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Clearwater secondary suite and carriage house rules

Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house?

Clearwater, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-08

Short answer

Yes, in Clearwater one secondary suite is allowed inside a single family home in the RL-1, SH-1, CR-1, R-1, R-2 and MX-1 zones. A carriage or garden suite is allowed only in the RL-1 zone, on lots over 2 ha outside the Agricultural Land Reserve.

Key facts

Secondary suite allowedYes, one secondary suite inside a single family dwelling, only in zones that expressly allow it. It is an accessory use in the RL-1 (Rural), SH-1 (Small Holding), CR-1 (Country Residential), R-1, R-2 and MX-1 (Riverside Centre Mixed Use) zones.Zoning Bylaw No. 133, 2016 (PDF, consolidated to April 1, 2025), s. 5.22; Zoning Bylaw No. 133, 2016 (PDF, consolidated to April 1, 2025), s. 7.1.2 (RL-1); Zoning Bylaw No. 133, 2016 (PDF, consolidated to April 1, 2025), s. 7.2.2 (SH-1); Zoning Bylaw No. 133, 2016 (PDF, consolidated to April 1, 2025), s. 8.1.2 (R-1); Zoning Bylaw No. 133, 2016 (PDF, consolidated to April 1, 2025), s. 8.2.2 (R-2); Zoning Bylaw No. 133, 2016 (PDF, consolidated to April 1, 2025), s. 9.5.2 (MX-1) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
A maximum of one secondary suite is permitted within a single family dwelling, only
where expressly permitted within a zone
m) home based business; n) commercial kennel; and o) secondary suite.
f) home based business; g) secondary suite; and h) keeping of a limited number of animals
e) home based business; and f) secondary suite.
e) home based business; f) secondary suite; and g) one accessory building per lot.
v) accessory building; w) secondary suite; and x) home based business.
Coach house or garden suite allowedA carriage suite or garden suite is allowed in the RL-1 (Rural) zone only: one, on lots larger than 2 ha (5 acres) where the land is not in the Agricultural Land Reserve. In the ALR an extra dwelling needs approval from the Agricultural Land Commission.Zoning Bylaw No. 133, 2016 (PDF, consolidated to April 1, 2025), s. 7.1.2(l); Zoning Bylaw No. 133, 2016 (PDF, consolidated to April 1, 2025), s. 4.4.2(a) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
l) one carriage suite or garden suite on lots larger than 2 ha (5 acres) where land is not within
the ALR;
any additional dwelling, duplex, carriage suite, or garden suite is not permitted on lands
LimitsOne suite per single family dwelling; wholly inside the primary dwelling with a separate entrance; up to 40% of the building's habitable floor area and no more than 90 m² (969 sq. ft.); must meet the BC Building Code; supplementary utility charges apply where bylaws set them.Zoning Bylaw No. 133, 2016 (PDF, consolidated to April 1, 2025), s. 5.22(a), (b), (c), (d) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
a) must be wholly within the primary dwelling unit with a separate and distinct entrance;
b) must meet the BC Building Code and all other applicable local and Provincial enactments;
d) must be located in and not exceed 40% of the habitable gross floor area of the building, to
maximum of 90 square metres (969 sqft);
ParkingOne off-street space per dwelling unit or sleeping unit for an accessory residential use, which includes a secondary suite, on the same lot (Table 3). The main dwelling needs 2 spaces.Zoning Bylaw No. 133, 2016 (PDF, consolidated to April 1, 2025), s. 5.22(e); Table 3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
e) must provide parking upon the lot in conformance with Part 6 of this Bylaw; and
Accessory residential use
(boarding, bed and breakfast, secondary suite)
1 per dwelling unit or sleeping unit
2 per dwelling unit
PermitsA building permit (processed by the TNRD) is needed for interior work such as partitions and for a change of occupancy or use. The suite must meet the BC Building Code, be registered with the District and be inspected by the Building Inspector before anyone lives in it. No development permit rule for suites was found.Zoning Bylaw No. 133, 2016 (PDF, consolidated to April 1, 2025), s. 5.22(f); Building Permits and Inspections, District page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
must be registered with the District and inspected by the Building Inspector prior to
change of occupancy or use of a building or part thereof
undertake any interior work such as partitions, etc.;
BylawDistrict of Clearwater Zoning Bylaw No. 133, 2016, s. 5.22; Building Regulations Bylaw 129, 2014Zoning Bylaw No. 133, 2016 (PDF, consolidated to April 1, 2025), cover; Building Regulations Bylaw No. 129, 2014 (PDF, consolidated to May 4, 2021), s. 1.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
ZONING BYLAW NO. 133, 2016
District of Clearwater Building Regulations Bylaw 129, 2014

How it works

The Zoning Bylaw No. 133 allows one secondary suite inside a single family dwelling, but only in zones that expressly allow it: RL-1 (Rural), SH-1 (Small Holding), CR-1 (Country Residential), R-1, R-2 and MX-1 (Riverside Centre Mixed Use). The R-3, MHP-1 and commercial zones do not list a suite.

A carriage suite or garden suite is allowed in the RL-1 zone only: one, on lots larger than 2 ha (5 acres) that are not in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). In the ALR an extra dwelling needs approval from the Agricultural Land Commission. A carriage suite is a self-contained two-storey unit with a footprint up to 80 square metres and up to 95 square metres of living space.

Suite limits (section 5.22):

  • one suite per single family dwelling, wholly inside the main home, with a separate entrance
  • up to 40% of the building's habitable floor area and no more than 90 m² (969 sq. ft.)
  • must meet the BC Building Code
  • one off-street parking space for the suite, on the same lot (the main home needs 2)

Steps

  1. Confirm your zone allows a suite (see the zoning-lookup answer).
  2. Apply for a building permit through the TNRD for the interior work and change of use (see the building-permit answer).
  3. Register the suite with the District.
  4. Have the Building Inspector inspect it before anyone lives in it.

Good to know

  • Supplementary utility charges apply where District bylaws set them.
  • We found no owner-occupancy requirement for suites. We found no development permit rule for suites either.
  • The District's 2026 Official Community Plan says it will update zoning to allow more secondary suites and additional dwelling units. The update is in progress, so rules may change. Ask TNRD Planning for the current status.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Barriere · Sun Peaks · 100 Mile House · Kamloops · Sicamous · Clinton

Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

  1. Zoning Bylaw No. 133, 2016 (PDF, consolidated to April 1, 2025) (read 2026-11-08)
  2. Building Regulations Bylaw No. 129, 2014 (PDF, consolidated to May 4, 2021) (read 2026-11-08)
  3. Building Permits and Inspections, District of Clearwater (read 2026-11-08)
  4. Official Community Plan (PDF, 2026), District of Clearwater (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. How answers are checked.