Buying a Home in Pitt Meadows: The Rules

On this page (12 sections)

Most of Pitt Meadows is farmland in the Agricultural Land Reserve, and almost all of it sits behind dikes, so farm and flood rules come up here more than in most cities. These are the City-wide rules, with the City’s sources at the bottom.

Dikes and drainage

  • The City is almost entirely protected by 60 km of dikes. The low northern areas, around the Alouette pump station, Fenton and the Pitt Polder, are drained by floodboxes and pump stations, and the Codd Island wetlands are undiked floodplain.

Farmland and rural zoning

  • About 78% of the City’s land is in the ALR. Check the parcel on the ALC’s map.
  • Under Zoning Bylaw No. 2505, 2011: A-1 General Agricultural needs 8 ha and allows one farm house up to 500 m²; A-2 needs 16 ha; rural residential lots outside the ALR need 4 ha (RR-2), 2 ha (RR-3) or 1 ha (RR-4); RS Large Lot Residential needs 0.2 ha.
  • In A-1 and A-2, buildings must be 15 m back from watercourses and key ditches.

Suites, garden suites and small-scale housing

  • One secondary suite per house, 33 to 90 m², inside the house, where the zone allows it. Or one garden suite per lot, 33 to 90 m², in the A-1, A-2, RR and RS zones, but not both.
  • On ALR land, the ALC allows one additional detached home of up to 90 m² on parcels of 40 ha or less, without an application, where its conditions are met.
  • Small-scale housing unit counts (three, four or six) turn on the 280 m² lot size and the 400 m frequent-transit test. OCP Amendment Bylaw No. 3034, 2025 covers two to six units through suites, garden suites, duplexes, triplexes, townhomes and small apartment buildings.

Short-term rentals

  • Short-term rental accommodation is not a permitted use under the City’s zoning bylaw, and Pitt Meadows is on the Province’s principal-residence requirement list. A strata’s long-term rental ban is void, but that doesn’t open the door to short-term rentals.

Property taxes

  • Under the 2026 Annual Tax Rates Bylaw No. 3047, the farm class pays $48.6824 per $1,000 plus a $1.8524 drainage levy, against $2.8438 plus $0.1082 for residential. Check a farm parcel’s BC Assessment class before you budget.
  • 2026 taxes were due July 2, with 5% added after July 2 and another 5% after August 1.

Growth plans

  • The plan is “I See Pitt Meadows 2040”. The North Lougheed Area Plan, adopted by OCP Amendment Bylaw No. 3060, 2026, covers about 50 ha for gradual development, with more approvals still to come.

Before you remove subjects in Pitt Meadows

  • ALR status and the zone’s minimum lot size.
  • The farm or residential tax class on the BC Assessment notice.
  • A suite or a garden suite, not both, and the size limits.
  • Drainage and dike position for low northern land.

Rules change, so confirm anything that matters for your purchase with the City of Pitt Meadows and your lawyer.

Areas with their own rules

Rules that are the same everywhere in BC

Sources

Neighbourhood guides that use this page

Common questions

Can I run a short-term rental in Pitt Meadows?

No. Short-term rental accommodation is not a permitted use under the City’s zoning bylaw.

Can I have both a suite and a garden suite in Pitt Meadows?

No. A lot can have one secondary suite or one garden suite, each 33 to 90 m², not both.

What Buyers & Sellers Say

Excerpts from Google reviews for Jared Gibbons, REALTOR® at Royal LePage Little Oak Realty (Suite 201 - 15272 Croydon Dr, Surrey). Quoted word for word; initials only.

  • 5 out of 5 stars

    “Jared was super helpful, answering our many questions promptly! He made the home buying process as seamless as it could be and really advocated for us as first-time buyers. We recommend working with Jared as your realtor!”

    A.R. Google review

  • 5 out of 5 stars

    “Thanks to Jared and team for the fantastic work on my recent purchase. You went the extra mile for me on every step of my home buying journey. I am grateful for your assistance, patience and expertise. Much appreciated”

    M.S. Google review

  • 5 out of 5 stars

    “We had a great experience working with Jared. A family member from Vancouver Island recommended that we reach out to him to help us buy our first home in Port Coquitlam…”

    B.V. Google review

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