---
title: Castlegar secondary suite and carriage house rules
question: "Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house?"
place: Castlegar, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/castlegar
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: municipal
owner_body: City of Castlegar
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/secondary-suite/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/secondary-suite.json"
---

# Castlegar secondary suite and carriage house rules

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

**Short answer:** Yes. Castlegar's Zoning Bylaw allows accessory dwelling units, including secondary suites and detached carriage houses or garden suites, in the R1, R2, RU, CPA and RMU zones and in C1 to C4. In R1 you can have up to four dwelling units on a lot of 280 m² or more, and three on a smaller lot. You need a building permit.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Castlegar, https://www.castlegar.ca)  
**Cost:** A new secondary suite is $500 under Building Bylaw 1338, Schedule A. The bylaw does not say whether this replaces or adds to the regular building permit fee. See the building-permit-fees answer.  
**How long:** The City says complete building permit applications are typically processed in 4 to 6 weeks.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Development Services, 250-365-8964
- Email: Development Services, devserv@castlegar.ca
- In person: City Hall, 460 Columbia Avenue, Castlegar, BC V1N 1G7

## Key facts

- **Secondary suite allowed:** Yes. A secondary suite is an accessory dwelling unit inside a one-unit dwelling. Accessory dwelling units are a permitted use in the R1, R2, RU, CPA, RMU and C1 to C4 zones. In R3 only on a lot with a single-detached dwelling that existed when the bylaw was adopted.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 1428 (consolidated, PDF), Part 10 definitions](https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Consolidated.Branded.Bylaw_.1428-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Secondary Suite Means an Accessory Dwelling Unit, located within the Structure of a"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 1428 (consolidated, PDF), s. 7.1.2, 7.2.2](https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Consolidated.Branded.Bylaw_.1428-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "7.1.2. Permitted Uses" … "a) Accessory Dwelling Unit d) Residential Building"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 1428 (consolidated, PDF), s. 7.3.3](https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Consolidated.Branded.Bylaw_.1428-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "a) An Accessory Dwelling Unit is permitted Use on any Lot that has a single-detached" … "Dwelling that was in existence at the time of adoption of this Bylaw."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Coach house or garden suite allowed:** Yes. An accessory dwelling unit may be in a separate building (carriage house, garden suite), in the same zones as secondary suites.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 1428 (consolidated, PDF), Part 10 definitions](https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Consolidated.Branded.Bylaw_.1428-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Means a Dwelling Unit in a separate Building or within an existing"
  - Source: [Accessory Dwellings, What Are Accessory Dwellings?](https://castlegar.ca/planning-building-business/housing-resources/accessory-dwellings/)
  - Official wording: "such as a secondary suite, basement suite, carriage house, and garden suite."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Limits:** R1: up to 4 dwelling units per lot on lots of 280 m² or more, 3 on smaller lots. R2: up to 8 units per building and 120 units per hectare. Owner occupancy is not required (City news release, April 2025).
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 1428 (consolidated, PDF), s. 7.1.3](https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Consolidated.Branded.Bylaw_.1428-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "a) The maximum density permitted is four (4) Dwelling Unit(s) Per Lot (UPL) for any Lot 280m2" … "b) The maximum density permitted is three (3)Dwelling Unit(s) Per Lot (UPL) for any Lot less" … "a) The maximum density permitted is 120 Dwelling Unit(s) per Hectare (UPH)" … "b) The maximum number of Dwelling Unit(s) per Residential Building is eight (8)."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 1428 (consolidated, PDF), s. 7.2.3](https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Consolidated.Branded.Bylaw_.1428-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "b) The maximum number of Dwelling Unit(s) per Residential Building is eight (8)."
  - Source: [City Launches New Accessory Dwelling Program, News release 2 April 2025](https://castlegar.ca/2025/04/02/city-launches-new-accessory-dwelling-program/)
  - Official wording: "Owner occupancy is not required, making it easier for property owners to add secondary suites, garden suites, or laneway homes."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Parking:** Zoning Table 6 sets 0.5 space per accessory dwelling unit (the 1-2 unit residential row says 1 per unit). The City page: 1 space for the house plus 0.5 per accessory dwelling, rounded up to a whole number, so 2 spaces for a house with one accessory dwelling.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 1428 (consolidated, PDF), Table 6](https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Consolidated.Branded.Bylaw_.1428-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Dwelling, Accessory Unit 0.5 spaces per Dwelling Unit"
  - Source: [Accessory Dwellings, What are the Zoning Regulations?](https://castlegar.ca/planning-building-business/housing-resources/accessory-dwellings/)
  - Official wording: "Parking – The lot must be able to accommodate one space per main house and 0.5 space per accessory dwelling." … "*Note that parking is rounded up to a whole number"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Permits:** A building permit is required (adding a dwelling unit; Building Bylaw fee $500 for a new secondary suite), plus fire inspections before occupancy. A development permit is also needed if the lot is in a flood hazard, steep slope or riparian development permit area, or the Multi-Unit Residential area (5 or more units).
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 1428 (consolidated, PDF), s. 5.1.3](https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Consolidated.Branded.Bylaw_.1428-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "5.1.3. Fire Inspections and all required Building Permits shall be obtained prior to occupancy."
  - Source: [Building Bylaw 1338 (consolidated, PDF), Schedule A](https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Bylaw-1338-Consolidated-Building.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Application for NEW Secondary Suite"
  - Source: [Apply for a Building Permit, When do I need a building permit?](https://castlegar.ca/planning-building-business/construction-permits/apply-for-a-building-permit/)
  - Official wording: "Changing how a building or space is used (for example, moving into a commercial space or adding a dwelling unit)"
  - Source: [Community Plan Bylaw 1427, s. 7.1; Table 7](https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1427-Official-Community-Plan-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "x Construction of, addition to or alteration" … "Yes, if the development has five (5) or"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 1428 (s. 5.1, Part 7) and Building Bylaw No. 1338, 2020
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 1428 (consolidated, PDF), s. 1.1.1](https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Consolidated.Branded.Bylaw_.1428-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited as “Zoning Bylaw No. 1428”."
  - Source: [Building Bylaw 1338 (consolidated, PDF), Schedule A, s. 1.1](https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Bylaw-1338-Consolidated-Building.pdf)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as ‘Building Bylaw No. 1338, 2020’."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

