---
title: Creston secondary suite and carriage house rules
question: "Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house in Creston?"
place: Creston, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/creston
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: municipal
owner_body: Town of Creston
sources_read: 2026-11-06
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/creston/secondary-suite/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/creston/secondary-suite.json"
---

# Creston secondary suite and carriage house rules

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

**Short answer:** Yes. In Creston a secondary suite is allowed in the AG, R1 and R5 zones, and a detached unit (garden or carriage suite) in R1, R5 and AG. An attached suite is limited to the lesser of 75.0 sq. m. or 40% of the home. You need a building permit.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Town of Creston, https://www.creston.ca)  
**Cost:** Building permit fees apply (see building-permit-fees); no separate suite fee is stated.  
**How long:** The Town states no processing time.  
**Where:**
- In person: Town Hall, 238 - 10th Ave. N., Creston, BC (Pay in person Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
- Phone: Town Hall, 250-428-2214
- Email: Building Department, building@creston.ca
- Email: Development Services, communityservices@creston.ca

## Key facts

- **Secondary suite allowed:** Yes, as an accessory use in the AG, R1 and R5 zones (and in the Northwest Boulevard CDNW zone, limited to a single family dwelling). The zoning bylaw defines a secondary suite as an attached accessory dwelling unit contained within the principal building.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, 2022 (PDF, consolidated to June 16, 2026), s. 2 definitions; s. 4.5.1; zone sections 7.1, 7.2, 7.6](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Zoning-1958.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Secondary suite: means an Attached accessory dwelling unit, which must be contained within the Lot's Principal building." … "An Attached accessory dwelling unit may only be located in a principal Single family dwelling." … "vi. Secondary suite."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, 2022 (PDF, consolidated to June 16, 2026), s. 7.2.2.2 (R1)](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Zoning-1958.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Attached accessory dwelling unit." … "Community care facility, only within a Single family dwelling."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Coach house or garden suite allowed:** Yes, as a Detached accessory dwelling unit (which may include a garden suite or carriage suite) in the R1, R5 and AG zones.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, 2022 (PDF, consolidated to June 16, 2026), s. 2 definitions; zone sections 7.1.2.2, 7.2.2.2, 7.6.2.2](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Zoning-1958.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Detached accessory dwelling unit: means an Accessory dwelling unit that is unattached to the Lot's Principal building. May include a Garden suite or Carriage suite." … "iv. Detached accessory dwelling unit."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Limits:** Attached unit: only in a single family dwelling, at most the lesser of 75.0 sq. m. or 40% of the principal dwelling's floor area. Detached unit: lesser of 75.0 sq. m. or 60%, at least 3.0 m from the principal dwelling. R1 allows 3 dwelling units per lot (4 on lots over 280 sq. m.); R5 allows 2. No owner-occupancy rule found.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, 2022 (PDF, consolidated to June 16, 2026), s. 4.5.1, 4.6.1](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Zoning-1958.pdf)
  - Official wording: "The maximum floor area of an Attached accessory dwelling unit shall not exceed the lesser of 75.0 sq. m. or 40 percent of the Gross floor area of the principal Dwelling." … "The maximum floor area of a Detached accessory dwelling unit shall not exceed the lesser of 75.0 sq. m. or 60 percent of the Gross floor area of the principal Dwelling." … "The minimum separation between a principal Dwelling unit and a Detached accessory dwelling unit shall be 3.0 metres." … "7.6.3.3 Maximum Density: 2 Dwelling units per"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Parking:** One additional on-site parking space for each attached or detached accessory dwelling unit, on top of the spaces required for the principal dwelling.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, 2022 (PDF, consolidated to June 16, 2026), s. 4.5.1 (iii), 4.6.1 (iii)](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Zoning-1958.pdf)
  - Official wording: "One (1) additional on-site parking space per Attached accessory dwelling unit is required in addition to those required for the principal Dwelling unit." … "One (1) additional on-site parking space per Detached accessory dwelling unit is required in addition to those required for the principal Dwelling unit."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Permits:** A building permit (application form, owner's authorization, title, scaled drawings and site plan). A development permit is also needed first if the lot is in a mapped wildfire or environmentally sensitive area, unless an exception applies, such as alterations completely within the interior of a building. Check with staff.
  - Source: [Building permit: secondary suite, Secondary Suites page](https://www.creston.ca/node/419)
  - Official wording: "Building Permit Application Form" … "State of Title, current within last 30 days"
  - Source: [Development Permits, Development Permits page](https://www.creston.ca/development-permits)
  - Official wording: "Building Permits will not be issued in these areas without an active Development Permit."
  - Source: [Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 1854, OCP Part VI s. 1.1 exceptions](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Official%20Community%20Plan-1854.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Alterations which are completely within the interior of the building;"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, 2022 (s. 4.5, 4.6 and zone sections); Building Bylaw Number 1394, 1997
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, 2022 (PDF, consolidated to June 16, 2026), s. 1.1](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Zoning-1958.pdf)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited as "Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, 2022"."
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 1394, 1997 (PDF, consolidated to June 28, 2022), s. 1.1](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2023-07/Building-1394.pdf)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as the "Building Bylaw Number 1394, 1997"."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The [Zoning Bylaw No. 1958](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Zoning-1958.pdf) defines a secondary suite as an attached accessory dwelling unit contained within the principal building. Attached units are allowed as an accessory use in the AG, R1 and R5 zones, and in the Northwest Boulevard (CDNW) zone, where limited to a single family dwelling. A detached accessory dwelling unit (which may include a garden suite or carriage suite) is allowed in R1, R5 and AG. R3, R4 and R6 do not list one.

