---
title: "O1 zone in Surrey: Office Employment Zone"
place: Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/surrey
zone: O1
bylaw: Surrey Zoning By-law, 1993, No. 12000 (consolidation includes amendments up to By-law 22120, adopted 09/21/2026)
bylaw_read: 2026-11-07
review: draft
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/surrey/zoning/o1/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/surrey/zoning/o1.json"
---

# O1 zone in Surrey: Office Employment Zone

Low-rise, mid-rise or high-rise office, institutional or employment buildings (4 to 40 storeys) developed under a comprehensive design.

## Zone rules

- **Purpose:** Low-rise, mid-rise or high-rise office, institutional or employment buildings (4 to 40 storeys) developed under a comprehensive design.
- **Main uses:** Office uses (excluding social escort services, methadone clinics, cannabis dispensaries); Retail stores (excluding adult entertainment stores, secondhand stores and pawnshops); General service uses (no drive-through banks); Personal service uses (no body rub parlours); Eating establishments (no drive-through restaurants); Neighbourhood pubs; Liquor stores; Universities; Colleges and Institutes; Private Schools; Community services; Child care centres; Light impact industry (only if designated Employment in the Metro 2050 Regional Growth Strategy) (Uses apply to land located outside of City Centre and must be part of a comprehensive design.)
- **Also allowed (secondary uses):** Multiple unit residential building (lot within 200 m of a SkyTrain Station listed in Schedule E, residential use above the ground floor)
- **Minimum lot area:** 2,000 m²
- **Minimum lot width:** 36 m
- **Maximum lot coverage:** 85%
- **Maximum density:** Outside a Transit-Oriented Area: floor area ratio 2.0 (up to 3.0 with bonus density); Tier 3: 3.0 (up to 3.5 with bonus); Tier 2: 4.0 (up to 5.0 with bonus); Tier 1: 5.0 (up to 6.0 with bonus); accessory multiple unit residential building maximum 35% of total floor area in Tier 1
- **Maximum height:** Outside a Transit-Oriented Area: lesser of 6 storeys or 22 m; Tier 3: lesser of 8 storeys or 26 m; Tier 2: lesser of 25 storeys or 95 m; Tier 1: lesser of 40 storeys or 160 m
- **Maximum height, accessory buildings:** 4.5 m
- **Front setback:** 4.5 m
- **Rear setback:** 7.5 m (may be 0.0 m if the principal building is adjacent to a property designated Low-Rise II, Mid-Rise II or High-Rise II in the OCP)
- **Interior side setback:** 7.5 m (may be 0.0 m if the principal building is adjacent to a property designated Low-Rise II, Mid-Rise II or High-Rise II in the OCP)
- **Street side setback:** 4.5 m
- **Other rules:** Interior lot line setbacks for lots created by an air space subdivision may be 0.0 m; Structure height maximum 4.5 m; Balconies required for dwelling units that are not ground-oriented, at least 5% of unit size or 4.6 m² per unit, whichever is greater; Child care centres limited to a total area of 3.0 m² per dwelling unit

## Source

- [Surrey Zoning By-law, 1993, No. 12000 (consolidation includes amendments up to By-law 22120, adopted 09/21/2026), s. Part 50](https://www.surrey.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/BYL_Zoning_12000.pdf#page=343) (read 2026-11-07)

Rules in the bylaw's general sections (parking, fences, suites, home businesses) also apply. All zones in Surrey: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/surrey/zoning/index.json

_Draft: taken from the bylaw text by a research agent and not yet reviewed by a person. Gov Handbook is an independent guide. Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/surrey/zoning/o1/_