Under [Zoning Bylaw 1428](https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Consolidated.Branded.Bylaw_.1428-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf), a secondary suite is an accessory dwelling unit inside a one-unit dwelling. Accessory dwelling units are a permitted use in the R1, R2, RU, CPA, RMU and C1 to C4 zones. In R3 they are allowed only on a lot with a single-detached dwelling that existed when the bylaw was adopted. They are not listed in R4, RC, A1, M or P zones. An accessory dwelling unit may also be in a separate building, such as a carriage house or garden suite.

Limits: in R1, up to 4 dwelling units per lot on lots of 280 m² or more, and 3 on smaller lots. In R2, up to 8 units per building and 120 units per hectare. The City says owner occupancy is not required.

## Steps

1. Look up your zone (see zoning-lookup) and check your lot size.
2. Read the City's Accessory Dwellings page, which explains the process for existing and new buildings.
3. Apply for a building permit by emailing devserv@castlegar.ca or at City Hall. The permit fee for a new secondary suite is $500.
4. Book inspections as the work goes on. Fire inspections are also required before occupancy.

## Good to know

- Parking: the City says 1 space for the house plus 0.5 per accessory dwelling, rounded up, so 2 spaces for a house with one suite. Zoning Table 6 lists 0.5 per accessory dwelling unit and 1 per unit for one- or two-unit residential buildings, and does not say how the rows combine.
- A detached accessory dwelling follows accessory-building setbacks and height. In R1 that is 6.0 m from the front lot line, 3.0 m from an exterior side line and 1.5 m from interior side and rear lines, at most 7.5 m high.
- A development permit is also needed if the lot is in a flood hazard, steep slope or riparian development permit area, or in the Multi-Unit Residential area (5 or more units).
- The bylaw sets no floor-area cap for suites in the texts we read. The City page's "less than half of the main house" is a rule of thumb, not a bylaw limit.

## Official forms and pages

- [Accessory Dwellings (City of Castlegar)](https://castlegar.ca/planning-building-business/housing-resources/accessory-dwellings/)
- [City Launches New Accessory Dwelling Program (news release)](https://castlegar.ca/2025/04/02/city-launches-new-accessory-dwelling-program/)
- [Zoning Bylaw 1428 (PDF)](https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Consolidated.Branded.Bylaw_.1428-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
- [Building Bylaw 1338 (PDF)](https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Bylaw-1338-Consolidated-Building.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Castlegar building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/building-permit.md)
- [Castlegar building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Castlegar zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Castlegar permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/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)
- [Fruitvale](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fruitvale/secondary-suite.md)
- [Trail](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/trail/secondary-suite.md)
- [Warfield](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/warfield/secondary-suite.md)
- [Rossland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/rossland/secondary-suite.md)
- [Montrose](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/secondary-suite.md)
- [Nelson](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nelson/secondary-suite.md)

## Sources

- [Accessory Dwellings, City of Castlegar](https://castlegar.ca/planning-building-business/housing-resources/accessory-dwellings/) (read 2026-11-05)
- [City Launches New Accessory Dwelling Program, City of Castlegar](https://castlegar.ca/2025/04/02/city-launches-new-accessory-dwelling-program/) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Zoning Bylaw 1428 (consolidated, PDF), City of Castlegar](https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Consolidated.Branded.Bylaw_.1428-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Building Bylaw 1338 (consolidated, PDF), Schedule A, City of Castlegar](https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Bylaw-1338-Consolidated-Building.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Community Plan Bylaw 1427 (PDF), City of Castlegar](https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1427-Official-Community-Plan-Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Apply for a Building Permit, City of Castlegar](https://castlegar.ca/planning-building-business/construction-permits/apply-for-a-building-permit/) (read 2026-11-05)

_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 City of Castlegar. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/secondary-suite/_