Armstrong secondary suite and carriage house rules

Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house?

Armstrong, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-05

Short answer

In the City of Armstrong, a new secondary suite needs a building permit, and the zoning must allow it. Zoning Bylaw 1921, 2024 lists no separate suite use; a suite counts as a dwelling unit under the unit limits for each zone (3 or 4 per lot in R.1 and R.2). Confirm with Planning.

Key facts

Secondary suite allowed	No zone lists 'secondary suite' as its own use; it is defined as a dwelling unit inside another dwelling unit. R.1 and R.2 allow Dwelling Units: 3 per lot under 280 m², 4 above. CR.1 allows 2, and under 1 ha without City sewer 1 principal plus 1 suite. Confirm with the City.Zoning Bylaw No. 1921, 2024 (PDF, consolidated to Bylaw 1928, 2024), s. 9.1.2, 9.1.3(c), 2; Secondary Suite Info Sheet and Checklist (updated Jan 11, 2021), Info sheet (Jan 2021) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording SECONDARY SUITE means a self-contained, dwelling unit located within, and subordinate to, Dwelling Units, maximum per lot 3 units on parcels under 280m2. 4 units for parcels greater than 280m2. Dwelling Units, maximum per lot 2 (1 principal and 1 secondary suite within the Confirm the zoning of your property allows for secondary
Coach house or garden suite allowed	Zoning Bylaw 1921 has no coach house or garden suite use. R.1 and R.2 allow 3 or 4 dwelling units per lot and up to 2 accessory buildings, and an accessory building may be a dwelling only if it is a permitted Dwelling Unit. Confirm with Planning.Zoning Bylaw No. 1921, 2024 (PDF, consolidated to Bylaw 1928, 2024), s. 9.1.3(c), (e) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Dwelling Units, maximum per lot 3 units on parcels under 280m2. Accessory buildings and structures, maximum per lot 2 An accessory building or structure shall not be used as a dwelling, unless it is a permitted Dwelling Unit. Accessory buildings and structures, maximum per lot
Limits	Zoning: R.1 and R.2 allow 3 dwelling units per lot under 280 m² and 4 above; CR.1 allows 2. A suite counts as a dwelling unit. No suite size or owner-occupancy rule found. The older 2021 info sheet says 1 suite per dwelling, no strata subdivision.Sources differ: The info sheet (Jan 2021, before the 2024 zoning bylaw) says one suite per dwelling; Zoning Bylaw 1921 allows 3 or 4 dwelling units per lot in R.1. Zoning bylaw followed for density.Secondary Suite Info Sheet and Checklist (updated Jan 11, 2021), Info sheet (Jan 2021); Zoning Bylaw No. 1921, 2024 (PDF, consolidated to Bylaw 1928, 2024), s. 9.1.3(c) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Not more than 1 secondary suite is within the dwelling The building with the secondary suite will not be subdivided pursuant to the Strata Properties Dwelling Units, maximum per lot 3 units on parcels under 280m2. 4 units for parcels greater than 280m2. Dwelling Units, maximum per lot 4 units for parcels greater Dwelling Unit, maximum per lot 2 units
Parking	Zoning Table 6.1: 1 space per 1-bedroom dwelling unit, 1.5 per 2-bedroom, 2 per unit with 3 or more bedrooms; fractions in the total are rounded up. The 2021 info sheet says 1 off-street space for a 1-bedroom suite and 2 for 2 or more bedrooms.Zoning Bylaw No. 1921, 2024 (PDF, consolidated to Bylaw 1928, 2024), Table 6.1; s. 6.3.3(b); Secondary Suite Info Sheet and Checklist (updated Jan 11, 2021), Info sheet (Jan 2021) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording 1 per 1-bedroom dwelling unit 1.5 per 2-bedroom dwelling unit 2 per 3-or-more bedroom dwelling unit the required number of spaces shall be the next highest whole number number, the required number of spaces shall be the next highest whole with 1 bedroom requires 1 off- more bedrooms requires 2 off-
Permits	A building permit is required to construct a new secondary or accessory suite. The 2021 info sheet adds an inspection by the Building Inspector (fee applies), a yearly business licence with an owner declaration, and higher utility fees.Building Bylaw No. 1903, 2022, s. 7.1(q); Secondary Suite Info Sheet and Checklist (updated Jan 11, 2021), Info sheet (Jan 2021) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording constructing a new secondary or accessory suite; An inspection fee will apply. A business license with a reduced fee is required if your The sewer fixed fee, water fixed
Bylaw	Zoning Bylaw No. 1921, 2024; Building Bylaw No. 1903, 2022Zoning Bylaw No. 1921, 2024 (PDF, consolidated to Bylaw 1928, 2024), s. 1.1.1; Building Bylaw No. 1903, 2022, s. 1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording This Bylaw shall be referred to as “Zoning Bylaw No. 1921, 2024”. This bylaw may be cited as “City of Armstrong Building Bylaw No. 1903, 2022”.

How it works

Under Zoning Bylaw 1921, 2024, no zone lists "secondary suite" as its own use. A suite is a dwelling unit inside another dwelling unit, so it counts toward the limit on dwelling units per lot. R.1 and R.2 allow 3 dwelling units on a lot under 280 m² and 4 on a larger lot. CR.1 allows 2, and a lot under 1 ha without City sewer may have 1 principal dwelling plus 1 suite.

The bylaw has no coach house or garden suite use. An accessory building may be a dwelling only if it is a permitted dwelling unit. A new secondary or accessory suite needs a building permit under Building Bylaw 1903.

Steps

Ask Planning whether your zone and lot allow the suite or carriage house, and whether a development permit is needed.
Contact the Building Official about Building Code requirements.
Apply for a building permit (see the building permit answer).
Arrange the required inspections.

Good to know

Parking: Zoning Table 6.1 requires 1 space per 1-bedroom dwelling unit, 1.5 per 2-bedroom unit and 2 per unit with 3 or more bedrooms. Fractions in the total are rounded up. The bylaw does not say whether suite spaces are in addition to the main house's.
The City's 2021 suite info sheet and 2023 building guide predate the 2024 zoning bylaw. The info sheet says one suite per dwelling, no strata subdivision, 1 space for a 1-bedroom suite and 2 for larger suites, plus an inspection (fee applies), a yearly business licence with an owner declaration and higher utility fees. Zoning Bylaw 1921 is followed here; confirm with the City.
No suite size or owner-occupancy rule was found.
The Regional District of North Okanagan offers pre-approved secondary dwelling designs.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Spallumcheen · Enderby · Vernon · Coldstream · Lumby · Lake Country

Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

Zoning Bylaw No. 1921, 2024 (PDF, consolidated to Bylaw 1928, 2024), City of Armstrong (read 2026-11-05)
Building Bylaw No. 1903, 2022 (PDF), City of Armstrong (read 2026-11-05)
Secondary Suite Info Sheet and Checklist (updated Jan 11, 2021), City of Armstrong (read 2026-11-05)
Rates, Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1916, 2023 (PDF, consolidated), City of Armstrong (read 2026-11-05)
Housing Catalogues, Regional District of North Okanagan (read 2026-11-05)

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