How many homes can I build in Bowen Island?
What BC's housing laws and Bowen Island's own zones allow on house lots, counted lot by lot from public data. To check one lot, find it on the map and open its card.
What BC law requires
Bowen Island has fewer than 5,000 people, so under Bill 44 (2023) lots in single-family zones inside the urban containment boundary must allow a house plus one secondary suite or one laneway or garden home, rather than the 3 to 6 homes required in larger cities.
The city's own zones can allow more than this. Lots in the Agricultural Land Reserve, outside the urban boundary, or on hazard land are treated differently.
Lots in Bowen Island by homes allowed
- House + suite or laneway home (towns under 5,000 people)1,325 lots
Our estimate per lot from lot size, distance to frequent transit and SkyTrain, the urban boundary and the farmland reserve.
House lots by size
| Up to 280 m² (3,014 ft²) | 70 lots |
| 280–557 m² (3,014–6,000 ft²) | 45 lots |
| 557–1,000 m² (6,000–10,764 ft²) | 263 lots |
| Over 1,000 m² (10,764 ft²) | 1,589 lots |
Lot size decides the 3- versus 4-home threshold and, in most zones, how much floor space you can build.
What Bowen Island's zones allow
| Zone | Lots | Homes allowed (city bylaw) |
|---|---|---|
| SR2 | 1,371 | 2 (one detached house + one secondary suite OR one detached secondary suite) |
| RR1 | 313 | 2 (one detached house + one secondary suite OR one detached secondary suite) |
| RR3 | 145 | 2 (one detached house + one secondary suite OR one detached secondary suite) |
| SR1 | 94 | 2 (one detached house + one secondary suite OR one detached secondary suite) |
| RR2 | 44 | 2 (one detached house + one secondary suite OR one detached secondary suite) |
Zoning changes in progress
- Amendment Bylaw No. 723, 2026 (RZ-2026-0016, 1639 & 1658 Mount Gardner Road) first reading scheduled 2026-07-27; adoption not confirmed
SR2 zone variation for 1658 Mount Gardner Road allowing a smaller minimum lot size so the road-split title can be separated. source ↗ - Amendment Bylaw No. 726, 2026 (RZ 2026-0014, 620 Laura Road) first reading scheduled 2026-07-27; adoption not confirmed
Zone variation permitting a cidery as a principal use, with caps on retail and picnic area. source ↗ - RZ-2025-0079 (9 lots around Seymour Bay, Cowan Point) - LUB + OCP amendment under review; staff reports to Council 2025-07-14 and 2026-01-26; no bylaw readings listed
Split CD 6 Area 9A into new Areas 9D/9E and raise Area 9 primary units from 48 to 200 (312 total), adding daycare, supportive living, recreation, office and retail. source ↗ - RZ/OCP-2025-0113 (1355 West Side Road) application under staff review; not yet introduced to Council
New Comprehensive Development zone and OCP change for 34 modular homes on rented sites plus a clubhouse. source ↗ - RZ-2026-0006 (670 & 648 Buchanan Road) application under staff review (notice 2026-03-02); no readings
RR3 zone variation allowing ~0.5-acre lots to turn two unserviced lots into four. source ↗ - RZ-2025-0015 (Lot 7 Adams Road) application under staff review (notice 2025-03-05); no readings
Rezone to RR3(c) (1 ha average lot area) to allow four lots instead of two. source ↗
Sources: BC Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act 2023 (Bill 44) and Bill 47; Bowen Island Municipality Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated for convenience November 2025; last listed amendment Bylaw 674 adopted 2025-03-10; later adopted bylaws 666, 672, 673, 694, 721, 722 applied from their own text) ↗; ParcelMap BC; the city's open zoning data. Estimates only: confirm with Bowen Island before buying or designing. Page rebuilt October 25, 2026.