What can I build in Surrey?
BuildHere covers 19 residential zones in Surrey, with rules read from the Surrey Zoning By-law. On a standard 33 × 122 ft lot with a rear lane, these zones allow up to 4 units, and 8 of them allow four or more. The table shows the most units each zone allows outright on three common lot sizes, worked out by the same engine as a BuildHere report.
Units by zone and lot size
Each lot is a plain rectangle with a rear lane, not on a corner and not in a frequent-transit area. A dash means no building form is allowed outright on that lot size.
| Zone | 33 × 122 ft | 50 × 122 ft | 66 × 122 ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAAcreage Residential | Up to 4 unitsDuplex with a suite in each unit | Up to 4 unitsDuplex with a suite in each unit | Up to 4 unitsDuplex with a suite in each unit |
| R1Suburban Residential | Up to 4 unitsDuplex with a suite in each unit | Up to 4 unitsDuplex with a suite in each unit | Up to 4 unitsDuplex with a suite in each unit |
| R2Quarter Acre Residential | Up to 4 unitsDuplex with a suite in each unit | Up to 4 unitsDuplex with a suite in each unit | Up to 4 unitsDuplex with a suite in each unit |
| R3Urban Residential | Up to 4 unitsDuplex with a suite in each unit | Up to 4 unitsHouseplex, 4 units | Up to 4 unitsHouseplex, 4 units |
| R4Small Lot Residential | Up to 4 unitsDuplex with a suite in each unit | Up to 4 unitsDuplex with a suite in each unit | Up to 4 unitsDuplex with a suite in each unit |
| R5Compact Residential | Up to 4 unitsHouse with secondary suite, coach house and garden suite | Up to 4 unitsHouse with secondary suite, coach house and garden suite | Up to 4 unitsHouse with secondary suite, coach house and garden suite |
| R5-SSpecial Compact Residential | Up to 4 unitsHouse with secondary suite, coach house and garden suite | Up to 4 unitsHouse with secondary suite, coach house and garden suite | Up to 4 unitsHouse with secondary suite, coach house and garden suite |
| R6Semi-Detached Residential | Up to 4 unitsHouse with secondary suite, coach house and garden suite | Up to 4 unitsHouse with secondary suite, coach house and garden suite | Up to 4 unitsHouse with secondary suite, coach house and garden suite |
| MR1Low Density Townhouse | – | About 2 unitsGround-oriented townhouses | About 3 unitsGround-oriented townhouses |
| MR2Medium Density Townhouse | – | About 2 unitsGround-oriented townhouses | About 4 unitsGround-oriented townhouses |
| MR3Row House | Up to 2 unitsRow houses | Up to 3 unitsRow houses | Up to 4 unitsRow houses |
| MR4High Density Townhouse | – | About 3 unitsTownhouses | About 4 unitsTownhouses |
| MR6Low-Rise (4 storey) Apartment | – | About 4 unitsLow-rise apartment | About 10 unitsLow-rise apartment |
| RM-70Multiple Residential 70 | – | – | About 8 unitsHigh-rise apartment |
| MR7Low-Rise (5-8 storey) Apartment | – | – | About 8 unitsMid-rise apartment |
| MR7-CLow-Rise (5-8 storey) Apartment with Commercial | – | – | About 9 unitsMid-rise apartment with commercial |
| MR8Mid-Rise Apartment | – | – | About 8 unitsMid-rise apartment, with bonus density |
| MR10City Centre High-Rise Apartment | – | – | About 9 unitsCity Centre high-rise apartment, with bonus density |
| RM-MManufactured Home Residential | – | – | About 1 unitManufactured home park |
Your lot will differ.
Frontage, depth, lane access, corner lots and frequent-transit areas all change the answer. Search your address for a report on the real lot in Surrey.
Common questions
How many units can I build on a lot in Surrey?
On a standard 33 × 122 ft lot with a lane, the 19 residential zones BuildHere covers in Surrey allow 2 or 4 units, depending on the zone; 8 of them allow four or more. 10 zones need a larger lot for anything to be built outright. Lots near frequent transit, corner lots and bigger lots can allow more.
Which zoning bylaw is this based on?
Surrey Zoning By-law. City of Surrey open data. Loaded October 2026; not refreshed automatically. Each zone page links to the section of the bylaw its rules were read from.
Is this Surrey’s official zoning answer?
No. Preliminary screening only. Verify with the City of Surrey. BuildHere is a preliminary screen of what the bylaw allows on a typical lot; it does not check covenants, heritage, trees, servicing or site-specific zoning, and it is not a permit review.
Other cities
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