--- title: "Salt Spring Island zoning: find your zone and what it allows" question: "How do I find out how my property is zoned and what I can build on it?" place: Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/salt-spring-island category: Building, renovating and your property owner: other sources_read: 2026-11-05 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salt-spring-island/zoning-lookup/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salt-spring-island/zoning-lookup.json" --- # Salt Spring Island zoning: find your zone and what it allows **Question:** How do I find out how my property is zoned and what I can build on it? **Short answer:** On Salt Spring Island, zoning is set by the Islands Trust, not the Capital Regional District (CRD). Look up your lot in the Trust's MapIT map or property web portal, or read the zoning maps with Land Use Bylaw 355. Confirm with Trust staff, because MapIT is only a reference. **Who handles it:** Another public body **Cost:** Free to look up. **Where:** - Online: Islands Trust MapIT (zoning layer), https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/2c814e94078049f69280feea43d224f6 - Online: Islands Trust property web portal, https://portal.islandstrust.bc.ca/Property/Locate - Phone: Islands Trust Salt Spring office, 250-537-9144 (Unit 4, 121 McPhillips Avenue, V8K 2T6.) - Email: Islands Trust Salt Spring office, ssiinfo@islandstrust.bc.ca ## Key facts - **How to find your zone:** Use the Islands Trust MapIT application or its web portal for property information, or read the zoning maps (Schedule A and Maps 1 to 6) listed with Land Use Bylaw 355 on the Islands Trust Salt Spring bylaws page. - Source: [Salt Spring Mapping, Islands Trust](https://islandstrust.bc.ca/mapping-resources/mapping/salt-spring/) - Official wording: "Explore the islands within the Islands Trust Area and access geographic and planning information through the MapIT application." … "For property-specific information, visit the Islands Trust web portal." - Source: [Salt Spring Island Local Trust Area Bylaws, Islands Trust, Land Use Bylaw Schedules and Maps](https://islandstrust.bc.ca/island-planning/salt-spring/bylaws/) - Official wording: "Salt Spring Island Sch A – Zoning Map - LUB No. 355" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Zoning bylaw:** Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw, 1999 (Bylaw No. 355), Islands Trust, consolidated June 2026 (for convenience only). - Source: [Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw No. 355 (PDF, consolidated June 2026), cover](https://islandstrust.bc.ca/document/ssi-ltc-bylaw-no-355/) - Official wording: "Land Use Bylaw, 1999" … "Consolidated Version: June 2026" - Source: [Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw No. 355 (PDF, consolidated June 2026), s. 2.1.1](https://islandstrust.bc.ca/document/ssi-ltc-bylaw-no-355/) - Official wording: "The provisions of this Bylaw apply to that portion of Salt Spring Island Local Trust" … "Area that lies within Electoral Area “F” of the Capital Regional District" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **What the zone controls:** Each zone in Part 9 lists permitted uses, density, lot sizes and site-specific rules. General rules add height (7.6 m, two storeys, unless stated), setbacks (7.5 m front and rear, 3 m interior side, 4.5 m exterior side), parking and signs. - Source: [Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw No. 355 (PDF, consolidated June 2026), s. 3.8.1](https://islandstrust.bc.ca/document/ssi-ltc-bylaw-no-355/) - Official wording: "Unless otherwise specified, the maximum height for structures is 7.6 m, provided" - Source: [Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw No. 355 (PDF, consolidated June 2026), s. 4.3.1](https://islandstrust.bc.ca/document/ssi-ltc-bylaw-no-355/) - Official wording: "Setback from front lot line: 7.5 m" … "Setback from exterior side lot line: 4.5 m" - Source: [Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw No. 355 (PDF, consolidated June 2026), s. 8.1.1](https://islandstrust.bc.ca/document/ssi-ltc-bylaw-no-355/) - Official wording: "is divided into the zones depicted on Schedule “A”." