Garden Suites & Laneway Homes in the Lower Mainland & Vancouver Island

A garden suite is a complete small home — foundation, kitchen, bathroom, and utilities — on your existing lot. We build detached garden suites, laneway homes, and coach houses across the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island for rental income or family, with 2-5-10 warranty coverage on the new dwelling, subject to the provider's terms.

A garden suite is a small, complete home — a foundation, framing, envelope, kitchen, bathroom, and utilities packed into a compact detached building on your existing lot. It's one of the highest-value ways to add space or income to a property, and across the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island the rules now make it possible on far more lots than they used to. We design and build these backyard homes from the ground up.

Garden suite, laneway home, or coach house?

They're largely the same building type with different names depending on the municipality and the design. A garden suite is a ground-oriented detached home in the backyard; a laneway home faces a rear lane; a coach house typically sits above a detached garage. All are detached accessory dwelling units (ADUs). We build all three and will use whichever your lot and local bylaws support.

Why build a garden suite?

• Rental income — a self-contained suite that helps carry the mortgage
• Family space — a private home for aging parents or adult children, close but separate
• A home office, studio, or guest house steps from the main house
• Lasting value — a permitted, legal second dwelling a future buyer or lender will count

Can you build one on your lot?

Since the province's small-scale multi-unit housing legislation, most single-family and duplex lots across BC now permit at least one detached accessory dwelling without rezoning. The details that decide what fits — lot size and frontage, setbacks, height, lot coverage, parking, tree protection, and the capacity of your water, sanitary, and storm services — are still set locally and vary lot to lot. We confirm what your specific property supports before any design spend.

A complete build on a compact footprint

Because a garden suite is a whole home in miniature, efficient layouts and clean utility connections matter more than anywhere else. We plan the foundation, framing, weather-tight envelope, and the servicing tie-ins to the main house or the street, then design the interior so a small space lives larger. The drawings and servicing plan come first — that's where a garden suite succeeds or stalls.

What shapes your garden suite budget

The main drivers are the size of the suite, how far services have to run and whether they need upgrades, site access for construction, foundation conditions, and the level of finishes. We provide a detailed, itemized estimate built around your lot so you can weigh the cost against the income or family space it adds.

How we build your garden suite

• 1. Feasibility and design: we confirm what your lot allows, then design the suite and its servicing with the right professionals
• 2. Permits and itemized estimate: a line-item scope and price, with the municipal permit process coordinated
• 3. Site prep and foundation: excavation, servicing, and a foundation engineered for the site
• 4. Framing, envelope, and systems: structure, a weather-tight envelope, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing
• 5. Finishing and handover: interior finishing, final inspections, and a walkthrough before you take the keys

Covered by 2-5-10 home warranty

As a new, self-contained dwelling, a garden suite is applicable new-home construction. We build as a BC Housing Licensed Residential Builder, and applicable projects carry 2-5-10 home warranty coverage through Pacific Home Warranty — subject to the provider, policy terms, limits, and exclusions.

Why build with us

We bring over 25 years of construction experience and a clean WorkSafeBC record, and we're members of the Canadian Home Builders' Association and the Victoria Residential Builders Association. One team manages the design, trades, and schedule, with an itemized estimate and no surprises — and permits, zoning, and municipal decisions are coordinated with the municipality and the design professionals, while we focus on a buildable design and a clean result.