Waterfront Homes in West Vancouver: Docks & Moorage Rules

A waterfront home on the North Shore is one of the rarest things you can buy in Greater Vancouver. It is also one of the most complicated. The house sits on your land, but the water in front of it, and often the beach below it, belongs to someone else. Whether you can keep, repair or build a dock depends on who that is. Here’s how it works, and what to check before you buy.

Three layers of rules

Every waterfront property has three layers:

The land. Your lot, which is governed by the municipality: zoning, building permits and, in West Vancouver, the foreshore development permit area.
The foreshore and the water. Below the high-water mark the seabed is usually not part of your lot. In BC it’s typically Crown land, administered by the Province or, in parts of Burrard Inlet and Indian Arm, by the federal port authority.
Navigation. Structures in navigable water can also need federal approval.

The land: West Vancouver’s foreshore permit area

Since April 11, 2022, West Vancouver has had a Foreshore Development Permit Area. It protects people and property from sea-level rise, storms and flooding, and protects the shoreline’s habitat. In practice:

Work within 15 metres of the natural boundary (the high-tide mark) has to meet the District’s foreshore guidelines. That includes pools, hot tubs, retaining walls, new hard surfaces, and pruning or removing trees.
A new home in the area must have its living space at or above the Flood Construction Level where the property is at risk of coastal flooding.
A Foreshore Development Permit must be approved before you can apply for a building permit. The application usually needs reports from qualified professionals, such as an environmental assessment.

You can see whether a property is in the area on the District’s WestMap, under the Planning layer.

The water: who decides about the dock

Within the port authority’s jurisdiction

Much of Burrard Inlet and Indian Arm is under the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. There, the port authority says:

Every owner with a private dock in its jurisdiction needs a licence from the port authority, for which there is an annual charge.
Building a new dock, or working on an existing one, also needs a project permit through the port authority’s project and environmental review.
Docks must be for private, non-commercial use, and the licence gives non-exclusive use of the area.

Charges vary by zone: Burrard Inlet with road access, rural lots in the District of North Vancouver, and Indian Arm and water-access-only lots. Updated licences are registered against the property with a covenant. The port authority has a separate moratorium on new private docks in Bedwell Bay. Its dock guidelines set limits on size, setbacks and water depth, and it encourages owners to consider a marina or a shared dock first.

Elsewhere: the Province

Where the water is provincial Crown land, a dock can often go ahead under the Province’s General Permission for private moorage. Its conditions include:

You must own the upland property.
One dock per property, for private residential moorage only.
The dock must float or be suspended above the water, with no new fill and no dredging.
No fences on the Crown foreshore.
The dock must comply with local bylaws and zoning.

A dock that meets the conditions is deemed authorized at no cost. One that doesn’t needs a Specific Permission, or a lease, from the Province, which comes with fees.

Before you buy a waterfront home

Is there a dock, and is it authorized? Ask for the licence, permit or permission, and check the title for a dock covenant.
Who has jurisdiction over the water in front? The answer decides whose rules apply and what it costs each year.
Will the authorization continue for you? Ask the authority what a new owner has to do.
What’s the dock’s condition? Repairs or replacement usually need a permit.
Is the property in the foreshore area? Plans for a pool, terrace or new house will have to meet the foreshore rules and the flood construction level.
What about trees? Pruning or removing trees within 15 metres of the high-tide mark needs a permit.

Your lawyer or notary can review the title and covenants. For a specific dock, the port authority or the Province can confirm its status. What to ask the city before you buy

Questions people ask

Does a waterfront home in West Vancouver come with the beach?

Usually not below the high-water mark. The foreshore is generally Crown land, and the public may have access to it.

Can I build a dock in front of my house?

Possibly. It depends on who has jurisdiction over the water, the site’s conditions and local zoning. Within the port authority’s area you need a permit and a licence. Elsewhere, the Province’s General Permission or a Specific Permission applies.

Is there an annual cost for a dock?

Within the port authority’s jurisdiction, yes: a yearly licence charge that depends on the zone. A dock under the Province’s General Permission has no fee.

Boating from the North Shore · Request a private consultation

General information, current as of publication, from the District of West Vancouver, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and the Province of British Columbia. It isn’t legal advice; confirm the status of a specific property with the authorities and your lawyer or notary.

Waterfront homes: docks, moorage and what to check