Central Okanagan

Custom Homes & Custom Decks in West Kelowna, BC

This is our home base. We build the EcoHome and the decks that go with it across Westbank, Glenrosa, Lakeview Heights, Shannon Lake and every hillside in between.

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Building in West Kelowna

What a West Kelowna build actually involves

EcoHaven Homes is based in West Kelowna. That is not a service-area claim stretched to fit a map, it is where we live, where our suppliers are, and where we can be on your lot the same week you call. If you are weighing a carriage house at the back of a Shannon Lake property or a full custom home on a Glenrosa slope, we can usually tell you what is realistic before we ever draw anything.

West Kelowna is a young city built out of several older communities, and it shows in the lots. A parcel in Westbank sits flat and fully serviced. A parcel three minutes uphill in Rose Valley may need retaining, a driveway grade solution and a hard look at where the servicing actually comes from. Those two builds do not cost the same, and we would rather tell you that on day one than in phase two.

Local Rules

What the rules allow in West Kelowna

The City of West Kelowna sets what can go on your parcel. These are the points that most often change a design, and they are worth knowing before you pay anyone to draw something.

One carriage house per parcel

West Kelowna Zoning Bylaw No. 0320 permits a maximum of one carriage house per parcel. Detached dwellings, duplexes, and suites or carriage houses are permitted up to a combined maximum of four units in the RC1, R1, R1L, CD1(C), CD1(E) and CD3(A) zones.

No rooftop decks on a carriage house

This is the rule that catches people out. Rooftop decks are not permitted on carriage houses in West Kelowna, and neither are above-grade patios sitting 0.6 m (about 2 ft) or higher. Amenity space or a patio built under that 0.6 m threshold is permitted. If outdoor space matters to you, it has to be designed in at grade from the start, not added later.

Parking is sized by the suite, not the house

The bylaw sets carriage house parking at 1.0 stall for a one-bedroom unit and 1.5 stalls for a two-or-more bedroom unit, or for any unit of 91 m² (about 980 sq ft) gross floor area or greater. On a narrow lot that parking requirement often shapes the siting more than the setbacks do.

Bylaws change and every parcel is different. Treat the above as a starting point, confirm the current rule with the City of West Kelowna before you commit to a design, or call us and we will confirm it for your address.

Site Conditions

Building conditions on a West Kelowna lot

Slope is the defining variable here. Glenrosa, Rose Valley, Smith Creek and parts of Lakeview Heights all sit on grade, which means retaining, drainage routing and machine access get priced into the foundation phase rather than discovered during it. Flat lots in Westbank and Gellatly are a different build entirely.

West Kelowna is not listed as its own row in the BC Building Code Appendix C climatic data table, so structural design values get taken from the nearest published station and adjusted for the elevation of your specific parcel. A Casa Loma lot near lake level and a Smith Creek lot several hundred metres higher do not carry the same snow load, and the roof and deck framing has to reflect that.

Wildfire interface is a live consideration on the upslope neighbourhoods. Material choices at the roof, soffit and deck surface are worth deciding deliberately rather than defaulting, and we will walk you through the trade-offs without pushing you toward the most expensive option in the catalogue.

Because we are local, the small things get handled without a scheduling negotiation. A missed inspection window, a supplier swap, a decision that needs someone standing on the lot rather than looking at a photo. Those are the moments where being twenty minutes away instead of ninety quietly saves a week.

What We Build

Two services in West Kelowna

EcoHaven Homes custom home exterior, the EcoHome built in West Kelowna

Custom Homes

The EcoHome, built on your West Kelowna lot. Ample space in a small footprint, which works as a rental property, an in-law suite or a downsizing home. Permits handled first, budget split across six phases.

Custom Decks

New builds, repairs and upgrades across West Kelowna. Designed to match the house it attaches to and framed for the snow and sun this specific site takes, not a generic valley average.

Areas we build in

If your neighbourhood is not on this list it does not mean we will not come. Call and ask.

Westbank Glenrosa Lakeview Heights Shannon Lake Smith Creek Rose Valley Casa Loma Gellatly West Kelowna Estates

West Kelowna FAQ

Questions we get from West Kelowna

We are based in West Kelowna. It is our home city, our shop is here, and it is the shortest drive we make. If you are in West Kelowna you get the fastest response time we offer.

No. West Kelowna does not permit rooftop decks on carriage houses, and above-grade patios at 0.6 m (about 2 ft) or higher are also out. Patios built under that height are permitted, so outdoor living space needs to be designed at grade from the beginning.

Zoning Bylaw No. 0320 allows detached dwellings, duplexes, and suites or carriage houses up to a combined maximum of four units in several residential zones, with a maximum of one carriage house per parcel. What your specific parcel allows depends on its zone and size, which is the first thing we check.

Rarely. It changes the foundation, the retaining and the access plan, and it changes the budget. Glenrosa, Rose Valley and Smith Creek are full of sloped lots that have been built on successfully. We will tell you what yours needs before you commit.

We also build in

Kelowna Lake Country Peachland Summerland

Find out what your West Kelowna lot supports

A free consultation gets you a straight answer on zoning, siting and what the build would realistically cost, in writing. No pressure.

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