Industrial Zoning in Metro Vancouver — Same Use, Different Rules by City
A use permitted outright in Langley can need a variance in Richmond and be effectively blocked in Vancouver. Zoning is the first filter on any industrial deal, not the last.
June 4, 2026 · 2 min read · By Samuel Brahem, in association with NAI Commercial
The zone bands, in plain terms
- Light industrial (M-1, I-1): warehousing, wholesale, light assembly — Burnaby's Big Bend, Richmond's Bridgeport
- General industrial (M-2, I-2): broader manufacturing and distribution, outdoor storage often conditional — Surrey's Newton and Port Kells
- Heavy industrial (M-3, I-3): heavy manufacturing, chemical processing, large-scale recycling — Tilbury Island and parts of Annacis Island
- Business park (M-BP, I-C): industrial alongside office, research and tech — Campbell Heights
Where the rules bite
A 50,000 sq. ft. logistics user is permitted outright in Langley's M-2. The same use in some Richmond zones carries truck-traffic or hours restrictions. In Vancouver's I-2, distribution is fine but outdoor storage is heavily restricted — a problem for anyone staging trailers or containers.
Vancouver is the most restrictive jurisdiction in the region and has made rezoning away from industrial exceptionally hard; its inventory averaged $20.10 per sq. ft. net in Q2 2026. Burnaby's M-5 allows showroom and retail components other zones prohibit, around a $19.67 average. Surrey has the widest range, from light industrial in Newton to heavy in Port Kells, at $18.66. Delta permits container storage, recycling and heavy manufacturing at $17.91. Langley ($19.20) and Abbotsford ($17.09) lean general industrial with generous outdoor storage.
Read the bylaw, not the zone label.
What is changing
- Vancouver, Burnaby and Richmond now restrict conversion of industrial land to residential or commercial — good for supply, bad for repositioning
- Cannabis production needs municipality-specific approvals; some cities prohibit it outright
- Stormwater, contaminated-site and environmental requirements are tightening on redevelopment
- Several municipalities are restricting heavy truck routes
Due diligence before you sign
Confirm the intended use is permitted outright, conditionally or by variance in the actual bylaw text. Understand non-conforming status and what it means for expansion or change of use. For investors, check whether the zone allows intensification or added density. Book a pre-application meeting with municipal planning staff before committing — it is the cheapest risk control in the transaction.
