit, applied for at the same time.
From City of North Vancouver, Coach House permit page, read on 2026-09-20.
Other rules
- Floor space can rise to 1.0 times the lot area with an amenity contribution, a special setback dedication and a high energy step (Passive House or the BC Energy Step Code), sections 411 and 418 to 421.
- A single house or duplex on this lot is limited to the lesser of half the lot area, or 0.35 times the lot area plus 1,000 sq ft (92.9 m²).
- Every unit must have at least 400 sq ft (37.2 m²) of floor space.
- Townhouses need a lot of at least 3,875 sq ft (360 m²), or 5,813 sq ft (540 m²) for a lot created after May 2016.
What these words mean
- Lot coverage
- Lot coverage is the share of the lot that buildings may sit on, seen from above.
- Setbacks
- The distances a building must keep from each property line.
From Zoning Bylaw, 1995, No. 6700, consolidated to March 2, 2026 (Part 1), section 563, with sections 506, 507 and 510, read on 2026-09-20.
Questions
How many units can I build in the Ground-Oriented Residential 3 zone?
This zone sets no number of units. Townhouses and rental apartments are allowed, and the number follows from the floor space allowed and the 400 sq ft (37.2 m²) minimum unit size.
How much floor space can I build in the Ground-Oriented Residential 3 zone?
Floor space is the total area of every floor of every building on the lot, added together. Cities limit it as a multiple of the lot area; that multiple is called the floor space ratio. In this zone the limit is 0.5 times the lot area. On a 5,382 sq ft (500 m²) lot, 0.5 times is 2,691 sq ft (250 m²).
How close to the property line can I build in the Ground-Oriented Residential 3 zone?
Buildings must stay at least 9 ft 10 in (3 m) from the front property line, 5 ft 3 in (1.6 m) from the back one and 7 ft 10 in (2.4 m) from each side. On a corner lot, 7 ft 10 in (2.4 m) from the side street.
Can I build a laneway home or coach house in the Ground-Oriented Residential 3 zone?
Yes, with a single house: one coach house at the back of the lot. Only with a single house, one coach house per lot, and the owner has to live on the property. It cannot be sold on its own, because it cannot be stratified. At most 1,000 sq ft (92.9 m²) of floor space and 22 ft (6.7 m) tall. It needs a development permit and a building permit, applied for at the same time.
Where do these figures come from?
Lot counts come from the City of North Vancouver's public map, downloaded on September 19, 2026. The rules come from Zoning Bylaw, 1995, No. 6700, consolidated to March 2, 2026 (Part 1), section 563, with sections 506, 507 and 510, read on 2026-09-20. Confirm the rules for your lot with the city before you pay for a design.
Does this mean the city will approve my project?
This page shows what the zoning bylaw allows on paper. A real project also needs a building permit, the city reviews each design against more rules than the ones shown here, and your lot may carry limits the city's map does not show. Confirm the rules with the city's planning staff before you pay for a design.
More about building in North Vancouver (City)
Published by RealDream
Planning to build or renovate on your lot?
We build and renovate homes in North Vancouver and West Vancouver. Bring your lot's report to a free consultation and we will talk through what fits your budget.