Burnaby
Custom Home Builder in Burnaby
Burnaby has shifted from sleeping suburb to one of the most active custom-home markets in Greater Vancouver. We've built and renovated across the city through every cycle of that change, and we know what it takes to deliver a home that fits the lot, the climate, the bylaws, and the way your family actually lives.
At a glance
What we do here.
- Custom homes, multiplexes and full-scope renovations across all Burnaby neighbourhoods
- Two decades of experience navigating the City of Burnaby's permitting and inspection process
- Led by a CHBA Master Residential Builder — the highest residential designation in Canada
- Hands-on owner involvement on every project, from feasibility through hand-over
Our approach
Building in Burnaby.
Custom homes built for Burnaby's lots and conditions
Burnaby is a city of microclimates and quiet contradictions. North Slope lots fall away to the inlet with views and wind exposure that demand serious envelope detailing. South Slope sits in a different rain shadow. Brentwood and Metrotown lots back onto towers, while Deer Lake and Buckingham Heights still feel like a forest. None of those conditions are interchangeable, and the design and construction approach has to reflect them.
Our process starts with the lot before the floor plan. Soils, slope, drainage, sun, neighbours' overlooks, the trees that have to stay — all of it shapes what the home wants to be. By the time architecture starts, the constraints are honest, the budget is real, and you know what you're working with.
How Burnaby's permitting reality affects your timeline
The City of Burnaby has one of the more rigorous review processes in the Lower Mainland. Building Department comments are detailed, design panel feedback is substantive on larger projects, and tree-bylaw and grading conditions are taken seriously. We don't see this as friction — it's why finished homes here tend to be better-built than in faster-permitting cities.
What it means for a homeowner is that timelines need to be planned honestly. We map permitting windows into the schedule from week one, sequence design deliverables to the city's review cadence, and stay current with policy changes — including how Burnaby is implementing British Columbia's Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing rules across single-family lots.
Multiplex construction in Burnaby
Burnaby is one of the most consequential markets in BC for multiplex builds. Provincial SSMUH legislation now permits up to four units on most single-family lots, and Burnaby's local bylaws have evolved to accommodate that. A duplex in Burnaby Heights, a triplex in Edmonds, a fourplex with a coach house on a Forest Glen lot — they're all on the table on parcels that were single-family-only five years ago.
We approach multiplex with the same craft we bring to a custom home: acoustic separation engineered in early, mechanical sized for individual units, every unit designed to be sellable or rentable at the level Icon's name implies. The math has to work, and the building has to last.
Renovations and additions on Burnaby's older housing stock
A meaningful share of Burnaby's housing was built between the 1950s and the 1980s. Plenty of those homes are structurally sound but tired — single-pane windows, undersized mechanical, layouts that don't match how families live now. For owners who want to stay on their lot, a deep renovation or addition can deliver most of the experience of a new build at a different cost and timeline profile.
We take on these projects when the bones justify the investment. We're honest when they don't. The decision to renovate versus rebuild is one of the most consequential calls in any project, and we walk through it carefully with every owner.
Why work with Icon in Burnaby
Sanj Aggarwal is a CHBA Master Residential Builder, the highest professional designation for residential builders in Canada. Every Icon project runs against that standard. We're a small, deliberate team, working on a small number of projects at a time, with the senior people on every job from kickoff through hand-over.
If you're considering a custom build, multiplex or major renovation in Burnaby, the right next step is a conversation about your lot and your goals. We'll tell you honestly what's possible, what's smart, and where Icon can — and can't — add value.
Common Questions
Before we begin in Burnaby.
Do you build custom homes in all Burnaby neighbourhoods?+
Yes. We work across Burnaby Heights, Capitol Hill, Brentwood, Metrotown, Deer Lake, Edmonds, Highgate, Sperling-Burnaby Lake, Big Bend, Buckingham Heights and the rest of the city. Each neighbourhood has different lot conditions, zoning posture and design opportunities, and we tailor our approach accordingly.
How long does a custom home in Burnaby typically take?+
From signed design contract to keys, most Burnaby custom homes run roughly 14 to 22 months, depending on permit timing, scope and finishes. We give every owner a milestone-by-milestone schedule once design is locked.
Can you build a multiplex on my Burnaby lot under SSMUH?+
In most cases yes — provincial Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing legislation permits up to four units on most BC residential lots, and Burnaby has aligned its bylaws. The right number and configuration depends on lot size, frontage, parking and tree conditions. We do feasibility studies before design begins so the numbers stay honest.
Are you a 2-5-10 licensed builder?+
Yes. Icon is licensed under BC Housing's mandatory home warranty regime, which covers two years on labour and materials, five on the building envelope and ten on structural defects. Every new home we hand over is warranty-backed.
Do you take on renovations as well as new builds?+
Yes — particularly when the project benefits from the planning rigour and craft of a custom build. We're selective about renovations, but when they're the right call, we run them with the same disciplined process we'd apply to a ground-up custom home.
From the Journal
Further reading on Burnaby.
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Plan your project in Burnaby.
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.