West Vancouver’s dedicated guidance says a secondary suite must comply with the BC Building Code and be registered with the municipality, with licensing requirements depending on how it is used. Detached rental coach houses are covered by a separate municipal page.
Select a B.C. property to check the parcel, available zoning and suite-planning data.
The automated checker cannot confirm all zoning amendments, overlays, lot restrictions, servicing or building permits. Free human property-review requests are currently paused.
See the official verification steps →Start with the municipality and parcel area. The manual check stays open here, but the questions are split into 4 short steps so you do not have to scroll through everything at once.
Four short steps. Answer what you know and choose “Not sure” for anything you have not checked.
West Vancouver is in an active SSMUH transition. On September 21, 2026, the District gave proposed Bill 25 compliance Zoning Amendment Bylaw 5446 first, second and third readings. The municipality states Ministry of Transportation and Transit approval and fourth reading are still needed: the proposed amendment has not been adopted (official status checked October 12, 2026).
Yes. A new secondary suite or detached dwelling needs the applicable West Vancouver approvals and building permit before construction/occupancy. Existing work may require a legalization or existing-building review rather than simply a new-build permit.
A legal suite or coach house can be used for residential occupancy/rental subject to current District and provincial rules. Do not rely on a pending SSMUH amendment until it is adopted.
No. Age or long-standing occupancy does not by itself prove municipal approval. Check West Vancouver permit/property records and, where relevant, whether a lawful non-conforming status actually exists before describing a suite as “grandfathered.”
Existing District guidance can allow a coach house together with a secondary suite in some situations, but the pending September 2026 SSMUH amendment can change the permitted configuration. Recheck immediately before application.
Use these tools only after confirming the municipal path. Cost planning and contractor matching do not establish zoning, code compliance or permit approval.
PROPOSED 2026 AMENDMENT — not yet adopted in checked District status The District says Bylaw 5446 received first, second and third readings September 21, 2026, but required Ministry of Transportation and Transit approval and final adoption remained outstanding. The earlier adopted 2024 amendment (5351) is separate.
Still to verify: Do not use proposed four- and six-unit tiers as automatic zoning entitlements. Confirm subsequent Ministry approval, adopted text, affected lot map and current rules before presenting property-specific permission.
Municipal source research, not comprehensive certification or a permit. Official source links remain at the bottom of this page.
Current finding: The District explicitly says Bylaw 5446 received three readings September 21, 2026 but requires Ministry of Transportation and Transit approval and has not yet been adopted.
Still requires verification: Continue to track Ministry approval and fourth reading/adoption; proposed density is not an operative entitlement.
Evidence level: PENDING PROVINCIAL APPROVAL RECONFIRMED. Not a parcel-specific or complete legal approval.
Official-source finding: The district says proposed Bylaw 5446 received first through third readings September 21, 2026 and still requires provincial transportation approval.
Not yet cleared: The district explicitly states the proposal was not adopted on the checked page. Preserve existing operative rules and do not apply proposed density standards as law.
Evidence status: CONFIRMED NOT ADOPTED. This is not a complete adopted-bylaw, zoning-map, appeal or property-specific approval determination.
Guide verification: Targeted municipal-source claim check recorded. Selected citywide guidance or adoption facts were checked against an identified official page on October 12, 2026. This is not a complete current-bylaw, amendment-map or parcel certification.
Property confidence: Not assessed. City-wide guidance does not confirm permission for a particular parcel. Check official zoning, overlays and permits. How verification works →
Reviewed September 20, 2026. This is a planning summary, not a permit decision. Confirm the current zoning, registered title constraints, servicing and permit requirements for the specific property before design or construction.
V69.62 targeted primary-source review · October 12, 2026: As of the official page checked October 12, 2026, proposed Zoning Amendment Bylaw 5446 received first through third reading September 21 but still required Transportation Ministry approval and fourth reading; it was NOT adopted. Official municipal record ↗ Still unverified: Recheck Council minutes, Ministry approval and adoption after September 21 before applying proposed four/six-unit standards; verify mapped lot and current suite/coach-house rules. No comprehensive current-by-law signoff or parcel approval is claimed.