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

# Fraser Lake secondary suite and carriage house rules

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

**Short answer:** Yes. Fraser Lake's Zoning Bylaw allows attached secondary suites and detached units (garden suites and carriage houses) as accessory uses in the A1, R1 and R2 zones. You need a building permit, and each unit needs 1 parking space.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Fraser Lake, https://www.fraserlake.ca)  
**Cost:** Building permit at $6 per $1,000 of construction value. Extra water and sewer fees may be charged for each dwelling unit.  
**How long:** The bylaw does not state a processing time.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Village of Fraser Lake office, 250-699-6257 (Weekdays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
- Email: Chief Administrative Officer (bylaw questions), cao@fraserlake.ca

## Key facts

- **Secondary suite allowed:** An attached accessory dwelling unit (secondary suite) is a permitted accessory use in the Agricultural (A1), Small Scale Residential (R1) and Medium Residential (R2) zones.
  - Source: [Bylaw 875, 2025 Zoning Bylaw, ss. 2.4, 6.1.2, 6.2.2, 6.3.2](https://www.fraserlake.ca/media/480)
  - Official wording: "The use may also be defined as a Secondary Suite" … "Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)," … "Attached (“Secondary Suite”)" … "Accessory Dwelling Unit, Attached"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Coach house or garden suite allowed:** A detached accessory dwelling unit (garden suite or carriage house) is a permitted accessory use in A1, R1 and R2 zones.
  - Source: [Bylaw 875, 2025 Zoning Bylaw, ss. 2.4, 6.1.2, 6.2.2](https://www.fraserlake.ca/media/480)
  - Official wording: "Garden Suite – a detached at-grade ADU" … "Carriage House – a detached 2-storey ADU" … "Accessory Dwelling Unit, Detached"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Limits:** R1: lots under 280 m² can have 2 units (house plus 1 ADU, or a duplex); larger lots up to 4 units (house plus up to 3 ADUs, or fourplex). A1: one house with a secondary suite and 1 ADU. Garden suite 4.5 m or 1 storey; carriage house 8 m or 2 storeys.
  - Source: [Bylaw 875, 2025 Zoning Bylaw, ss. 6.1.3, 6.2.3](https://www.fraserlake.ca/media/480)
  - Official wording: "Lots less than 280 m2 will have a maximum of 2 units:" … "Lots greater than 280 m2 will have a maximum of 4 units:" … "Single-Detached Dwelling with up to 3 ADUs;" … "Carriage House ADU – 8.0 m or 2 storeys" … "Garden Suite ADU – 4.5 m or 1 storey"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Parking:** 1 parking space per accessory dwelling unit (in addition to 2 per single-detached dwelling).
  - Source: [Bylaw 875, 2025 Zoning Bylaw, Table 3](https://www.fraserlake.ca/media/480)
  - Official wording: "Accessory Dwelling Unit (a) 1 parking space per Dwelling Unit" … "Single-Detached (a) 2 parking spaces per Dwelling Unit"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Permits:** A building permit (Bylaw 878 s. 5.1). In an OCP development permit area (Downtown Mixed-Use, Mouse Mountain, Waterfront, Lakeshore) a development permit is also required for building work. A suite needs a separate entrance, one kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom meeting the BC Building Code.
  - Source: [Bylaw 878, 2026 Building Bylaw, s. 5.1](https://www.fraserlake.ca/media/518)
  - Official wording: "unless a building official has issued a valid and subsisting permit for the work under this bylaw."
  - Source: [Bylaw 875, 2025 Zoning Bylaw, s. 3.3](https://www.fraserlake.ca/media/480)
  - Official wording: "Accessory Dwelling Units must have separate entrances from the exterior" … "Additional water and sewer utility fees may be charged for each dwelling"
  - Source: [Official Community Plan, Part 6, Applicable Activities](https://www.fraserlake.ca/media/419)
  - Official wording: "A development permit is required for any development occurring on land within the DPAs" … "Construction of, addition to, or alteration of a building or structure."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Bylaw 875, 2025 Zoning Bylaw (ss. 3.3, 6.1-6.3) and Bylaw 878, 2026 Building Bylaw
  - Source: [Bylaw 875, 2025 Zoning Bylaw, Title](https://www.fraserlake.ca/media/480)
  - Official wording: "Bylaw 875, 2025 Zoning Bylaw"
  - Source: [Bylaw 878, 2026 Building Bylaw, s. 1.1](https://www.fraserlake.ca/media/518)
  - Official wording: "Bylaw 878, 2026 Building Bylaw"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The [Bylaw 875, 2025 Zoning Bylaw](https://www.fraserlake.ca/media/480) permits an attached accessory dwelling unit (secondary suite) and a detached one (garden suite or carriage house) as accessory uses in the Agricultural (A1), Small Scale Residential (R1) and Medium Residential (R2) zones.

Limits:
- R1: lots under 280 m² can have 2 units (a house plus 1 accessory unit, or a duplex). Larger lots can have up to 4 units (a house plus up to 3 accessory units, or a fourplex).
- A1: one house with a secondary suite and 1 accessory unit.
- A garden suite is limited to 4.5 m or 1 storey; a carriage house to 8 m or 2 storeys.
- Parking: 1 space per accessory dwelling unit, in addition to 2 per single-detached dwelling.

## Steps

1. Check your lot's zone and size in the Zoning Bylaw.
2. Plan a separate entrance from the exterior for the unit.
3. Apply for a building permit under the [Building Bylaw](https://www.fraserlake.ca/media/518). Call the Village office at 250-699-6257 first.
4. If your lot is in an Official Community Plan development permit area (Downtown Mixed-Use, Mouse Mountain, Waterfront or Lakeshore), you also need a development permit for the building work.

## Good to know

- Additional water and sewer utility fees may be charged for each dwelling unit.
- The bylaw does not state an owner-occupancy rule or a suite size limit in the text read. Ask the Village.
- Unit limits for R2 were not confirmed. Ask the Village.

## Official forms and pages

- [Bylaw 875, 2025 Zoning Bylaw (PDF)](https://www.fraserlake.ca/media/480)
- [Bylaw 878, 2026 Building Bylaw (PDF)](https://www.fraserlake.ca/media/518)

## Related questions

- [Fraser Lake building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fraser-lake/building-permit.md)
- [Fraser Lake building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fraser-lake/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Fraser Lake zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fraser-lake/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Fraser Lake permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fraser-lake/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)
- [Vanderhoof](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vanderhoof/secondary-suite.md)
- [Fort St James](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/secondary-suite.md)
- [Burns Lake](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/secondary-suite.md)
- [Houston](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/secondary-suite.md)
- [Prince George](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-george/secondary-suite.md)
- [Granisle](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/granisle/secondary-suite.md)

## Sources

- [Bylaw 875, 2025 Zoning Bylaw (PDF)](https://www.fraserlake.ca/media/480) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Bylaw 878, 2026 Building Bylaw (PDF)](https://www.fraserlake.ca/media/518) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Official Community Plan, Village of Fraser Lake (PDF)](https://www.fraserlake.ca/media/419) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Contact, Village of Fraser Lake](https://www.fraserlake.ca/contact) (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 Fraser Lake. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fraser-lake/secondary-suite/_