For most Greater Vancouver homeowners, the basement is the last room that gets any attention: storage bins, aging mechanicals, and a lot of wasted potential. A legal secondary suite turns that into something that works: a separate home for an adult child, an aging parent, or a tenant who helps carry the mortgage. We've built suites across the Lower Mainland, so we can guide you through the permit details and help get yours through cleanly.
Suites are ideal for any home. They can serve as a self-contained unit that separates space for your family, or they can even help carry the mortgage through renting. That upside always holds true.
However in Canada, there can also be the added benefit of valuable incentives and programs to encourage new rental suites. From forgivable loans to low-interest financing to tax deductions on eligible suite-related expenses, BC can offer perks for renting out a suite. The recently-closed $40,000 Secondary Suite Incentive Program is an example. Let us help you handle the design, permits, and construction so it's done legally and properly from the start.
Program availability, eligibility, and tax treatment can change. Confirm current details with the relevant program provider, lender, and your accountant.
Built to code
A secondary suite isn't just a finished basement with a kitchen added. To be legal in Metro Vancouver, it has to meet BC Building Code requirements and your municipality's zoning bylaws: a separate entrance, egress windows, minimum ceiling height, fire separation between floors, dedicated electrical, and more.
Get it right once and you sidestep the common problems: a bylaw complaint, an insurance gap, a failed final inspection. Get it wrong and you're looking at costly remediation, or a suite you can't legally rent out.
See what's required →
Why Framework
Every city in Metro Vancouver has its own wrinkles, and the rules keep changing. We've tracked every municipal update, permit change, and bylaw revision across Burnaby, Surrey, Richmond, Delta, and beyond, so we know what each one checks for before we start.
We pull the permits, attend every inspection, and manage the process from site visit to certificate of occupancy. The majority of our work comes from referrals, and you'll deal with the same names from quote to key handover, not a coordinator three layers removed.
Book a free consultation →Common project types
The typical secondary suite projects fall into one of three categories. Each has its own permit path, typical scope, and investment range.
Converting an attached or detached garage into a true living unit. More structural work than a basement build, but it creates an above-grade suite with better natural light.
Converting an unfinished or semi-finished basement into a fully self-contained legal unit. The most common suite project in Metro Vancouver and the one we know best.
Partitioning part of your main home (an upper level, a main-floor wing, or an accessory space) into a fully self-contained above-grade suite.
BC Building Code + Municipal Bylaws
Requirements vary by municipality, the existing home, and the final code path, but these are the main items we review on nearly every legal suite project in Metro Vancouver.
A dedicated entry for the suite, with safe access that does not rely on moving through the main living area.
Sufficient ceiling height in key living areas to meet code and create a comfortable, usable suite.
Bedroom windows or other compliant escape routes sized and located to satisfy fire-safety requirements.
Code-compliant separation between the suite and main home to support fire safety and inspection approval.
Electrical service that supports the added suite safely, whether through panel upgrades, dedicated circuits, or other code-compliant solutions.
A self-contained kitchen setup appropriate for a legal secondary suite.
A private bathroom within the suite, designed to meet code and function independently from the main home.
Insulation and assembly details that help reduce sound transfer between the suite and the main dwelling.
Properly located and interconnected life-safety devices as required for both the suite and the main home.
Exact requirements depend on the municipality, the existing home, and the final design approach. We review applicable bylaws and code requirements for each property before finalizing scope.
Let's talk secondary suites
Free, candid, no pitch. Tell us what you're picturing. A legal basement suite, a garage conversion, a mortgage helper that passes inspection the first time. We'll walk through the space, then tell you honestly what it takes and whether we're the right fit.
