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Houston zoning: find your zone and what it allows

How do I find out how my property is zoned in Houston and what I can build on it?

Houston, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-08

Short answer

To find your zone in Houston, use the District's online map: choose "Search by Address", enter your street number and road name, and turn on the "Zoning" layer. The zones and their rules are in Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026. Questions: 250-845-2238.

Zoning map

ResidentialAgriculturalRuralCommercialIndustrialPublic

Search an address or click a lot on the map to see its zone and what it allows.

Zoning shown from the District of Houston's PropertyMap (joint RDFFG and RDBN web map) data, downloaded 2026-11-08. The map layer on the regional district's server is labelled with the earlier Zoning Bylaw No. 1040, so it may not match the new Bylaw No. 1225 (Schedule B).

Zones in Houston

From Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026 (adopted October 6, 2026). Schedule A of the bylaw is the text; Schedule B (the zoning map) is a separate PDF at https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149524. The document shows "Updated - N/A". 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.

Residential zones

Agricultural zones

Rural zones

Commercial zones

Industrial zones

Public zones

Key facts

How to find your zoneUse the District's online map: choose "Search by Address" in the Search menu, enter the street number and road name, and turn on the "Zoning" layer. The Zoning Map is also Schedule B of the Zoning Bylaw.Sources differ: The Zoning page says Schedule A of the bylaw sets out the zone designations and the map is in the bylaw; the bylaw makes Schedule A the text and Schedule B the map. The bylaw governs. A property report can be downloaded from the Survey Parcels menu. The online map link on the page goes to a Regional District of Fraser-Fort George viewer (rdffg.bc.ca); it was not fetched.Zoning, "Find your Zone"; Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026, s. 3.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Use the Search menu in the top left menu bar to “Search by Address”.
Input your Street Number and Road Name.
Ensure the “Zoning” layer is turned on in the bottom left Layers menu.
3.1.2. Schedule B – Zoning Bylaw Map
Zoning bylawZoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026. Schedule A (text) adopted October 6, 2026, updated: N/A.Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026, Schedule A cover page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Adopted: October 6, 2026 Updated: N/A
This Bylaw will be cited as “Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026.”
What the zone controlsFor each of 12 zones (R1, R2, R3, A1, A2, C1, C2, C3, M1, M2, P1, P2): permitted principal and secondary uses, minimum lot size, lot coverage, density, height, setbacks and accessory building limits.Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026, Table 8-1 and Parts 9 to 13; Zoning, "What local governments may regulate through zoning" · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
(1) The District of Houston is divided into zones as shown on the Zoning Map and described in Table 8-1: Table 8-1: Zones Zone Zone Abbreviation Residential Zones
Zone Zone Abbreviation Residential Zones Neighbourhood Residential R1 Multi-Family Residential R2 Manufactured Home Park Residential R3
Siting, size, and dimensions of buildings and structures (i.e. setbacks, height, and parcel coverage)
ContactCommunity Development Department: 250-845-2238, ecdev@houston.ca, 3367 12th Street, PO Box 370, Houston, BC V0J 1Z0.Zoning, Page footer · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
community development department Community Development Department 3367 12th Street, PO Box 370 Houston, BC, V0J 1Z0 250-845-2238 ecdev@houston.ca
BylawZoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026.Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026, s. 1.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
This Bylaw will be cited as “Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026.”

How it works

The District of Houston's Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026 (adopted October 6, 2026) divides the District into 12 zones: R1, R2, R3, A1, A2, C1, C2, C3, M1, M2, P1 and P2. For each zone it sets permitted principal and secondary uses, minimum lot size, lot coverage, density, height, setbacks and accessory building limits. General rules for fences, landscaping, parking, home occupations and shipping containers are in Parts 5 to 7 of the same bylaw.

Steps

  1. Open the online map on the District's Zoning page.
  2. Choose "Search by Address" in the Search menu and enter the street number and road name.
  3. Turn on the "Zoning" layer. You can also download a property report from the Survey Parcels menu.
  4. Find that zone in the Zoning Bylaw to see what is allowed.

Good to know

  • The Zoning Map is Schedule B of the bylaw; Schedule A is the text. The Zoning page describes this the other way round. The bylaw governs.
  • The online map link on the page goes to a viewer hosted by the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George; we did not open it.
  • The Building Permits page still links an older Zoning Bylaw. That one has been replaced.
  • Contact the Community Development Department: 250-845-2238, ecdev@houston.ca, 3367 12th Street, PO Box 370, Houston, BC V0J 1Z0.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Telkwa · Smithers · Granisle · Burns Lake · New Hazelton · Hazelton

Zoning maps in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

  1. Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026 (PDF), District of Houston (read 2026-11-08)
  2. Zoning, District of Houston (read 2026-11-08)
  3. Building Permits and Inspections, District of Houston (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.