Big Bend · Burnaby
Custom Home Builder in Big Bend, Burnaby
Big Bend is unlike the rest of Burnaby. The Fraser River bends around it, the lots are larger, and parts of the area still feel agricultural. For homeowners who want privacy, space and a different kind of project, it's a serious option.
At a glance
What we do here.
- Custom homes on large, semi-rural lots
- Project planning that takes flood-plain and drainage seriously
- Architecture that earns its place in the landscape
Our approach
Building in Big Bend.
Building in Big Bend
Big Bend's land conditions are different from the rest of Burnaby. Drainage, soils, and flood-plain considerations all need to be addressed early — not because they're insurmountable, but because the design has to respect them from the beginning. We do feasibility studies on Big Bend lots before any architectural commitment, because the cost of getting it wrong here is real.
The Fraser River floodplain affects portions of Big Bend, and flood construction levels — the minimum finished-floor elevation required by the City of Burnaby — directly influence foundation design, entry-level layout, and, often, the overall cost of a build here. We get the FCL from the city and incorporate it into the structural brief before architecture begins. Owners who don't do this often discover the constraint after they've committed to a design, which is expensive.
Why owners build here
Big Bend offers something genuinely rare in Burnaby: space, quiet, and a sense of remove from the density building up around the transit corridors. Lot sizes here can be significantly larger than in the central neighbourhoods — some are 10,000 square feet and up — and the agricultural and industrial land to the south creates an unusual buffer from surrounding residential density.
The homes that work best in this part of Burnaby tend to earn their place in the landscape rather than impose on it. Low-slung profiles, materials that weather gracefully, deep eaves for the rain. It's architecture that's designed to last in a specific climate, on a specific kind of lot, rather than architecture that could have been built anywhere.
What to check before you buy a Big Bend lot
Beyond the flood-construction-level question, Big Bend lots need a careful look at soil conditions, drainage outlet availability, and environmental setbacks near the river and its tributaries. We've seen lots in this area with significant drainage constraints that don't show up in a standard property disclosure. A geotechnical review and drainage assessment before any offer is money well spent.
Common Questions
Before we begin in Big Bend.
Does the Fraser River floodplain affect building permits in Big Bend?+
Yes. Portions of Big Bend are subject to flood construction levels set by the City of Burnaby, which require finished-floor elevations above a specified datum. This affects foundation type, entry-level layout, and sometimes overall building height relative to adjacent grades. We obtain the applicable FCL before design begins so it's incorporated from the start rather than discovered at permit review.
Is Big Bend quiet enough for a serious custom build?+
For most owners, yes. The surrounding land use — park, river, light industrial to the south — creates genuine separation from Burnaby's residential density. It's notably quieter than Brentwood or Metrotown, and the lots are larger. The trade-off is distance from SkyTrain and the urban amenity of the town centres.
What soils and drainage issues should I expect on a Big Bend lot?+
Big Bend sits on the Fraser River floodplain, and the soil conditions reflect that: variable, often with significant silt and clay content, and groundwater levels that can sit closer to grade than on the upland Burnaby plateau. Drainage outlet availability also varies parcel-by-parcel — some lots have access to municipal storm systems, others rely on engineered onsite solutions. We commission a geotechnical investigation and a drainage assessment at feasibility on any Big Bend lot, before architectural commitment, because the cost of getting these wrong here is real.
Can I build a multiplex in Big Bend under SSMUH?+
Provincial SSMUH legislation applies in principle, but in practice Big Bend's character is firmly low-density and the lots are larger and more spread out than the typical SSMUH target. The neighbourhood isn't within the 400-metre frequent-transit bonus area for any SkyTrain station, so the up-to-six-unit threshold doesn't apply. Most projects we see here are single custom homes on generous lots. The math on a multiplex configuration is rarely competitive in this part of Burnaby, but we run the feasibility honestly when an owner wants to explore it.
Are tear-downs common in Big Bend, or are people renovating?+
The market here is more idiosyncratic than in the rest of Burnaby. Big Bend's housing stock is varied — some genuinely older homes, some 1980s and 1990s builds, some farm-era structures — and the renovation-versus-rebuild question depends heavily on the specific parcel and structure. Where the foundation respects current flood construction levels and the structure is sound, renovation can pencil. Where the floor elevation no longer meets the City's required FCL, a rebuild is often the more disciplined path. We assess on-site before recommending.
How does Big Bend compare to South Slope for a custom build?+
Both sit in southern Burnaby, but they're different propositions. South Slope is a denser residential grid on flat-to-gently-sloped lots with conventional foundations and straightforward permitting. Big Bend is larger lots, more rural feel, more involved site work — flood construction levels, drainage and soils all factor in. For owners who want a serious custom home on a generous, semi-rural lot and don't mind the longer site-work brief, Big Bend. For a more conventional teardown-and-rebuild on a flat suburban lot, South Slope.
From the Journal
Further reading on Big Bend.
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Plan your project in Big Bend.
A short conversation is the fastest way to understand what's possible on your lot — feasibility, schedule, scope, the lot conditions you should be thinking about.