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Contact:** Islands Trust Salt Spring Island office, 4-121 McPhillips Avenue, Salt Spring Island V8K 2T6: 250.537.9144, ssiinfo@islandstrust.bc.ca. - Source: [CRD Building Permit Guide (published Oct 2026), Other Documents, item 12](https://www.crd.ca/media/file/building_permit_guide) - Official wording: "Salt Spring Island - Islands Trust, 4-121 McPhillips Avenue" … "Email: ssiinfo@islandstrust.bc.ca, Phone: 250.537.9144" - Source: [Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw No. 355 (PDF, consolidated June 2026), Cover page](https://islandstrust.bc.ca/document/ssi-ltc-bylaw-no-355/) - Official wording: "Islands Trust – Salt Spring Office 4-121 McPhillips Avenue Salt Spring Island, BC, V8K 2T6 (250) 537-9144" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Bylaw:** Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw, 1999 (Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee Bylaw No. 355). - Source: [Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw No. 355 (PDF, consolidated June 2026), cover](https://islandstrust.bc.ca/document/ssi-ltc-bylaw-no-355/) - Official wording: "Land Use Bylaw, 1999" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 ## How it works Zoning on Salt Spring Island is set by the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee (Islands Trust), not the CRD. The [Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw No. 355](https://islandstrust.bc.ca/document/ssi-ltc-bylaw-no-355/) (consolidated June 2026, for convenience only) covers the part of the local trust area within CRD Electoral Area F. Each zone in Part 9 of the bylaw lists permitted uses, density, lot sizes and site-specific rules. General rules add height (7.6 m, two storeys, unless stated), setbacks (7.5 m front and rear, 3 m interior side, 4.5 m exterior side), parking and signs. Development permit areas under the Official Community Plan add further requirements on top of zoning. ## Steps 1. Use the Islands Trust MapIT application or its web portal to find property information. You can also read the zoning maps (Schedule A and Maps 1 to 6) listed with Land Use Bylaw 355 on the Trust's Salt Spring bylaws page. 2. Find your zone in Part 9 of Land Use Bylaw 355 to see permitted uses and limits. 3. Confirm with Islands Trust staff before you buy, build or change use. Call 250-537-9144 or email ssiinfo@islandstrust.bc.ca. ## Good to know - The Trust says MapIT is "a helpful reference, not an authoritative or official source", so confirm with staff. - Property boundaries and zoning data can also be downloaded from the Trust's Salt Spring mapping page. - The CRD building office does not set zoning. For building work, get the Trust's review first. - An Official Community Plan and Land Use Bylaw review is under way, so rules may change. ## Zones 54 zones are listed from [Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw, 1999 (Bylaw No. 355), consolidated version June 2026](https://islandstrust.bc.ca/document/ssi-ltc-bylaw-no-355/). Each zone has its own page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salt-spring-island/zoning/index.json Look up the zone of an address: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salt-spring-island/zoning/lookup?address=123+Main+St ## Official forms and pages - [Salt Spring Island mapping, Islands Trust](https://islandstrust.bc.ca/mapping-resources/mapping/salt-spring/) - [Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw No. 355 (PDF)](https://islandstrust.bc.ca/document/ssi-ltc-bylaw-no-355/) - [Salt Spring Island bylaws page](https://islandstrust.bc.ca/island-planning/salt-spring/bylaws/) ## Related questions - [Salt Spring Island secondary suite and carriage house rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salt-spring-island/secondary-suite.md) - [Salt Spring Island permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salt-spring-island/deck-shed-garage-permit.md) - [Salt Spring Island fence rules: permits and height limits](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salt-spring-island/fence-rules.md) - [Salt Spring Island tree removal rules and permits](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salt-spring-island/tree-removal.md) - [Salt Spring Island building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salt-spring-island/building-permit.md) ## The same question elsewhere - [Zoning maps in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/zoning-lookup.md) ## Sources - [Salt Spring Mapping, Islands Trust](https://islandstrust.bc.ca/mapping-resources/mapping/salt-spring/) (read 2026-11-05) - [Salt Spring Island Local Trust Area Bylaws, Islands Trust](https://islandstrust.bc.ca/island-planning/salt-spring/bylaws/) (read 2026-11-05) - [Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw No. 355 (PDF, consolidated June 2026)](https://islandstrust.bc.ca/document/ssi-ltc-bylaw-no-355/) (read 2026-11-05) - [CRD Building Permit Guide (published Oct 2026)](https://www.crd.ca/media/file/building_permit_guide) (read 2026-11-05) _Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 5 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with any government. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salt-spring-island/zoning-lookup/_