Bill 44 (SSMUH)
for Chilliwack
homeowners.

In late 2023, the Province of BC passed Bill 44 to address housing supply across the province. In 2024, the City of Chilliwack implemented its Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) amendments to comply with the provincial direction. The combined effect is the biggest change to Chilliwack zoning in a generation.

Here is what changed, what it means for your property, and the common misunderstandings we hear from homeowners wondering what they can now build.

What Bill 44 and SSMUH actually did

The core provision: on single-detached or duplex lots larger than 280 square meters (approximately 3,014 square feet) inside Chilliwack's Urban Growth Boundary, up to four dwelling units are now permitted as of right, subject to meeting building code, servicing, and design guidelines.

Before SSMUH, most of these lots were zoned for one primary home and one secondary suite only. Coach houses and multi-unit configurations required rezoning applications, which took months and often got denied or heavily amended.

SSMUH effectively cut that process. On qualifying lots, you can now propose up to four units without rezoning.

What does “up to four units” mean in practice

Four units does not mean you can build four detached houses on one lot. It means the allowed configurations expanded. Common SSMUH-era configurations on qualifying Chilliwack lots:

• Principal home + secondary suite + coach house.Three units. Most common configuration we see in Sardis and Vedder Crossing.
• Principal home + secondary suite + coach house with suite.Four units. Coach house has its own suite on a second floor or separate unit.
• Duplex + two secondary suites. Four units. Two side-by-side principal homes, each with its own basement or attached secondary suite.
• Principal home + three detached suites on the lot.Theoretically allowed on very large qualifying lots. In practice the setback and servicing math usually caps you below four.

What has NOT changed

This is where most misunderstandings happen. SSMUH expanded density but did not remove or reduce these constraints:

• Building code still applies. Every unit still has to meet BC Building Code for egress, fire separation, ventilation, and accessibility. More density means more code requirements, not fewer.
• Setbacks, height, and lot coverage still apply.You cannot fill the entire lot with units. Setback rules, lot coverage percentage limits, and height restrictions are unchanged.
• Servicing still has to support the density.Water, sewer, and electrical service capacity has to be adequate. Older neighborhoods with smaller service mains may require capacity upgrades at your cost.
• Parking requirements still apply. Chilliwack has minimum parking requirements that scale with unit count. On small lots, this is often the binding constraint.
• Floodplain and heritage overlays still apply.Properties in the Flood Construction Level area (Fairfield Island, Greendale, lower Yarrow) and the Mountain View Heritage Conservation Area still face additional rules.
• ALR properties are mostly exempt.Agricultural Land Reserve designated parcels have Agricultural Land Commission oversight on additional dwellings that overrides SSMUH.

Is your lot inside the Urban Growth Boundary?

SSMUH only applies inside the Urban Growth Boundary. Most of the developed residential areas in Chilliwack are inside the UGB: Sardis, Vedder Crossing, Promontory, Garrison Crossing, Fairfield Island, Little Mountain, downtown Chilliwack, and most of Cultus Lake.

Properties generally outside the UGB: rural Rosedale, parts of Yarrow, most of Greendale, acreage properties on Chilliwack Mountain Road, and most lots designated ALR. On these properties, the pre-SSMUH rules still apply.

The City of Chilliwack maintains a public zoning map showing the UGB. If you are not sure whether your lot qualifies, we check this at the site visit along with lot size, setbacks, and any overlay zoning.

What is the minimum lot size?

280 square meters (about 3,014 square feet) is the threshold for the four-unit allowance. Lots smaller than that are still permitted more density than pre-SSMUH, but with fewer units. The typical Sardis lot is 450 to 700 square meters, comfortably above the threshold. Most Fairfield Island and Garrison Crossing lots are also above. Some Downtown Chilliwack and older Cultus Lake lots run below.

Common homeowner questions

Do I need to rezone my property?

No. The whole point of SSMUH was to remove the rezoning requirement for small-scale density on qualifying lots. You need building permits, trade permits, and possibly a Development Permit (for coach houses under Development Permit Area 8), but not rezoning.

Can I build four units on any lot over 280 sq m?

Not automatically. The four-unit allowance is the ceiling. What you can actually build is governed by setbacks, height limits, lot coverage, parking, and servicing. Many qualifying lots will realistically support three units, not four, once all constraints are stacked.

How does this affect my property value?

Generally positive. A qualifying lot that can legally support a coach house and a basement suite is worth more than a single-family-only lot, because the development potential is greater. That said, market pricing has partially absorbed the SSMUH changes. The expected lift was larger than what has actually happened in Chilliwack.

Can I short-term rent a coach house?

Only if your lot is your principal residence. BC's short-term rental legislation (effective May 2024) restricts short-term rentals in Chilliwack (a community over 10,000 population) to the host's principal residence plus one secondary suite or coach house on the same property. Long-term rentals are unaffected.

What about ALR or floodplain lots?

ALR properties are generally not eligible for SSMUH density. ALC rules on additional dwellings apply instead. Floodplain properties (primarily in Fairfield Island, Greendale, and lower Yarrow) can still build, but new secondary suites cannot be below Flood Construction Level. Coach houses and main-floor suites above FCL are permitted.

How to figure out what you can build

The fastest path is a site visit. We look at lot size and orientation, measure setbacks against the zoning bylaw, check servicing capacity, pull your Real Property Report if you have one, and check overlay zoning (floodplain, heritage, ALR). Within an hour on the property we can tell you what the realistic development envelope is.

From there, we can move into design with a structural engineer and the City of Chilliwack's building department. Typical timeline from first site visit to permit issuance is three to six months depending on design complexity.

The bottom line

Bill 44 and SSMUH meaningfully expanded what most Chilliwack homeowners can legally build on their lots. A basement suite plus a coach house is now a realistic path on most qualifying properties inside the Urban Growth Boundary. That combination can produce $3,500 to $5,000 per month in gross rental income against a combined build cost of $300K to $500K.

But the rules have not simplified. They have expanded density without removing code, setback, parking, or servicing requirements. Most SSMUH projects still require careful feasibility work before the first design line gets drawn.