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

# Gibsons secondary suite and carriage house rules

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

**Short answer:** In Gibsons the Zoning Bylaw never uses the word "suite". In the RL-1 and RL-2 zones it allows up to 3 dwelling units on lots of 280 m² or less and up to 4 on larger lots. Adding or legalizing a suite needs a building permit that meets the BC Building Code.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Town of Gibsons, https://www.gibsons.ca)  
**Cost:** Building permit fees apply (see building-permit-fees). Legalizing an unpermitted suite carries a $550 occupancy permit fee.  
**How long:** No official page states a processing time. A building permit application expires six months after it is complete if no permit has been issued.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Planning and Development, 604-886-2274
- Email: Planning and Development, planning@gibsons.ca
- Phone: Building Department, 604-886-2274
- Email: Building Department, building@gibsons.ca

## Key facts

- **Secondary suite allowed:** The Zoning Bylaw does not use the term 'secondary suite'. In RL-1 and RL-2 (low-density residential), Residential use is allowed with up to 3 dwelling units on lots of 280 m² or less and up to 4 on larger lots, to a maximum of 4 in one building.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, s. 2.2.1(4) RL-1](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/)
  - Official wording: "On Lots with a Lot Area less than or equal to 280 m2, the maximum number of Dwelling Units is three." … "greater than 280 m2, the maximum number of Dwelling Units is four." … "The maximum Dwelling Units permitted in a Building is four."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, Definitions](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/)
  - Official wording: "consisting of one or more Dwelling Units in a Building."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Coach house or garden suite allowed:** Not named in the Zoning Bylaw. Accessory buildings may not contain dwelling units; extra dwelling units are counted within the lot's dwelling-unit limit (3 or 4 in RL-1 and RL-2).
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, s. 3.6.1(2)](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/)
  - Official wording: "Accessory Buildings must not contain Dwelling Units."
  - Source: [Short Term Rentals - Town of Gibsons, FAQ: waitlist email](https://gibsons.ca/business/str/)
  - Official wording: "type of dwelling unit, such as detached house, apartment unit, secondary suite, duplex unit, or garden suite."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Limits:** Dwelling-unit caps apply (3 or 4 on RL-1 and RL-2 lots; a single dwelling unit with no other unit in the building is capped at 325 m² gross floor area). No owner-occupancy or suite size limit was found.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, s. 2.2.1(4.3) RL-1](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/)
  - Official wording: "The maximum Gross Floor Area (GFA) for a Dwelling Unit developed without any"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Parking:** In RL-1, RL-2 and RL-3 small-scale multi-unit housing: 1 or 2 dwelling units require 2 spaces; 3 or 4 dwelling units require 3 spaces.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, Table 4.1.5.1](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/)
  - Official wording: "1 or 2 DU require 2 spaces" … "3 or 4 DUs require 3 spaces"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Permits:** A building permit is needed to add or legalize a suite and it must meet the current BC Building Code. Legalizing an unpermitted suite carries a $550 occupancy permit fee. An SCRD civic address letter is needed for new dwellings including suites. A development permit may also be needed in a Town development permit area; ask Planning.
  - Source: [Secondary Suites Handout, Overview](https://gibsons.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/TOG-Secondary-Suites-Handout.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Legalizing an illegal secondary suite will require a building permit and will also need to meet the current BC Building Code."
  - Source: [Rates, Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1196, Schedule G](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/96884/)
  - Official wording: "Re-activated permit or legalization of suite" … "Occupancy Permit resulting from: $550 Per Permit"
  - Source: [Building Permit Application Guide, July 2024, Step 2](https://gibsons.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/2024-07-Building-permit-guide-1.pdf)
  - Official wording: "SCRD civic address letter (for all new dwellings including secondary"
  - Source: [Development Permit Areas](https://gibsons.ca/business/building_development/development-permit-areas/)
  - Official wording: "a Development Permit issued prior to development"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025 and Building Bylaw No. 1284, 2020
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, title](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/)
  - Official wording: "Zoning Bylaw Bylaw No. 1342 | 2025"
  - Source: [https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/85212/, title](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/85212/)
  - Official wording: "BUILDING BYLAW NO. 1284, 2020"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The [Zoning Bylaw 1342](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/) does not use the term "secondary suite". In RL-1 and RL-2 (low-density residential, the latter waterfront), Residential use is allowed with up to 3 dwelling units on lots of 280 m² or less and up to 4 on larger lots, to a maximum of 4 in one building. Other zones have their own density rules.

Detached units (coach houses, garden suites) are not named in the bylaw. Accessory buildings may not contain dwelling units, and extra units count within the lot's limit. Ask Planning whether a detached unit is possible on your lot.

A single dwelling unit with no other unit in the building is capped at 325 m² gross floor area in RL-1. No owner-occupancy rule or suite size limit was found.

## Steps

1. Ask Planning (604-886-2274, planning@gibsons.ca) to confirm your zone and whether a development permit area applies.
2. Get an SCRD civic address letter for the new unit.
3. Apply for a building permit through Cloudpermit. The suite must meet the current BC Building Code.
4. Book inspections through Cloudpermit.

## Good to know

- Parking in RL-1, RL-2 and RL-3: 1 or 2 dwelling units need 2 spaces; 3 or 4 dwelling units need 3 spaces.
- Legalizing an unpermitted suite carries a $550 occupancy permit fee.
- A development permit may also be needed if the property is in a Town development permit area. Ask Planning.

## What you'll need

- Building permit application, drawings and site plan
- SCRD civic address letter, for new dwellings including suites

## Official forms and pages

- [Secondary Suites Handout (PDF)](https://gibsons.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/TOG-Secondary-Suites-Handout.pdf)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/)
- [Building Bylaw No. 1284, 2020 (adopted copy)](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89642/)

## Related questions

- [Gibsons building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/building-permit.md)
- [Gibsons building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Gibsons zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Gibsons short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/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)
- [Bowen Island](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/bowen-island/secondary-suite.md)
- [West Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/west-vancouver/secondary-suite.md)
- [Lions Bay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lions-bay/secondary-suite.md)
- [Sechelt](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/secondary-suite.md)
- [District of North Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/secondary-suite.md)
- [North Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver/secondary-suite.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Building Bylaw No. 1284, 2020, Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89642/) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Secondary Suites Handout (PDF), Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/TOG-Secondary-Suites-Handout.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Rates, Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1196, Schedule G, Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/96884/) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Building Permit Application Guide, July 2024 (PDF), Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/2024-07-Building-permit-guide-1.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Development Permit Areas, Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.ca/business/building_development/development-permit-areas/) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Short Term Rentals - Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.ca/business/str/) (read 2026-11-06)
- [https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/85212/](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/85212/) (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 Gibsons. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/secondary-suite/_