---
title: Ashcroft secondary suite and carriage house rules
question: "Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house?"
place: Ashcroft, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/ashcroft
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: municipal
owner_body: Village of Ashcroft
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/ashcroft/secondary-suite/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/ashcroft/secondary-suite.json"
---

# Ashcroft secondary suite and carriage house rules

**Question:** Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house?

**Short answer:** Yes. In Ashcroft, a suite inside a single detached or duplex home (such as a basement suite) and a garden or garage suite are accessory uses in the A1, RR1 and R1 zones. The Zoning Bylaw sets size limits, and all suites must meet the BC Building Code and pass Village inspection.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Ashcroft, https://ashcroftbc.ca)  
**Cost:** No separate suite fee was found. A building permit applies (see the building-permit-fees answer).  
**How long:** The Village does not state a processing time.  
**Where:**
- In person: Village Office, 601 Bancroft Street, Ashcroft, BC V0K 1A0 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
- Phone: Village Office, 250-453-9161
- Email: Village Office, admin@ashcroftbc.ca

## Key facts

- **Secondary suite allowed:** An attached suite (inside a single detached or duplex dwelling, e.g. a basement suite) is an accessory use in the A1, RR1 and R1 zones and other zones that list it.
  - Source: [Village of Ashcroft Zoning Bylaw No. 890, 2026, s. 7.1.2 (R1), 6.1.2 (RR1), 5.2.2 (A1)](https://ashcroftbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Bylaw-No.-890-2026-Village-of-Ashcroft-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Accessory Uses: .1 Short-term rental accommodations; .2 Accessory dwelling unit; .3 Attached suite; .4 Home businesses; and .5 Accessory buildings and structures." … "Accessory Uses: .1 Short-term rental accommodations; .2 Accessory dwelling unit; .3 Attached suite; .4 Beekeeping;" … "Accessory Uses: .1 Home occupations; .2 Accessory dwelling unit; .3 Attached suite; .4 Short-term rental accommodations; and .5 Accessory buildings and structures."
  - Source: [Village of Ashcroft Zoning Bylaw No. 890, 2026, definition](https://ashcroftbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Bylaw-No.-890-2026-Village-of-Ashcroft-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Attached Suite means a self-contained, secondary dwelling unit located within a single-detached or duplex dwelling."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Coach house or garden suite allowed:** An accessory dwelling unit (garden suite, or garage suite on a detached garage) is an accessory use in the A1, RR1 and R1 zones, and other zones that list it, only with a permitted single detached dwelling. Max one accessory dwelling unit per parcel.
  - Source: [Village of Ashcroft Zoning Bylaw No. 890, 2026, s. 7.1.2, 3.40; definition](https://ashcroftbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Bylaw-No.-890-2026-Village-of-Ashcroft-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Accessory Uses: .1 Short-term rental accommodations; .2 Accessory dwelling unit; .3 Attached suite; .4 Home businesses; and .5 Accessory buildings and structures." … "Accessory dwelling units are only permitted in conjunction with a permitted single detached dwelling." … "A maximum of one accessory dwelling unit is permitted per parcel, unless otherwise indicated." … "(garden suite) or as part of a detached garage (garage suite)."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Limits:** Max 2 suites per parcel in R zones that allow them. Attached suite: at most 90 m² or 40% of the principal building's gross floor area. Accessory dwelling unit: at most 65 m², 4.5 m high (one storey) or 6.6 m (second storey), in the rear yard, no basement. Suites cannot be subdivided or strata titled and may be rented only for periods over one month.
  - Source: [Village of Ashcroft Zoning Bylaw No. 890, 2026, s. 3.39, 3.40, 3.41](https://ashcroftbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Bylaw-No.-890-2026-Village-of-Ashcroft-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "A maximum of 2 suites per parcel is permitted in R-zones that permit suites as an accessory use." … "Not exceed 90 m² or 40% of the gross floor area of the principal building; and" … "Accessory dwelling units will be a maximum of 65 m2 in residential zones where they are permitted." … "Suites shall not be subdivided or strata titled." … "Suites may only be rented for periods longer than one month in duration"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Parking:** One off-street parking space on site for a parcel with a suite, in addition to the spaces required for the principal use.
  - Source: [Village of Ashcroft Zoning Bylaw No. 890, 2026, s. 3.39.5](https://ashcroftbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Bylaw-No.-890-2026-Village-of-Ashcroft-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "One off-street parking space must be provided on-site for a parcel that contains a suite, in addition to the required parking spaces for the principal uses."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Permits:** All suites must meet the BC Building Code and pass inspection by the Village's Building Inspector (so a building permit). Using a suite as a short-term rental needs a Business Permit from the Village.
  - Source: [Village of Ashcroft Zoning Bylaw No. 890, 2026, s. 3.39.4, 3.39.6](https://ashcroftbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Bylaw-No.-890-2026-Village-of-Ashcroft-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "All suites must meet the BC Building Code requirements and pass inspection from the Village's Building Inspector." … "Any use of a suite for Short-Term Rental Accommodations will require a Business Permit to be issued by the Village of Ashcroft."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 890, 2026 (s. 3.38 to 3.43 and zone regulations).
  - Source: [Village of Ashcroft Zoning Bylaw No. 890, 2026, s. 2](https://ashcroftbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Bylaw-No.-890-2026-Village-of-Ashcroft-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw shall be cited as the "Village of Ashcroft Zoning Bylaw No. 890, 2026"."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

