Hire Your Professionals
Once you choose a plan package, connect with professionals such as a surveyor, a civil engineer, and a designer or architect to discuss their services.
Our standard plans need to be adjusted by your designer or architect to fit your property’s slope, garbage pick-up location, existing trees, and any utility servicing requirements, etc. The standard plans have been created with Coquitlam’s sloping properties in mind; with the individual units able to be adjusted independently from the other units, to build as close as possible to match the existing grade of your property.
The exterior appearance or materials (including window and door sizes and specifications, fence details, landscaping details) are not permitted to be changed if you wish to participate in the standard plan streamlined process.
Qualify for a Streamlined Process
Prepare for your development process by reading all the information available to you on our website starting at Information for Building a Triplex or Fourplex and reading through all steps linked on the step-by-step menu.
Your designer or architect will need to adjust the plan package for your property, including:
- Limiting outside stairs and retaining walls proposed - to improve the project’s fit into the neighbourhood;
- Limiting the number of stairs between the garbage enclosure and the garbage pick-up location;
- Incorporating retained trees in the site design;
- Anticipating storm water management and utility locations, including the possibility of BC Hydro infrastructure.
As the intent of the standard plans is to simplify and streamline the Development Permit process, the exterior appearance or materials (including window and door sizes and specifications, fence details, landscaping details) are not permitted to be changed if you wish to participate in the standard plan streamlined process. Your designer or architect may also want to consider EV charging capability and BC Energy Step Code Level 3 eligibility.
If the exterior appearance of the building is altered, the application will no longer be eligible for a streamlined process, and must follow the Development Permit design review process which may add to the review time and require further revision cycles.
Preparing for Your Development Application(s)
As the design of the standard plans already meet the City’s Design Guidelines, using the standard plans should mean a faster Development Permit process.
How to Start:
- Owner contacts Development Services to request a CAD format of the standard plan package. The Development Planning front counter staff can be reached by email or phone 604-927-3430, or in-person at City Hall, 3000 Guildford Way.
- The front counter staff will provide the CAD format of the standard plans package with instructions and next steps directions.
