Questions & answers
Frequently asked questions.
Straight answers about custom home building and renovation, and about multiplex development, for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley homeowners and investors.
What is a multiplex?
A multiplex is a single residential lot developed into several attached homes, typically three to six units under BC's Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing rules. It is "missing middle" housing: gentle density that fits between a single detached house and a large apartment building, built on existing neighbourhood lots without a rezoning in most Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley cities.
How much does it cost to build a multiplex in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley?
Construction costs for a well-built Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley multiplex typically run $350 to $550 per square foot for hard costs. Total project costs, including land, soft costs (design, engineering, legal), municipal fees, and financing, vary significantly by site and municipality. Burnaby, Coquitlam, and North Vancouver each have different development cost charge structures from Vancouver. A feasibility review gives you a project-specific estimate.
Multiplex development
Bill 44, passed by the BC government in November 2023, is the Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act. It amended the Local Government Act to require almost every municipality in BC to allow three to six homes on any single residential lot, with no rezoning required. Homeowners in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley can now build a triplex, fourplex, fiveplex, or sixplex on most standard lots where previously only one house was allowed. The rules took effect June 30, 2024. The number of units allowed depends on your lot size and whether it sits within a block of a frequent-transit stop.
SSMUH stands for Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing, the policy framework that came out of Bill 44. The term is used by municipal planning departments to describe the new as-of-right density rules. In Vancouver, the implementing zone is R1-1. In Burnaby, it's the R1 SSMUH District. Regardless of what each city calls it, the outcome is the same: most single residential lots across BC can now accommodate three to six attached homes without needing a rezoning application.
A multiplex is a single residential lot developed into several attached homes, for example three to six townhomes or units in place of one detached house. It is part of what's often called 'missing middle' housing: gentle density that sits between a single house and a large apartment building, and that fits the scale of an existing neighbourhood.
It depends on the lot, its zoning, and the rules of the specific municipality in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. The first step is a feasibility review where we look at your land's size, zoning, and highest-and-best use, then tell you honestly what is and isn't possible before any major decision is made.
Based in Langley, we build and develop across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. For the right project, we'll go wherever it makes sense. Our page for multiplex builders in BC shows how we take a lot from feasibility through permits to construction.
Partnering with Venture Pacific
We use a transparent general partner / limited partner (GP/LP) structure. In simple terms, Venture Pacific acts as the general partner that manages the development, design, approvals, financing, and construction, while you participate as a partner who contributes the land. The exact terms are set out clearly in writing before you commit, so you understand the structure and the expected outcomes up front.
No. The partnership model is designed as a structured alternative to simply selling. Rather than selling your land outright, you can partner on its development and share in the value that's created, while we carry the development and construction work.
Venture Pacific manages the construction risk. Our role is to deliver the project to a high standard and on schedule, drawing on more than forty years of combined construction and development experience in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
Process & timelines
Our process moves through four broad stages: an initial consultation and feasibility review; a development strategy and the municipal permitting and rezoning work; construction and quality control; and finally project completion, when the agreed value is realised. We keep you informed at each stage.
Timelines vary widely by site and by municipality, and the rezoning and permitting stage is usually the least predictable part. As a real example, our Manchester Living project had its rezoning approved in December 2023 and is expected to complete in August 2026. We give you a realistic timeline for your specific property during the feasibility stage.
Book a free consultation through our contact page. We'll discuss your property and goals, and if it looks promising, move into a feasibility review so you can make an informed decision.
Costs & zoning basics
Construction costs in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley typically fall between $350 and $550 per square foot for a well-built missing-middle multiplex, with total project costs, including land, soft costs, municipal fees, and financing, varying significantly by site and city. Burnaby, Coquitlam, and North Vancouver have different fee structures from Vancouver. A feasibility review gives you a project-specific estimate before you commit to anything.
Not identically. Both cities comply with BC's SSMUH mandate, but they implemented it differently. Burnaby's R1 Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing District uses its own form standards, height limits, setbacks, and lot coverage rules that differ from Vancouver's R1-1 zone. The transit bonus also reaches further in Burnaby because its frequent transit network is mapped differently. Always check city-specific bylaws for your lot.
R1-1 is Vancouver's residential zone that now allows three to six attached homes on most standard lots, no rezoning required. Three or four strata units are permitted outright on most lots. Six units are allowed on larger lots or those within a block of a frequent-transit stop, but only as secured rental. It replaced the former RS zones as Vancouver's primary ground-oriented residential designation.
For most standard R1-zoned Burnaby lots, no, multiplexes up to four units (or six near frequent transit, on lots over 280 m²) are permitted as of right since July 1, 2024. You go directly to a building permit. Larger or unusual sites, heritage-protected parcels, and Agricultural Land Reserve land are exceptions. Confirm your specific lot status before planning.
Explore further
Tools and guides that answer these questions in more depth.
Multiplex calculator
Estimate how many homes your lot could support under BC's SSMUH rules.
Read moreFeasibility & equity review
What a no-obligation feasibility study covers and what it tells you.
Read moreVancouver R1-1 guide
How Vancouver's R1-1 zone works and what 3 to 6 homes on a lot means.
Read moreBurnaby SSMUH guide
Burnaby's R1 SSMUH district rules and the 2025 height changes.
Read moreRichmond RSM zones
Richmond's four RSM sub-zones and how many units each allows.
Read moreHow homeowner partnerships work
The GP/LP structure explained, what you contribute and what we carry.
