How to Find Your Property's Zoning and FSR in Metro Vancouver

Every municipality in Metro Vancouver maintains its own zoning bylaw and mapping tools, so the first step is identifying which of the region's 21 member municipalities your property falls within — then using that specific municipality's online zoning map or planning counter to look up your exact zoning designation and permitted floor space ratio. There is no single regional zoning database for all of Metro Vancouver, and the rules, zone names, and FSR calculations differ substantially from one municipality to the next.

Here is how to find your zoning information in the major Metro Vancouver municipalities:

City of Vancouver uses VanMap, an interactive online mapping tool accessible through the City's website. Enter your property address, enable the zoning layer, and the map will display your zoning district designation (such as R1-1, which replaced most of the former RS zones in 2024). Once you know your zone, refer to the corresponding District Schedule in Vancouver's Zoning and Development By-law — available as downloadable PDFs on the City's website — which lists the permitted FSR, lot coverage, setbacks, height, and all other development regulations. Vancouver also has a 3D zoning map created by community developers that visualizes the building envelope three-dimensionally, which can be helpful for understanding height and setback constraints together.

City of Surrey provides its zoning information through the COSMOS mapping system on the City's website. Search your address, and the system displays your zoning designation along with links to the relevant sections of Surrey Zoning By-law 12000. Following the July 2024 zoning consolidation, many former zones were merged, so if your previous zoning documents reference an older zone name, it may have been replaced.

City of Burnaby offers zoning information through its online mapping tools and the Planning Department. Following the 2024 consolidation into the R1 SSMUH district, most former single-family zones now fall under one unified designation with consistent regulations.

City of Richmond maintains Zoning Bylaw 8500 with interactive maps available through the City's website. Richmond's zoning is relatively straightforward for residential properties, with most single-family areas falling under a small number of zone designations.

District and City of North Vancouver each have their own zoning bylaws and online mapping tools. The District of North Vancouver uses its DNV Maps system, while the City of North Vancouver provides zoning information through its website. These are separate municipalities with different zoning rules, so make sure you are looking at the correct one.

City of Coquitlam, City of Delta, City of New Westminster, and other Metro Vancouver municipalities each maintain their own online zoning maps and bylaw documents. Most can be accessed through the municipal website by searching for "zoning" or "zoning map" and entering your property address.

Once you have identified your zoning designation, finding the permitted FSR requires reading the relevant district schedule or zone section of the municipal zoning bylaw. FSR regulations are rarely a single number — they often vary based on lot size, number of dwelling units, housing type (single-family versus duplex versus multiplex), and whether the project qualifies for density bonuses. For example, in Vancouver's R1-1 zone, a single-family home with suite gets 0.6 FSR, while a multiplex gets 0.7 FSR base with potential for 1.0 FSR with secured rental units.

Beyond the zoning bylaw itself, several additional layers can affect what you can build. Official Community Plans (OCPs) set broader land use policies that may designate your area for future densification or restrict development beyond what the zoning allows. Development permit areas may impose additional design requirements. Heritage designations, tree protection bylaws, floodplain regulations, and geotechnical hazard areas can all impose constraints not visible in the zoning bylaw alone.

The most reliable way to confirm your property's development potential is to visit the municipal planning counter in person or by phone. Bring your property address and a description of what you want to build, and planning staff can confirm the zoning, FSR, and any additional constraints specific to your lot. This service is typically free of charge and takes 15 to 30 minutes. For addition projects, many municipalities also offer a pre-application review where staff provide written feedback on a preliminary design — this typically costs $200 to $500 and is money well spent before investing in full architectural drawings.

For a comprehensive picture, also search your property's title at the BC Land Title and Survey Authority (available online for a small fee) to identify any registered easements, covenants, or rights-of-way that could limit where on your lot you can build. These legal encumbrances do not appear on zoning maps but can be just as restrictive.

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