Under the Village's [Zoning Bylaw No. 890](<https://ashcroftbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Bylaw-No.-890-2026-Village-of-Ashcroft-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf>):

- An attached suite (inside a single detached or duplex dwelling) is an accessory use in the A1, RR1 and R1 zones, and other zones that list it.
- An accessory dwelling unit (a garden suite, or a garage suite on a detached garage) is an accessory use in the same zones, only with a permitted single detached dwelling. One accessory dwelling unit is allowed per parcel.
- No more than 2 suites per parcel in R zones that allow them.

## Steps

1. Confirm your zone allows a suite (see the zoning-lookup answer).
2. Check the size limits: an attached suite is at most 90 m² or 40% of the principal building's gross floor area. An accessory dwelling unit is at most 65 m², 4.5 m high (one storey) or 6.6 m (second storey), in the rear yard, with no basement.
3. Provide one off-street parking space for the suite, in addition to the spaces the main use needs.
4. Apply for a building permit. All suites must meet the BC Building Code and pass inspection by the Village's Building Inspector.

## Good to know

- Suites cannot be subdivided or strata titled, and may be rented only for periods over one month.
- Using a suite as a short-term rental needs a Business Permit from the Village.
- A development permit fee of $500 is listed in the Fees and Charges Bylaw, Schedule L; no suite-specific fee was found. Ask the Village whether it applies.
- No owner-occupancy requirement was found in the bylaw.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 890, 2026 (PDF)](https://ashcroftbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Bylaw-No.-890-2026-Village-of-Ashcroft-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Ashcroft building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/ashcroft/building-permit.md)
- [Ashcroft building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/ashcroft/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Ashcroft zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/ashcroft/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Ashcroft short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/ashcroft/short-term-rental.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/secondary-suite.md)
- [Cache Creek](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cache-creek/secondary-suite.md)
- [Logan Lake](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/logan-lake/secondary-suite.md)
- [Lillooet](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lillooet/secondary-suite.md)
- [Clinton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/clinton/secondary-suite.md)
- [Lytton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lytton/secondary-suite.md)
- [Kamloops](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kamloops/secondary-suite.md)

## Sources

- [Village of Ashcroft Zoning Bylaw No. 890, 2026 (PDF)](https://ashcroftbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Bylaw-No.-890-2026-Village-of-Ashcroft-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 887, 2026 (PDF)](https://ashcroftbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Bylaw-No.-887-2026-Village-of-Ashcroft-Fees-and-Charges.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Village of Ashcroft. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/ashcroft/secondary-suite/_