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

# Belcarra secondary suite and carriage house rules

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

**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.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Belcarra, https://belcarra.ca)  
**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:**
- In person: Municipal Hall, 4084 Bedwell Bay Road, Belcarra, BC V3H 4P8 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed statutory holidays).)
- Phone: Village Office, 604-937-4100
- Email: Village Office, belcarra@belcarra.ca

## Key facts

- **Secondary suite allowed:** 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).
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), s. 213, 302.3(b)](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2021/05/Bylaw-510-2018-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidated-.pdf)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Coach house or garden suite allowed:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), s. 214](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2021/05/Bylaw-510-2018-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidated-.pdf)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Limits:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), s. 213(1), (3)](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2021/05/Bylaw-510-2018-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidated-.pdf)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Parking:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), s. 302.9(a)](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2021/05/Bylaw-510-2018-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidated-.pdf)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Permits:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), s. 213(4), 214(4)](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2021/05/Bylaw-510-2018-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidated-.pdf)
  - Official wording: "An Accessory Secondary Suite Use may be permitted provided that a Sewage Disposal Permit can be obtained from the responsible authority."
  - Source: [Building and Plumbing Code Regulation Bylaw No. 355, 2003 (PDF, consolidated), s. 76](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2020/09/Bylaw-355-Building-and-Plumbing-Regulation-Consolidated.pdf)
  - Official wording: "before constructing, repairing or altering a building or structure"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Village of Belcarra Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018, ss. 213, 214 and 302 to 305
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), s. 101](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2021/05/Bylaw-510-2018-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidated-.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Village of Belcarra Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

Under [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.

- **Secondary suite:** up to 40% of the dwelling, to a maximum of 90 m² of finished living space.
- **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.

## Steps

1. Confirm your zone with the Village Office (see the zoning-lookup answer).
2. 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.
3. Apply for a building permit under the Building Bylaw (see building-permit).

## Good to know

- 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.
- The bylaw has no owner-occupancy rule for suites. No development permit requirement is stated.
- Each accessory suite adds a $706 annual garbage and recycling charge.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018 (PDF)](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2021/05/Bylaw-510-2018-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidated-.pdf)
- [Building Permit Application Package (PDF)](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2024/07/Building-Permit-Application-Package-2024.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Belcarra building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/belcarra/building-permit.md)
- [Belcarra building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/belcarra/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Belcarra zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/belcarra/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Belcarra permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/belcarra/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/secondary-suite.md)
- [Port Moody](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-moody/secondary-suite.md)
- [Anmore](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/anmore/secondary-suite.md)
- [Coquitlam](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/coquitlam/secondary-suite.md)
- [New Westminster](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-westminster/secondary-suite.md)
- [Burnaby](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burnaby/secondary-suite.md)
- [Port Coquitlam](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-coquitlam/secondary-suite.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Belcarra](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2021/05/Bylaw-510-2018-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidated-.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building and Plumbing Code Regulation Bylaw No. 355, 2003 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Belcarra](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2020/09/Bylaw-355-Building-and-Plumbing-Regulation-Consolidated.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 517, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Belcarra](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2026/07/Bylaw-517-2018-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw-Consolidated.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 Belcarra. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/belcarra/secondary-suite/_