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Fraser Lake secondary suite and carriage house rules

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

Fraser Lake, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-08

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.

Key facts

Secondary suite allowedAn attached accessory dwelling unit (secondary suite) is a permitted accessory use in the Agricultural (A1), Small Scale Residential (R1) and Medium Residential (R2) zones.Bylaw 875, 2025 Zoning Bylaw, ss. 2.4, 6.1.2, 6.2.2, 6.3.2 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
The use may also be defined as a Secondary Suite
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU),
Attached (“Secondary Suite”)
Accessory Dwelling Unit, Attached
Coach house or garden suite allowedA detached accessory dwelling unit (garden suite or carriage house) is a permitted accessory use in A1, R1 and R2 zones.Bylaw 875, 2025 Zoning Bylaw, ss. 2.4, 6.1.2, 6.2.2 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Garden Suite – a detached at-grade ADU
Carriage House – a detached 2-storey ADU
Accessory Dwelling Unit, Detached
LimitsR1: 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.Bylaw 875, 2025 Zoning Bylaw, ss. 6.1.3, 6.2.3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
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
Parking1 parking space per accessory dwelling unit (in addition to 2 per single-detached dwelling).Bylaw 875, 2025 Zoning Bylaw, Table 3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Accessory Dwelling Unit (a) 1 parking space per Dwelling Unit
Single-Detached (a) 2 parking spaces per Dwelling Unit
PermitsA 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.Bylaw 878, 2026 Building Bylaw, s. 5.1; Bylaw 875, 2025 Zoning Bylaw, s. 3.3; Official Community Plan, Part 6, Applicable Activities · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
unless a building official has issued a valid and subsisting permit for the work under this bylaw.
Accessory Dwelling Units must have separate entrances from the exterior
Additional water and sewer utility fees may be charged for each dwelling
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.
BylawBylaw 875, 2025 Zoning Bylaw (ss. 3.3, 6.1-6.3) and Bylaw 878, 2026 Building BylawBylaw 875, 2025 Zoning Bylaw, Title; Bylaw 878, 2026 Building Bylaw, s. 1.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Bylaw 875, 2025 Zoning Bylaw
Bylaw 878, 2026 Building Bylaw

How it works

The Bylaw 875, 2025 Zoning Bylaw 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. 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

The same question in other places

Vanderhoof · Fort St James · Burns Lake · Houston · Prince George · Granisle

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

Sources

  1. Bylaw 875, 2025 Zoning Bylaw (PDF) (read 2026-11-08)
  2. Bylaw 878, 2026 Building Bylaw (PDF) (read 2026-11-08)
  3. Official Community Plan, Village of Fraser Lake (PDF) (read 2026-11-08)
  4. Contact, Village of Fraser Lake (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.