Central Saanich secondary suite and carriage house rules
Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house?
Short answer
In Central Saanich a secondary suite is allowed inside the Urban Containment Boundary in the residential zones if it is wholly inside the main dwelling. A one-storey cottage or two-storey carriage house is also allowed there. You need a building permit.
Key facts
| Secondary suite allowed | Inside the Urban Containment Boundary, a secondary suite is allowed as an accessory use in the residential zones, if it is wholly inside the main dwelling. A suite cannot be in a detached building or one linked only by a breezeway. Outside the boundary, suites are allowed in Agricultural and Rural zones.Zoning Bylaw No. 2270, 2026, s. 4.5.4-5, 3.2, 6.23.2 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingWhere permitted inside the Urban Containment Boundary, Secondary Dwelling Units are permitted in the form of a secondary suite wholly contained within the principal dwelling unit Outside of the Urban Containment Boundary, Secondary Dwelling Units are permitted in Agricultural and Rural zones may not be in a detached accessory structure or in any structure connected only by a breezeway. Secondary Dwelling Units in accordance with Section 4.5. |
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| Coach house or garden suite allowed | Yes, inside the Urban Containment Boundary: a one-storey cottage or two-storey carriage house. Outside it, in Agricultural and Rural zones: a cottage or carriage house up to 90 m² (basement excluded). In Agricultural zones the main dwelling must be 500 m² or less.Zoning Bylaw No. 2270, 2026, s. 4.5.4-6; Residential Building Permits, Cottage or Carriage House · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingSecondary Dwelling Unit - Detached in the form of a one-storey Residential - Cottage or two-storey Residential - Carriage House. A Residential - Cottage or a Residential - Carriage House shall have a maximum floor area of 90 m². The principal dwelling is 500 m² or less in floor area, only one accessory dwelling unit is permitted per lot in either the form of a secondary suite, cottage, or carriage house |
| Limits | A suite must be on the same title and cannot be stratified or subdivided. It must be lived in as a home only, rented for more than 30 days, and not used as a bed and breakfast or short-term rental. No set size limit inside the boundary.Zoning Bylaw No. 2270, 2026, s. 4.5.1-3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingshall be occupied for residential purposes only and shall not be used as a Bed and Breakfast or Short-Term Rental Accommodation. Secondary Dwelling Units must be rented for an occupancy period of more than 30 days. No Residential - Secondary Suite may be stratified, subdivided, or otherwise legally separated from the principal residential dwelling. |
| Parking | 1 off-street space per secondary dwelling unit, reserved for that unit only, with unobstructed access at all times.Zoning Bylaw No. 2270, 2026, s. 7.4.3, 7.5 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wording1 per Secondary Dwelling Specifically allocated for use of the Secondary Dwelling Unit only; Located so as to allow for Access to and from the parking space at all times by means of an unobstructed driveway; |
| Permits | A building permit is needed to build a new suite or legalize an existing one, applied for online as a Secondary Suite Permit with a Secondary Suite checklist. A development permit is needed first for infill housing such as cottages on small lots. A septic review may be needed.Secondary Suites; Residential Building Permits, Required for Submission · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingYou will require a building permit if you want to construct a new suite or legalize an existing non-permitted suite If a form of infill housing: A Development Permit would be required prior to your building permit application Secondary Suite checklist completed if authorizing an existing suite or building a new one in your home |
| Bylaw | Zoning Bylaw No. 2270, 2026 (s. 4.5 Secondary Dwelling Units; zones in Part 6) and Building Bylaw No. 2014, 2019Zoning Bylaw No. 2270, 2026, s. 4.5; Building Bylaw No. 2014 (PDF, consolidated October 23, 2023), s. 1.0 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingCentral Saanich Zoning Bylaw No. 2270 Central Saanich Building Bylaw No. 2014, 2019 |
How it works
The Zoning Bylaw No. 2270 (s. 4.5) allows a secondary suite as an accessory use in the residential zones inside the Urban Containment Boundary, if it is wholly inside the main dwelling. It cannot be in a detached building or one linked only by a breezeway. Outside the boundary, suites are allowed in Agricultural and Rural zones.
A detached unit is also allowed inside the boundary: a one-storey cottage or two-storey carriage house. Outside it, in Agricultural and Rural zones, a cottage or carriage house may be up to 90 m² (basement excluded), and in Agricultural zones the main dwelling must be 500 m² or less. Only one accessory dwelling is allowed per lot outside the boundary.
Steps
- Check your zone and the rules below with Planning.
- For a cottage or carriage house on a small lot, get a development permit (Intensive Residential) first.
- Apply online for a building permit as a Secondary Suite Permit, with the Secondary Suite checklist. This applies to new suites and to legalizing an existing one. A septic review may be needed.
- Provide 1 off-street parking space for the suite, reserved for it only and always accessible. The parking table also shows 1 energized electric vehicle space with Level 2 charging per unit.
Good to know
- The suite must be on the same title and cannot be stratified or subdivided. It must be lived in as a home only, rented for more than 30 days, and not used as a bed and breakfast or short-term rental.
- The bylaw sets no floor-area cap for a suite inside the boundary. Total dwelling units per lot are capped by zone (4 in R-N and R-NS).
- A business licence is not issued for a property with bylaw infractions, including an unauthorized secondary suite.
- The District's older Secondary Suite Guide (2023) states a minimum lot size that is not in the current bylaw. Confirm with Planning.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Sidney · North Saanich · Highlands · Saanich · View Royal · Esquimalt
Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- Secondary Suites, District of Central Saanich (read 2026-11-06)
- Residential Building Permits, District of Central Saanich (read 2026-11-06)
- Zoning Bylaw No. 2270, 2026 (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
- Building Bylaw No. 2014 (PDF, consolidated October 23, 2023) (read 2026-11-06)
Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text. How answers are checked.