Bowen Island zoning: find your zone and what it allows
How do I find out how my property is zoned and what I can build on it?
In Bowen Island Municipality, zones are shown on Schedule B, the Land Use Bylaw Map, on the Municipality's Land Use Bylaw page. Its online map, BowMap, locates a property and shows development permit areas. Each zone's rules are in Land Use Bylaw No. 57.
Zoning map
RuralCommercialPublicResidentialIndustrialComprehensive development
Search an address or click a lot on the map to see its zone and what it allows.
Zoning shown from the Bowen Island Municipality's BowMap data, downloaded 2026-11-08.
Zones in Bowen Island
From Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated for convenience, November 2025). The consolidation is not a legal document; certified copies of the original bylaws should be consulted. Zones are in Part 4, grouped by section (several zones share one section). CD 14 is not listed in Table 4-1. Schedule B (Land Use Map) is a separate document. Each zone has its own page with its uses, lot sizes, heights and setbacks. Zone pages are drafts taken from the bylaw text and not yet reviewed by a person.
Rural zones
Commercial zones
- RC 1 Rural Commercial 1 (Garden Centre)
- RC 2 Rural Commercial 2 (Retreat Centre)
- TC 1 Tourist Commercial 1 (Guest House)
- VC 1 Village Commercial 1
- VC 2 Village Commercial 2 (Marina Upland)
- WC 1 Water Commercial 1 (Marina)
Public zones
- II Island Institutional
- SI Settlement Institutional
- Ci Island Civic
- VI Village Institutional
- VCi Village Civic
- G1 Ecological Reserve
- G2 Environmentally Sensitive
- G3 Natural Areas/Watersheds
- P1 Passive Park
- P2 Multi-Use Activity Park
- P3 Neighbourhood Park
- P4 Natural Park
- WP 1 Drinking Water
- WP 2 Natural Water Park
- WG 1 Water General 1 (Coastal)
- WCi Water Civic
Residential zones
- SR 1 Settlement Residential 1
- SR 2 Settlement Residential 2
- VR 1 Village Residential 1 (Detached Housing)
- VR 2 Village Residential 2 (Attached Housing)
Industrial zones
Comprehensive development zones
- CD 1 Comprehensive Development 1 (Artisan Square)
- CD 2 Comprehensive Development 2 (Cates Hill)
- CD 3 Comprehensive Development 3 (Bowen Bay)
- CD 4 Comprehensive Development 4 (Hood Point)
- CD 5 Comprehensive Development 5 (Rural Recreation and Service)
- CD 6 Comprehensive Development 6 (Cowan Point)
- CD 7 Comprehensive Development 7 (Reid / Pass)
- CD 8 Comprehensive Development 8 (Malkin Creek)
- CD 9 Comprehensive Development 9 (Buchanan)
- CD 10 Comprehensive Development 10 (Ruddy Potato)
- CD 11 Comprehensive Development 11 (Gas Station)
- CD 12 Comprehensive Development 12 (Greenway West)
- CD 13 Comprehensive Development 13 (Works Yard – Gas Station)
- CD 15 Comprehensive Development 15 (Seniors Precinct)
- CD 16 Comprehensive Development 16 (Belterra)
- CD 17 Comprehensive Development 17 (Proctor)
- CD 18 Comprehensive Development 18 (Arbutus Ridge)
- CD 19 Comprehensive Development 19 (Community Lands Lot 2)
- CD 20 Comprehensive Development 20 (Bowen Investments Ltd.)
- CD 21 Comprehensive Development 21 (Grafton Lake)
- CD 22 Comprehensive Development 22 (Community Lands Lot 1)
Key facts
| How to find your zone | The location of each zone is shown on Schedule B, the Land Use Bylaw Map, which the Municipality posts on its Land Use Bylaw page. The Municipality's BowMap online map (bowmap.bowenislandmunicipality.ca) is used to locate a property and check whether it is in a development permit area.Land Use Planning Documents, Bowen Island Municipality, Land Use Bylaw; Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (PDF, consolidated November 2025), s. 4.C; Building and Planning Frequently Asked Questions, Bowen Island Municipality, Building Department FAQ · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingThe Land Use Bylaw (LUB) regulates the use of land, building, and structures on the island Land Use Bylaw Maps & Schedules The location of each zone is on Schedule “B” the Land Use Bylaw Map. Check out Bowmap to confirm whether or not your property is located within a development permit area. |
|---|---|
| Zoning bylaw | Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002, consolidated for convenience November 2025 (the Municipality's page lists amending bylaws through No. 723, 2026).Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (PDF, consolidated November 2025), Title page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingBOWEN ISLAND MUNICIPALITY LAND USE BYLAW NO. 57, 2002 CONSOLIDATED FOR CONVENIENCE – November 2025 |
| What the zone controls | Each zone sets permitted uses, the size, height and siting of buildings and structures, lot coverage, minimum lot area, and parking standards.Land Use Planning Documents, Bowen Island Municipality, Land Use Bylaw · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingThe LUB defines legal zones that specify: Permitted uses The size, height, and siting of buildings and structures Lot coverage Minimum lot area Parking standards |
| Contact | Planning Department: planning@bimbc.ca, 604-947-4255 ext. 6.Contact, Bowen Island Municipality, Staff contact information; Land Use Planning Documents, Bowen Island Municipality · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingFor planning & zoning related questions | Planning Department | planning@bimbc.ca | x6 Questions? Contact the Planning Department at planning@bimbc.ca or 604-947-4255 ext. 6 |
| Bylaw | Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002.Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (PDF, consolidated November 2025), Title page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingBOWEN ISLAND MUNICIPALITY LAND USE BYLAW NO. 57, 2002 |
How it works
Bowen Island Municipality zones its land under Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002, consolidated for convenience in November 2025. The Municipality's page lists later amending bylaws through No. 723, 2026, so the consolidation may be out of date.
The location of each zone is shown on Schedule B, the Land Use Bylaw Map, posted on the Municipality's Land Use Bylaw page. The Municipality's online map, BowMap (bowmap.bowenislandmunicipality.ca), is used to locate a property and check whether it is in a development permit area. The Planning FAQ says zoning information and permitted uses are in the Land Use Bylaw.
Each zone sets permitted uses, the size, height and siting of buildings and structures, lot coverage, minimum lot area and parking standards.
Steps
- Find your property on Schedule B (the Land Use Bylaw Map) or on BowMap.
- Open the Land Use Bylaw and read your zone's section for permitted uses and building limits.
- Check on BowMap whether your property is in a development permit area.
- Confirm with the Planning Department: 604-947-4255 ext. 6 or planning@bimbc.ca.
Good to know
- Example zone figures: in the RR1 to RR3 zones, height is 9 m and the setback is 7.5 m from all lot lines. Your zone may differ.
- The consolidated bylaw is not a legal document. Ask Planning to confirm the current rules and any 2026 amendments for your lot.
- The Official Community Plan is Bylaw No. 282, 2010, and is under review.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
West Vancouver · Gibsons · Lions Bay · District of North Vancouver · North Vancouver · Vancouver
Sources
- Land Use Planning Documents, Bowen Island Municipality (read 2026-11-08)
- Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (PDF, consolidated November 2025) (read 2026-11-08)
- Building and Planning Frequently Asked Questions, Bowen Island Municipality (read 2026-11-08)
- Contact, Bowen Island Municipality (read 2026-11-08)
Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 5 facts was matched to the official text. How answers are checked.