Site Servicing
Prior to planning out the placement of the laneway home on the property, a review of the existing property site servicing will be required. All properties are connected to municipal water, sewer, and storm systems. There are various upgrades throughout the city at various depths, so it is important to know what will be required to service the proposed laneway home and main home. Will the drainage require a pump system, or will a gravitational-fed system be sufficient? If building a laneway on a property with an existing main home, will there be a requirement to upgrade the existing service systems? Besides municipal services, it will also require a review of the electrical and gas services as the laneway home will require to have supply meeting the electrical and gas codes. A laneway can be constructed without a requirement for gas service, so it is not as important, but the electrical supply will need to be reviewed closely as it will affect the existing service to the main home, meter location, and possibly the service from the existing hydro pole. The City of Vancouver will provide its fees for the water, sewer, and storm connections, and the local energy services will provide their requirements and fees for electrical and gas connections.