Limits:

- Attached unit: only in a single family dwelling, at most the lesser of 75.0 sq. m. or 40% of the principal dwelling's floor area.
- Detached unit: the lesser of 75.0 sq. m. or 60%, at least 3.0 m from the principal dwelling.
- R1 allows 3 dwelling units per lot (4 on lots over 280 sq. m.), one of which may be detached. R5 allows 2.
- Detached heights: R1 7.5 m; R5 garden suite 5.0 m, carriage suite 6.1 m.
- Parking: one additional on-site space for each attached or detached unit, on top of the spaces for the principal dwelling.
- No owner-occupancy rule was found for suites.

## Steps

1. Check your zone in the Zoning Bylaw (see zoning-lookup).
2. Check the [Development Permits](https://www.creston.ca/development-permits) page. A development permit is needed first if the lot is in a mapped wildfire or environmentally sensitive area, unless an exception applies, such as alterations completely within a building's interior. Check with staff.
3. Apply for a building permit using the [secondary suite checklist](https://www.creston.ca/node/419): application form, owner's authorization, title, scaled drawings and site plan.
4. Book inspections as for any building permit.

## Good to know

- The Town's page links two advisory documents for suites in new and existing single-family dwellings.
- A business licence is needed if you rent units as a business: four or more units on your principal-residence property, or two or more elsewhere (see business-licence).

## Official forms and pages

- [Building permit: secondary suite, Town of Creston](https://www.creston.ca/node/419)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, 2022 (PDF, consolidated to June 16, 2026)](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Zoning-1958.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Creston building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/creston/building-permit.md)
- [Creston building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/creston/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Creston zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/creston/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Creston short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/creston/short-term-rental.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/secondary-suite.md)
- [Salmo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmo/secondary-suite.md)
- [Kimberley](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kimberley/secondary-suite.md)
- [Cranbrook](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cranbrook/secondary-suite.md)
- [Fruitvale](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fruitvale/secondary-suite.md)
- [Nelson](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nelson/secondary-suite.md)
- [Montrose](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/secondary-suite.md)

## Sources

- [Building permit: secondary suite, Town of Creston](https://www.creston.ca/node/419) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Development Permits, Town of Creston](https://www.creston.ca/development-permits) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, 2022 (PDF, consolidated to June 16, 2026)](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Zoning-1958.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Building Bylaw No. 1394, 1997 (PDF, consolidated to June 28, 2022)](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2023-07/Building-1394.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 1854 (PDF)](https://www.creston.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Official%20Community%20Plan-1854.pdf) (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. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Town of Creston. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/creston/secondary-suite/_