Check if your drawings follow regulations

We're excited to work with residential designers and architects who:

• Are currently designing a laneway house that:
  • Does not include a new single detached house
  • Is not located in UBC and Musqueam
• Will apply for the development/building permit
• Are nearly ready to apply

We're working to expand eCheck to include other housing types, such as single detached house, duplex, and multiplex.

• Save time for your client by having fewer deficiencies to resolve since eCheck helps catch mistakes and make sure your drawings follow regulations.
• Get dedicated support from our program team to use eCheck, understand its results, and apply for your permit.
• Learn to use eCheck before it's widely available to the industry.
• Help shape our rollout of eCheck with your feedback.

Rest assured, you can still apply for a permit even if eCheck found something on your drawings that doesn't follow regulations. We will review drawings and work with you towards compliance, like usual.

We ask that you commit the time to learn, adapt to new information and processes, and give detailed feedback about your experience. We estimate:

• A few hours for training
• An hour for viewing and understanding each compliance report
• An hour at key stages in the journey for giving feedback
• A few moments periodically for reviewing updates

As of April 30, eCheck can assess laneway house designs to check if they follow these regulations:

Zoning and Development By-law

• Section 11 Use-Specific Regulations PDF file (1 MB)
  • 11.3.8 Laneway House
    • 11.3.8.1 Laneway house permitted combinations
    • 11.3.8.2 Maximum floor area
    • 11.3.8.3 Minimum site width
    • 11.3.8.5 Maximum site coverage
    • 11.3.8.6 Location of laneway house (setbacks)
    • 11.3.8.7 Required spaces (habitable room, bedroom)
    • 11.3.8.8 Elements that must be included in area computation
    • 11.3.8.9 Elements that must be excluded in area computations
    • 11.3.8.10 Decks on uppermost levels

We're working to expand eCheck to include:

• Other regulations from the Zoning and Development By-law, Parking By-law, and Vancouver Building By-law
• Other housing types, such as single detached house, duplex, and multiplex

When you upload your drawings on eCheck, you agree to let us use your drawings to:

• Check and report on compliance with our regulations
• Fill out data fields on related permit applications in review
• Inform how we design, apply, analyze, update, and report on policies and regulations 

As well, you agree to grant us a licence to use the drawings that is:

• Royalty-free (we won't pay you ongoing fees)
• Non-exclusive (you can let others use the drawings)
• Non-transferable (we won't let others use the drawings)

As owner of the drawings, you retain all ownership of its intellectual property rights. Archistar and the City of Vancouver don't acquire any intellectual property rights or interest in the drawings.

The City of Vancouver ("our", "we") is piloting the use of an automated technology tool called eCheck to digitally help you evaluate your digital architectural drawings (“Drawings”) against our by-laws, regulations, and rules.

We provide eCheck as an evaluative guide and for informational purposes only. We make no representations or warranties about the accuracy or reliability of eCheck. We are not liable for any errors, omissions, or any actions you take in reliance upon eCheck.

Any results you receive are based on the accuracy and completeness of your Drawings. The results do not mean that we approve – or will approve – your Drawings, or that we will issue a permit. We retain the right to approve or reject any Drawings once you apply for a permit, which will be issued in accordance with our by-laws, regulations, and rules.