{"id":"heat-pump-outdoor-unit-siting-greater-victoria","title":"Where an outdoor heat pump unit may stand, by municipality (2026)","description":"For all 13 Greater Victoria municipalities: whether a ground-mounted outdoor unit is permitted in the front, exterior side, side and rear yard, the minimum distance from a lot line where one is published, when screening becomes mandatory, and how far equipment may project into a required yard. Read from each municipality's own zoning or land use bylaw. Six publish no siting rule at all — that is recorded as 'not published', which is a finding rather than a missing value, and it means the noise bylaw is the constraint that decides the spot.","publisher":"Greater Victoria Heat Pumps","url":"https://greatervictoriaheatpumps.com/data/heat-pump-outdoor-unit-siting-greater-victoria","license":"CC BY 4.0: free to reuse with attribution to Greater Victoria Heat Pumps and a link to the dataset page.","verified":"2026-10-06","recheck_by":"2027-04-06","sources":["D-01","D-02","D-02b","D-03","D-04","D-05","D-06","D-07","D-09","D-10","D-11","D-12","D-13","D-14"],"columns":["municipality","front_yard","exterior_side_yard","side_yard","rear_yard","min_lot_line_m","min_applies_to","screening_within_m","screening_always","projection_into_yard_m","published_rule"],"rows":[{"municipality":"City of Victoria","front_yard":"not-published","exterior_side_yard":"not-published","side_yard":"not-published","rear_yard":"not-published","min_lot_line_m":null,"min_applies_to":null,"screening_within_m":null,"screening_always":"no","projection_into_yard_m":null,"published_rule":"no heat-pump-specific siting rule found"},{"municipality":"District of Saanich","front_yard":"not-published","exterior_side_yard":"not-published","side_yard":"not-published","rear_yard":"not-published","min_lot_line_m":null,"min_applies_to":null,"screening_within_m":null,"screening_always":"no","projection_into_yard_m":null,"published_rule":"no heat-pump-specific siting rule found"},{"municipality":"District of Oak Bay","front_yard":"allowed-with-screening","exterior_side_yard":"allowed","side_yard":"allowed","rear_yard":"allowed","min_lot_line_m":1.5,"min_applies_to":"any property line","screening_within_m":null,"screening_always":"no","projection_into_yard_m":null,"published_rule":"Per the District's 2025 guide: allowed in front, side and rear yards including within setbacks if at least 1.5 m from the property line; front-yard units need screening."},{"municipality":"Township of Esquimalt","front_yard":"not-published","exterior_side_yard":"not-published","side_yard":"not-published","rear_yard":"not-published","min_lot_line_m":null,"min_applies_to":null,"screening_within_m":null,"screening_always":"no","projection_into_yard_m":null,"published_rule":"The former '6 metres from any property line' heat pump rule was removed by Bylaw 2861 (2015); no zoning siting rule now."},{"municipality":"Town of View Royal","front_yard":"prohibited","exterior_side_yard":"prohibited","side_yard":"prohibited","rear_yard":"allowed","min_lot_line_m":3,"min_applies_to":"any side or flanking lot line","screening_within_m":null,"screening_always":"no","projection_into_yard_m":1.5,"published_rule":"Zoning Bylaw No. 900 s.4.6.4: residential heat pumps are not permitted within the front, side or flanking yard and must be at least 3 m from any side or flanking lot line; may project up to 1.5 m into the required rear yard setback."},{"municipality":"City of Colwood","front_yard":"not-published","exterior_side_yard":"not-published","side_yard":"not-published","rear_yard":"not-published","min_lot_line_m":null,"min_applies_to":null,"screening_within_m":null,"screening_always":"no","projection_into_yard_m":null,"published_rule":"no heat-pump-specific siting rule found"},{"municipality":"City of Langford","front_yard":"must-meet-setbacks","exterior_side_yard":"must-meet-setbacks","side_yard":"must-meet-setbacks","rear_yard":"must-meet-setbacks","min_lot_line_m":null,"min_applies_to":null,"screening_within_m":null,"screening_always":"no","projection_into_yard_m":null,"published_rule":"Zoning Bylaw 300 defines a heat pump as part of a 'structure'; no express projection allowance into setbacks."},{"municipality":"Town of Sidney","front_yard":"prohibited","exterior_side_yard":"prohibited","side_yard":"allowed-with-screening","rear_yard":"allowed-with-screening","min_lot_line_m":1,"min_applies_to":"any lot line","screening_within_m":null,"screening_always":"yes","projection_into_yard_m":null,"published_rule":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2275 s.5.1.12: not in a front yard or exterior side yard; at least 1 m from any lot line; screened with a year-round opaque visual barrier."},{"municipality":"District of Central Saanich","front_yard":"prohibited","exterior_side_yard":"not-published","side_yard":"allowed","rear_yard":"allowed","min_lot_line_m":null,"min_applies_to":null,"screening_within_m":3,"screening_always":"no","projection_into_yard_m":null,"published_rule":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2270 (2026) s.4.6: not in a front yard; acoustic screening when sited 3 m or less from a side or rear property line."},{"municipality":"District of North Saanich","front_yard":"not-published","exterior_side_yard":"not-published","side_yard":"not-published","rear_yard":"not-published","min_lot_line_m":null,"min_applies_to":null,"screening_within_m":null,"screening_always":"no","projection_into_yard_m":null,"published_rule":"no heat-pump-specific siting rule found"},{"municipality":"District of Sooke","front_yard":"must-meet-setbacks","exterior_side_yard":"must-meet-setbacks","side_yard":"must-meet-setbacks","rear_yard":"must-meet-setbacks","min_lot_line_m":null,"min_applies_to":null,"screening_within_m":null,"screening_always":"no","projection_into_yard_m":0.6,"published_rule":"Zoning Bylaw No. 600: heating or ventilating equipment may project up to 0.6 m into a yard; no heat pump clause."},{"municipality":"District of Metchosin","front_yard":"not-published","exterior_side_yard":"not-published","side_yard":"not-published","rear_yard":"not-published","min_lot_line_m":null,"min_applies_to":null,"screening_within_m":null,"screening_always":"no","projection_into_yard_m":null,"published_rule":"no heat-pump-specific siting rule found"},{"municipality":"District of Highlands","front_yard":"not-published","exterior_side_yard":"not-published","side_yard":"not-published","rear_yard":"not-published","min_lot_line_m":null,"min_applies_to":null,"screening_within_m":null,"screening_always":"no","projection_into_yard_m":null,"published_rule":"no heat-pump-specific siting rule found"}]}