Read moreThese answers are prepared by Trent Praski and the Venture Pacific team. Trent is a licensed real estate professional in British Columbia with Macdonald Realty (BCFSA-regulated brokerage). This page is for general informational purposes and does not constitute financial, investment, legal, or planning advice. Zoning rules, fees, and timelines vary by municipality and change over time, confirm details with the relevant city or a qualified professional before making decisions. Page last reviewed: September 2026.
Custom homes & renovations
Building and renovating your home.
Straight answers about custom home builds and whole-home renovations from Venture Pacific Construction Management, budget, contracts, process, quality, and long-term support.
Getting started
As early as possible, ideally in the planning and design phase, before drawings are final. Early involvement lets the builder give budget guidance, flag constructability risks, and keep the design aligned with your investment range before decisions become expensive to change. On whole-home renovations and additions, an early builder conversation often saves more than it costs.
No. Many homeowners reach out before drawings are complete, or even before design has begun. Involving a builder early helps shape the design around a realistic budget, improves cost accuracy, and reduces the number of revisions later. If you already have drawings we work from those, if not we can help you assemble the right design team.
Yes. A custom home builder brings a more structured, systems-driven approach. Beyond the construction itself, the focus is on planning, coordination, quality control, and communication. That difference matters most on whole-home renovations, additions, heritage homes, and high-performance upgrades where the trades, schedule, and finishes all need to be managed together.
Heritage projects start with an assessment of what should be preserved and what needs to be rebuilt. In Vancouver, changes to a heritage-designated property generally require a Heritage Alteration Permit before work can begin, and the design must meet the city's heritage guidelines. From there the work is about balance: preserving original details like millwork, siding profiles, and window proportions while bringing the structure, envelope, and mechanical systems up to modern standards. We coordinate the heritage consultants and specialist trades this work depends on, and stay flexible as the building reveals its condition.
Budget, contracts & planning
It depends on how well defined the scope and selections are. Many homeowners benefit from a Construction Management approach (often under CCDC 5B), which allows collaboration and transparency during planning, with the option to move to a Guaranteed Maximum Price or Fixed Price once the drawings, specifications, and selections are locked in.
Through thorough pre-construction planning, clearly defined allowances, realistic contingencies, and transparent cost tracking. A structured change-management process ensures you understand the cost and schedule impact of a decision before it is made, rather than seeing surprises on an invoice after the work is done.
Allowances are placeholder amounts for selections that have not been finalized, things like plumbing fixtures, tile, appliances, or lighting. They let the project start while decisions are still being made, but the final cost depends on the actual selections. We set allowances at realistic levels for the design intent and update the budget as each item is confirmed.
Custom home costs vary widely with the lot, the design, and the level of finish. As a general guide, a well-planned custom home in Metro Vancouver often lands between $1,500,000 and $2,500,000 in total project cost, while larger or more complex homes with high-end finishes commonly run $2,500,000 to $4,500,000 or more. Square footage is only part of the equation: site conditions, structural complexity, energy performance targets, and selections all move the number. Early builder involvement during design is the most reliable way to keep the budget and the drawings aligned.
Process & communication
Timelines vary widely with scope, permitting, and the condition of the existing home. A focused kitchen or bathroom renovation may run a few months, while a whole-home renovation or major addition is often a year or more when design, permits, and construction are added together. We give you a realistic schedule for your specific project during pre-construction.
Every change is documented through a written change order that spells out the scope, cost, and schedule impact, and is approved before the work proceeds. This keeps the budget and timeline predictable, and gives you a clear record of every decision made during the project.
Every project is managed through JobTread, an online portal with daily site logs, schedules, documents, approvals, and real-time budget visibility. You also get regular update meetings with your project lead, so progress, upcoming decisions, and any issues are never a mystery.
Risk, quality & unknowns
Hidden conditions, older wiring, rot, undersized structure, out-of-code plumbing, are a normal part of renovating an existing home. We anticipate them, discuss the possibility upfront, and manage each discovery through clear communication and a documented set of options, so you decide with full information before work proceeds.
Quality comes from a combination of the right trades, a clear scope, and hands-on site supervision. We work with a vetted network of tradespeople, hold pre-installation reviews for critical assemblies, and carry out our own quality checks at each stage, in addition to the required municipal inspections and any third-party envelope or engineering reviews.
After construction & long-term support
Yes. Handover includes a walkthrough, a documented deficiency list, and instructions for finishes, systems, and equipment. After move-in we remain your point of contact for warranty items and for any questions about the home as you settle into it.
New homes in BC carry the standard 2-5-10 Home Warranty: two years on labour and materials, five years on the building envelope, and ten years on the structure. For renovations we provide warranty coverage in line with industry standards and applicable certifications, and we back our own workmanship directly.
Choosing the right builder
Look for a builder with relevant project experience, verifiable references, clear processes for budgeting and communication, appropriate licensing and insurance, and warranty coverage. Ask how they manage change orders, allowances, and schedule, and how they involve you in decisions. A good builder should be easy to reach and straightforward with answers.
It depends on zoning, the structural condition of the home, your budget, timeline, and long-term goals. A builder involved early can assess feasibility and walk you through the trade-offs so you can make an informed decision. If the lot supports it, developing a multiplex may be a third option worth comparing before you commit to a direction.
These answers are prepared by Mark Van Ek, Founder & President of Venture Pacific Construction Management. This page is for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional construction advice. Costs, timelines, and processes vary by project, confirm details with Venture Pacific before making decisions. Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Let's talk about your property
A conversation, not a commitment.
Whether you're curious about the multiplex value of your land or looking to partner on a missing-middle build, we're here to start the conversation.