{"title":"Belcarra secondary suite and carriage house rules","question":"Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house?","slug":"secondary-suite","place":{"path":"ca/bc/belcarra","name":"Belcarra","region":{"code":"bc","name":"British Columbia"},"country":{"code":"ca","name":"Canada"}},"category":{"slug":"building-and-renovating","name":"Building, renovating and your property"},"owner":"municipal","owner_label":"Municipal","owner_body":{"name":"Village of Belcarra","url":"https://belcarra.ca"},"short_answer":"Yes. Belcarra's Zoning Bylaw allows one secondary suite inside the principal building, or one coach house, per principal residence in the RS-1 and RM-1 to RM-3 zones. A suite may be up to 40% of the dwelling, to a maximum of 90 m².","aliases":["secondary suite belcarra","basement suite belcarra","coach house belcarra","carriage house belcarra"],"cost":"Building permit fees apply (see building-permit-fees). Each accessory suite adds a $706 annual garbage and recycling charge (Fees and Charges Bylaw Schedule 10).","how_long":"Not stated.","where":[{"type":"in_person","label":"Municipal Hall","value":"4084 Bedwell Bay Road, Belcarra, BC V3H 4P8","note":"Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed statutory holidays)."},{"type":"phone","label":"Village Office","value":"604-937-4100"},{"type":"email","label":"Village Office","value":"belcarra@belcarra.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018 (PDF)","url":"https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2021/05/Bylaw-510-2018-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidated-.pdf"},{"title":"Building Permit Application Package (PDF)","url":"https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2024/07/Building-Permit-Application-Package-2024.pdf"}],"related":[{"slug":"building-permit","title":"Belcarra building permits: when you need one and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/belcarra/building-permit/"},{"slug":"building-permit-fees","title":"Belcarra building permit fees","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/belcarra/building-permit-fees/"},{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Belcarra zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/belcarra/zoning-lookup/"},{"slug":"deck-shed-garage-permit","title":"Belcarra permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/belcarra/deck-shed-garage-permit/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/port-moody","name":"Port Moody","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-moody/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/anmore","name":"Anmore","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/anmore/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/coquitlam","name":"Coquitlam","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/coquitlam/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/new-westminster","name":"New Westminster","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-westminster/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/burnaby","name":"Burnaby","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burnaby/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/port-coquitlam","name":"Port Coquitlam","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-coquitlam/secondary-suite/"}],"topic":{"title":"Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/secondary-suite/"},"facts":{"suite_allowed":{"label":"Secondary suite allowed","value":"Yes. One secondary suite per principal residence, inside the principal building, in the RS-1 and RM-1 to RM-3 residential zones (as an alternative to a coach house).","short":"Yes, one per home in RS-1 and RM-1 to RM-3","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2021/05/Bylaw-510-2018-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidated-.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Belcarra","section":"s. 213, 302.3(b)","quotes":["Not more than one Accessory Secondary Suite Use shall be permitted per Principal Residential Use;","An Accessory Secondary Suite Use must be located within a Principal Building;","One (1) Accessory Secondary Suite Use (subject to the requirements of Section 213) or one (1) Accessory Coach House Use (subject to the requirements of Section 214)"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"detached_allowed":{"label":"Coach house or garden suite allowed","value":"Yes. One coach house per principal residence, in an accessory building that is also a garage or is no higher than 4 m, up to 92.9 m², on one storey. In the residential zones a lot may have a secondary suite or a coach house.","short":"Yes, one coach house per principal residence","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2021/05/Bylaw-510-2018-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidated-.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Belcarra","section":"s. 214","quotes":["Not more than one Accessory Coach House Use shall be permitted per Principal Residential Use;","be located in an Accessory Building that is also used as a Garage; or","must be limited to 4 m (13.12 ft) in height;","An Accessory Coach House Use shall not have a floor area that exceeds 92.9 square metres (1,000 square feet);"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"limits":{"label":"Limits","value":"A secondary suite may be up to 40% of the dwelling, to a maximum of 90 m² of finished living space; one per principal residence. The bylaw has no owner-occupancy rule for suites.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2021/05/Bylaw-510-2018-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidated-.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Belcarra","section":"s. 213(1), (3)","quotes":["The maximum allowable floor area of an Accessory Secondary Suite Use within a Principal Building is 40% of the dwelling up to a maximum of 90 square metres (968 square feet) of finished living space"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"parking":{"label":"Parking","value":"RS-1 zone: at least 1 off-street parking space per secondary suite and 1 per coach house, in addition to 2 for the house.","short":"1 space per suite, plus 2 for the house","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2021/05/Bylaw-510-2018-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidated-.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Belcarra","section":"s. 302.9(a)","quotes":["Minimum of 2 spaces per principal Single Family Residential Use;","Minimum of 1 space per Accessory Secondary Suite Use","Minimum of 1 space per Accessory Coach House Use."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"permits":{"label":"Permits","value":"A sewage disposal permit must be obtainable from the responsible authority before a secondary suite or coach house is allowed. Building a suite also needs a building permit under the Building Bylaw.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2021/05/Bylaw-510-2018-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidated-.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Belcarra","section":"s. 213(4), 214(4)","quotes":["An Accessory Secondary Suite Use may be permitted provided that a Sewage Disposal Permit can be obtained from the responsible authority."]},{"url":"https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2020/09/Bylaw-355-Building-and-Plumbing-Regulation-Consolidated.pdf","title":"Building and Plumbing Code Regulation Bylaw No. 355, 2003 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Belcarra","section":"s. 76","quotes":["before constructing, repairing or altering a building or structure"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Village of Belcarra Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018, ss. 213, 214 and 302 to 305","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2021/05/Bylaw-510-2018-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidated-.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Belcarra","section":"s. 101","quotes":["Village of Belcarra Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":6,"matched":6,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nUnder [Zoning Bylaw No. 510](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2021/05/Bylaw-510-2018-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidated-.pdf) (ss. 213 and 214), one secondary suite is allowed per principal residence, inside the principal building, in the RS-1 and RM-1 to RM-3 residential zones. A lot may have a secondary suite or a coach house, not both.\n\n- **Secondary suite:** up to 40% of the dwelling, to a maximum of 90 m² of finished living space.\n- **Coach house (detached):** one per principal residence, in an accessory building that is also a garage or is no higher than 4 m, up to 92.9 m², on one storey.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Confirm your zone with the Village Office (see the zoning-lookup answer).\n2. Make sure a sewage disposal permit can be obtained from the responsible authority; the bylaw requires this before a suite or coach house is allowed.\n3. Apply for a building permit under the Building Bylaw (see building-permit).\n\n## Good to know\n\n- In RS-1, at least 1 off-street parking space is required per secondary suite and 1 per coach house, in addition to 2 for the house. Parking in the RM zones was not checked.\n- The bylaw has no owner-occupancy rule for suites. No development permit requirement is stated.\n- Each accessory suite adds a $706 annual garbage and recycling charge.","sources":[{"url":"https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2021/05/Bylaw-510-2018-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidated-.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Belcarra","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2020/09/Bylaw-355-Building-and-Plumbing-Regulation-Consolidated.pdf","title":"Building and Plumbing Code Regulation Bylaw No. 355, 2003 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Belcarra","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2026/07/Bylaw-517-2018-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw-Consolidated.pdf","title":"Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 517, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Belcarra","accessed":"2026-11-08"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-08","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/belcarra/secondary-suite/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/belcarra/secondary-suite.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/belcarra/secondary-suite.json"}}