Zoning, cost and building science, in plain numbers.
Short, sourced notes on what BC’s multiplex rules, costs and codes mean for a real lot. The same pieces we share on Instagram and LinkedIn, with the sources attached.
Costs and financing · Nov 9, 2026Triplexes and fourplexes: up to 90% financed
Budget 2026 proposes mortgage insurance of up to 90% of completed value for new triplexes and fourplexes. What is proposed and what does not change.
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Building science · Nov 9, 2026Step 4 and Step 5 in plain numbers
The BC Energy Step Code read as three test results: airtightness and energy limits for Steps 3, 4 and 5, and what they mean for design.
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Building science · Nov 9, 2026High-R walls and where they fail
Step 4 and Step 5 airtightness results are decided less by insulation thickness than by four joints. The details that matter.
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Zoning and policy · Nov 9, 2026Foreign buyers and new homes: a fact-check
What Budget 2026 actually proposes on foreign buyers and new homes, what it does not say, and what does not change in BC.
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Process · Nov 9, 2026Asbestos in older homes: plan it before demolition
Most multiplex sites start with an older house. Survey, notice, licensed removal and clearance: how asbestos affects the schedule.
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Costs and financing · Nov 3, 2026Vancouver’s new amenity cost charge
A new line in the Vancouver pro forma from September 30, 2026: what the amenity cost charge is, the published rates and when it is paid.
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Process · Nov 3, 2026Six questions for your multiplex builder
Licence, warranty, pricing, budget, inspections and lot checks: six questions to ask any builder before you sign.
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Zoning and policy · Nov 3, 2026Bill 25 on the North Shore: three councils, three paths
Where the City of North Vancouver, the District of North Vancouver and West Vancouver stand on Bill 25, from public council records.
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Costs and financing · Nov 3, 2026The lender’s file for your multiplex
Construction lenders vary, but a multiplex file usually comes down to five parts: site, plans, budget, contract and exit.
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Process · Nov 3, 2026Five checks before the drywall goes up
The cheapest time to fix a wall is before it exists. Five checks we run before drywall, on top of the municipal inspections.
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Zoning and policy · Nov 3, 2026Bill 44 and Bill 25: what applies today
Bill 44 was amended, and the amended rules apply. The provincial minimum homes per lot, what Bill 25 changed, and why Vancouver is a separate case.
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Zoning and policy · Nov 1, 2026West Vancouver Bylaw 5446: six homes, not yet law
West Vancouver could open about 1,133 lots to six-home buildings. What Bylaw 5446 would allow if adopted, and what applies until then.
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Zoning and policy · Nov 1, 2026Vancouver R1-1: what your lot can hold
About 65,000 Vancouver lots sit in the R1-1 zone. Homes per lot by site area and frontage, the building envelope, and worked examples.
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Zoning and policy · Nov 1, 2026Vancouver R1-1 in five numbers
One standard Vancouver lot can now hold up to six homes, or eight if all are rental. The five numbers that decide what your lot can hold.
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Costs and financing · Nov 1, 2026Three ways to pay a builder
Fixed price, cost-plus or open-book: each contract model puts the cost risk in a different place. How to tell which one suits your project.
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Zoning and policy · Nov 1, 2026Buying a sloped North Shore lot: five checks first
Hazard maps, geotechnical review, trees, foundations and survey: five checks to run before you make an offer on a sloped North Shore lot.
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Process · Nov 1, 2026Seven inspections run your schedule
A multiplex gets built on the inspector’s schedule. The seven inspection stages of a typical North Vancouver new build, and where schedules slip.
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Costs and financing · Nov 1, 2026Your multiplex power service: $22K or $130K
Vancouver multiplex electrical connections ranged from $22,000 to $130,000 in a City sample. What drives the difference, and four questions to settle before design.
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Zoning and policy · Nov 1, 2026District of North Vancouver: the new R1 and R2 zones
The District replaced 19 single-family zones with two on July 20, 2026. What each lot allows today, the R2 envelope and where Bill 25 stands.
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Zoning and policy · Nov 1, 2026City of North Vancouver: the Ground Oriented zone
About 4,900 City of North Vancouver lots were rezoned on December 8, 2025. What Bylaw 9137 allows, the envelope and what is still pending.
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Zoning and policy · Nov 1, 2026Burnaby’s R1 zone after the December 2025 changes
Burnaby folded 12 residential zones into one R1 zone, then tightened it in December 2025. Homes per lot, the envelope and a worked example.
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Building science · Nov 1, 2026Built to code: what it means in BC now
For a new North Shore home or multiplex, built to code now means energy and carbon targets. How the Step Code is set and proven.
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Process · Nov 1, 2026Free provincial housing plans: should you use them?
BC offers free standardized designs for duplexes, triplexes and townhomes. When a catalogue plan fits your lot, and when it does not.
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Process · Nov 1, 20262-5-10: what your new home warranty covers
Every new home built by a licensed BC builder carries 2-5-10 warranty insurance. What each period covers and four questions to ask before you sign.
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