SSMUH in Burnaby: 4 vs 6 Units and Which Lots Qualify

Bill 44 gets talked about like a switch that turned every Burnaby single-family lot into a six-unit development site. That is not how it works on the ground. The provincial rules set a baseline. The lot in front of you decides what actually gets built and whether it makes any money.

I get the same question almost every week now: "Can I build six units on this lot?" The honest answer is usually "you can build up to four, and maybe six, but let me look at three things first." Here is how I read a Burnaby lot for SSMUH, and where the four-versus-six line really falls.

What Bill 44 SSMUH Actually Allows

SSMUH stands for Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing. It is the part of Bill 44 that forced BC municipalities, Burnaby included, to allow more homes on lots that used to permit one house.

The baseline is up to 4 units on most single-family lots. The 6-unit tier is narrower. It applies to lots that sit within roughly 400 metres of a bus stop on a frequent transit route, or near a transit hub. That distance is measured as a walk to the stop, and the frequent-transit designation matters. A regular bus route does not unlock the sixth unit. I walk through the wider policy in what Bill 44 means for Burnaby.

So the first sort is simple. Is the lot inside the frequent-transit zone or not? If yes, six units may be on the table. If no, you are planning for four. Confirm the exact transit designation and setback rules with the City of Burnaby before you count on the higher number, because the mapped frequent-transit network and the 400-metre measurement are the City's call, not mine.

Why the transit line matters so much

The sixth unit is not just one more door. It often pushes a project past thresholds for parking, servicing, and building form that a four-unit plan stays under. On the right lot near transit, that extra unit adds real value. On the wrong lot, chasing it turns a clean fourplex into a cramped, expensive sixplex that appraises for less per unit.

How Lot Size and Frontage Decide What Pencils Out

Zoning tells you the maximum. Geometry tells you what fits.

Frontage is the number I look at first. That is how wide the lot is along the street. A lot of older Burnaby single-family lots are around 33 feet wide. Some are 50 or 66 feet. The wider the front, the easier it is to lay out separate entrances, side-by-side parking, and units that people actually want to live in.

Here is the pattern I see:

• 33-foot lots: Four units is realistic. Six is a stretch. You end up stacking units and fighting for parking. The per-unit value usually drops enough that four well-designed units beat six compromised ones.
• 50-foot lots: Four units is comfortable. Six can work if the lot is deep and sits in the transit zone.
• 66-foot lots: This is where six units near transit starts to make real sense. You have room for a proper layout, lane access, and parking that does not swallow the yard.

Depth matters too. A wide but shallow lot limits how far back you can build, which caps your total floor area. I like a lot that is both wide at the front and deep enough to give the builder options.

This is the same lens I use for assembling two lots into one bigger site. If a single 33-foot lot only supports four units, two side-by-side lots combined can support a much cleaner six-unit or larger project. I cover that in Burnaby lot assembly for multiplex.

Servicing and Parking: The Costs That Hide in the Ground

The part that surprises most first-time developers is servicing. Water, sewer, and electrical connections were sized for one house. Six units can need bigger water and sewer lines to the street, and sometimes an upgraded electrical service. If the pipe in the street is old or undersized, that upgrade is on you, and it can run into real money.

I always tell clients to treat servicing as a question, not an assumption. Before you count on six units, you want a sense of what the water and sewer on that street can carry. A lot that qualifies for six units but needs a major servicing upgrade might net you less than a nearby lot that cleanly does four.

Parking is the other pressure point. Even where the rules are relaxed near transit, you still need to physically fit the vehicles and the driveway or lane access somewhere. Lane access changes everything here. A lot with a rear lane can put parking off the lane and keep the street frontage for entrances and landscaping. A lot with no lane has to bring cars in from the front, which eats into the buildable area.

The Edmonds guide covers one part of Burnaby where a mix of lot sizes, lane access, and transit lines up in a way that suits this kind of project.

How I Read Which Burnaby Lots Are Worth the Extra Units

When a client is deciding whether to pay up for a lot that "qualifies for six," I run it through a short filter:

1. Is it truly in the frequent-transit zone? Verified against the City map, not just "there's a bus nearby."
2. Is the frontage 50 feet or more? Below that, six units rarely beats four on a per-unit basis.
3. What is the servicing situation? A clean connection is worth a premium. A required upgrade is a discount.
4. Is there lane access? It usually decides whether the parking and layout work.

If a lot fails two or more of those, I steer the client toward a four-unit plan or a different lot. The extra units only matter if they add more value than they cost to build. Sometimes the four-unit lot with clean servicing is the better buy, even though it "only" does four.

For a full sense of what a multiplex project looks like from land to finished units, the multiplex hub lays out the process, and the pro forma walkthrough shows how the numbers come together.

Key Takeaways

• SSMUH allows up to 4 units on most Burnaby single-family lots, and up to 6 only within roughly 400 metres of frequent transit or near a transit hub.
• A standard 33-foot lot usually pencils out best at four units. Six units start to make sense at 50 to 66 feet of frontage near transit.
• Servicing upgrades (water, sewer, electrical) can quietly erase the profit from the extra units. Treat them as a question before you buy.
• Lane access often decides whether parking and layout work for a six-unit plan.
• Qualifying for six on paper is not the same as building six that make money. The lot decides.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many units can I build on a Burnaby single-family lot under Bill 44?

Most single-family lots allow up to 4 units under SSMUH. Lots within roughly 400 metres of a frequent-transit stop or near a transit hub can allow up to 6. Confirm the exact transit designation and measurement with the City of Burnaby, since those maps are the City's call.

Why can't every lot near a bus stop build 6 units?

The 6-unit tier only applies to bus stops on frequent-transit routes, not every bus route. A standard local bus does not unlock the sixth unit. The City of Burnaby maintains the map of which routes and stops qualify, so verify the specific stop before you plan for six.

Does lot width really change how many units make sense?

Yes. On a 33-foot lot, six units usually means cramped layouts and difficult parking, so four often nets more per unit. At 50 to 66 feet of frontage, six units near transit can lay out cleanly with proper entrances and parking. Frontage is the first number I check.

What servicing costs should I expect for a six-unit Burnaby project?

Six units can require larger water and sewer connections and sometimes an upgraded electrical service, because the old lines were sized for one house. If the pipe in the street is undersized, the upgrade cost falls on you and can be significant. Get a servicing read before you commit.

Sources

• Greater Vancouver Realtors, June 2026 MLS® HPI
• MLS® board records, July 2026 (Burnaby market and lot activity)
• City of Burnaby, for SSMUH zoning, frequent-transit mapping, servicing, and parking rules (verify directly)

Related Guides

• What Bill 44 Means for Burnaby
• Burnaby Lot Assembly for Multiplex
• Burnaby Multiplex Pro Forma Walkthrough
• Multiplex in Burnaby: The Full Guide

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If you are looking at a Burnaby lot and want to know whether it is really a four-unit or a six-unit site, I will read the frontage, the transit zone, and the servicing with you before you write an offer. That read often changes what the lot is worth to you. Book a valuation on a lot you own or are considering, or reach out directly and we will look at it together. Jersey Li, PREC, Sutton Group - 1st West Realty