Vancouver builders embrace multiplex construction as city plans to increase density

Vancouver’s plan for densifying the parts of the city formerly zoned as single-family is straightforward – replace much of it with the three-, four- and-six-unit housing known as the multiplex. And multiplex homes are popping up on side streets throughout the city.

But building multiplex housing is not without its challenges, as builders and homeowners are discovering. Some of the new designs don’t fit with the neighbourhood. Building fees are high and the cost of construction has become so onerous that inexperienced mom-and-pop developers are advised not to enter into it without the help of a professional.