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

# Barriere secondary suite and carriage house rules

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

**Short answer:** In Barriere a secondary dwelling unit, inside the house or in a detached building, is allowed in the SH, CR, R and RP zones. It needs a District building permit and 1 parking space. A detached unit cannot be a short term rental or bed and breakfast.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Barriere, https://www.barriere.ca)  
**Cost:** A building permit fee applies. See the building-permit-fees answer. No separate suite fee is stated.  
**How long:** The District does not state a processing time. Ask the Building Inspector.  
**Where:**
- Phone: District Office (planning and zoning), 250-672-9751
- Phone: Building Inspector (Tuesday to Friday, by appointment), 250-214-3508
- Email: District Office, inquiry@barriere.ca
- In person: District Office, 4936 Barriere Town Road, Barriere, BC V0E 1E0 (Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)

## Key facts

- **Secondary suite allowed:** A secondary dwelling unit, inside the principal dwelling or in an accessory building, is listed as an accessory use in the SH, CR, R and RP zones. It is not listed in the multi-family, mobile home, commercial, industrial or other zones.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 111 (PDF, consolidated through Bylaw 258), Division Four to Six and Eighteen, permitted uses; Division One definition](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=8d686cb9-21b4-4e4c-8125-7c8a0c7d6242)
  - Official wording: "Single Detached Dwelling • Secondary Dwelling Unit" … ""Secondary Dwelling Unit" means a dwelling unit located either within the principal dwelling unit, or in" … "No use of land is permitted in any zone unless that use is specified under the heading"
  - Source: [Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 245, s. 1(a)](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=1ffbff55-231b-4336-8376-a877d7bbf461)
  - Official wording: "Secondary Dwelling Unit” means a dwelling unit located either within the principal"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Coach house or garden suite allowed:** Yes, in the same zones (SH, CR, R, RP). A detached unit must be 4 m from the front and rear lot lines and 1.5 m from the side (4.5 m if the side abuts a highway), at most 12 m high, with its entrance visible from the road. It cannot be a short term rental or bed and breakfast.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 111 (PDF, consolidated through Bylaw 258), s. 3.8(a)](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=8d686cb9-21b4-4e4c-8125-7c8a0c7d6242)
  - Official wording: "A detached Secondary Dwelling Unit entrance shall be identified and visible" … "No detached Secondary Dwelling Unit shall be used for short term rental or bed" … "A detached Secondary Dwelling must be setback a minimum of 4 meters from" … "a minimum of 1.5 meters from the side of the property unless the side lot" … "abuts a highway where it shall be 4.5 meters" … "The maximum height of a detached Secondary Dwelling Unit shall be 12"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Limits:** A single detached dwelling may have one principal dwelling unit and a secondary dwelling unit. The unit must be appropriately serviced. No size cap or owner-occupancy rule was found.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 111 (PDF, consolidated through Bylaw 258), Division One, "Single Detached Dwelling"; s. 3.8(a)(iv)](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=8d686cb9-21b4-4e4c-8125-7c8a0c7d6242)
  - Official wording: "where permitted by this Bylaw, one principal dwelling unit and a secondary dwelling unit." … "A Secondary Dwelling Unit must be appropriately serviced;"
  - Source: [Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 245, s. 1(a)](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=1ffbff55-231b-4336-8376-a877d7bbf461)
  - Official wording: "having a floor area less than 40"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Parking:** 1 parking space per suite.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 111 (PDF, consolidated through Bylaw 258), s. 3.10(a) table](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=8d686cb9-21b4-4e4c-8125-7c8a0c7d6242)
  - Official wording: "Secondary Suite 1 parking space per suite" … "parking is provided in accordance with the requirements of this By-law;"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Permits:** A building permit from the District is required for the secondary dwelling unit. The zoning bylaw does not mention a separate development permit for a suite.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 111 (PDF, consolidated through Bylaw 258), s. 3.8(a)(i)](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=8d686cb9-21b4-4e4c-8125-7c8a0c7d6242)
  - Official wording: "a building permit is obtained from the District for the Secondary Dwelling Unit;"
  - Source: [Building Inspection and Development Permits, Building Inspection & Planning/Development](https://www.barriere.ca/p/building-inspection-development-permits)
  - Official wording: "Thinking of adding a secondary suite inside your home?"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 111, s. 3.8 (as amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 245); Building Regulations Bylaw No. 128
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 111 (PDF, consolidated through Bylaw 258), s. 3.8](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=8d686cb9-21b4-4e4c-8125-7c8a0c7d6242)
  - Official wording: "3.8 SECONDARY DWELLING UNIT"
  - Source: [Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 245, title](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=1ffbff55-231b-4336-8376-a877d7bbf461)
  - Official wording: "A bylaw to amend “District of Barriere Zoning Bylaw No. 111”"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

[Zoning Bylaw No. 111](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=8d686cb9-21b4-4e4c-8125-7c8a0c7d6242), as amended by [Bylaw No. 245](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=1ffbff55-231b-4336-8376-a877d7bbf461), lists a secondary dwelling unit, inside the principal dwelling or in an accessory building, as an accessory use in the SH, CR, R and RP zones. It is not listed in the multi-family, mobile home, commercial, industrial or other zones. A single detached dwelling may have one principal dwelling unit and a secondary dwelling unit, and the unit must be appropriately serviced.

A detached unit must be 4 m from the front and rear lot lines and 1.5 m from the side lot line (4.5 m if the side abuts a highway). It can be at most 12 m high, with its entrance visible from the road. It cannot be a short term rental or bed and breakfast.

## Steps

1. Confirm your lot's zone with the District Office (see the zoning-lookup answer).
2. Plan for 1 parking space for the suite.
3. Apply for a building permit from the District (see the building-permit answer).
4. The zoning bylaw does not mention a separate development permit for a suite.

## Good to know

- No size cap or owner-occupancy rule was found in the zoning bylaw.
- The parking table also requires 2 parking spaces per dwelling unit for residential use. Ask the District how this applies to your project.
- The District's permit page links the Province's "Home Suite Home" guide on secondary suites and additional dwelling units.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 111 (PDF)](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=8d686cb9-21b4-4e4c-8125-7c8a0c7d6242)
- [Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 245 (PDF)](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=1ffbff55-231b-4336-8376-a877d7bbf461)
- [Building Inspection and Development Permits, District of Barriere](https://www.barriere.ca/p/building-inspection-development-permits)

## Related questions

- [Barriere building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/barriere/building-permit.md)
- [Barriere building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/barriere/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Barriere zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/barriere/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Barriere short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/barriere/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)
- [Sun Peaks](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sun-peaks/secondary-suite.md)
- [Clearwater](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/clearwater/secondary-suite.md)
- [Kamloops](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kamloops/secondary-suite.md)
- [Sicamous](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sicamous/secondary-suite.md)
- [Cache Creek](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cache-creek/secondary-suite.md)
- [Enderby](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/enderby/secondary-suite.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 111 (PDF, consolidated through Bylaw 258)](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=8d686cb9-21b4-4e4c-8125-7c8a0c7d6242) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 245 (PDF)](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=1ffbff55-231b-4336-8376-a877d7bbf461) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Inspection and Development Permits, District of Barriere](https://www.barriere.ca/p/building-inspection-development-permits) (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 District of Barriere. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/barriere/secondary-suite/_