Gold River secondary suite and carriage house rules
Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house in Gold River?
In Gold River the Zoning Bylaw permits secondary suites in the CD1 zone, and one accessory dwelling unit in the R-L and R-R zones. A building permit is required to build one. It does not name carriage houses or garden suites, so ask the Village if you want a detached unit.
Key facts
| Secondary suite allowed | Secondary suites are a listed permitted use in the CD1 Comprehensive Development zone (s. 20.1.8). In the R-L Low Density Residential zone and the R-R Rural Residential zone, one accessory dwelling unit is permitted, which may be a manufactured home; the R-M2 zone allows single family dwellings with or without an accessory dwelling.Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 20.1.8; Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 6.1.6; Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 9.1.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wording20.1.6 - home occupations 20.1.7 - manufactured home 20.1.8 - secondary suites 20.1.9 - service buildings 20.2 Conditions of Use 6.1.6 – One accessory dwelling unit, which may be a manufactured home 9.1.1 – single family dwellings with or without an accessory dwelling |
|---|---|
| Coach house or garden suite allowed | The R-L and R-R zones permit one accessory dwelling unit, defined as 'a building, or part of a building' secondary to the primary dwelling, which may be a manufactured home. Coach house and garden suite are not named.Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 2.0 "Accessory Dwelling Unit", ss. 6.1.6, 7.1.8 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingmeans a building, or part of a building, that: 6.1.6 – One accessory dwelling unit, which may be a manufactured home |
| Limits | A secondary suite is a complete living unit with its own kitchen, sleeping area and washroom inside another dwelling; the two units make one real estate entity that cannot be stratified. R-L and R-R zones allow one accessory dwelling unit per lot. No size limit or owner-occupancy rule was found.Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, Definitions; Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 6.1.6 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wording“Secondary Suite” means a complete living unit with its own kitchen, cannot be stratified or otherwise legally separated One accessory dwelling unit, which may be a manufactured home |
| Parking | Two parking spaces per unit for a single family dwelling, duplex, rowhouse or townhouse. No separate suite requirement is stated.Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 4.13.2 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingSingle family dwelling, 2 parking spaces per unit |
| Permits | A building permit is required to construct or alter a building (Building Bylaw s. 8.1). The Village's package says new residential construction, including adding a secondary suite, must meet Step 3 of the Energy Step Code and Step 1 of the Zero Carbon Step Code, with other 2024 BC Building Code items.Building Bylaw No. 651, 2005, s. 8.1.1; Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish, Application package, p. 3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordinga building permit before constructing, repairing or altering a building or structure; For new residential construction, including the addition of a secondary suite: Must meet Step 3 of the Energy Step Code and Step 1 of the Zero Carbon Step Code |
| Bylaw | Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025; Building Bylaw No. 651, 2005Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, Title; Building Bylaw No. 651, 2005, Title · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingVILLAGE OF GOLD RIVER ZONING BYLAW NO. 761, 2025 Building Bylaw No. 651, 2005 |
How it works
The Village of Gold River's Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025 lists secondary suites as a permitted use in the CD1 Comprehensive Development zone. The R-L (Low Density Residential) and R-R (Rural Residential) zones permit one accessory dwelling unit, which may be a manufactured home. The R-M2 zone allows single family dwellings with or without an accessory dwelling. Other zones were not found to list a suite.
The bylaw defines a secondary suite as a complete living unit with its own kitchen, sleeping area and washroom inside another dwelling. The two units are one real estate entity and cannot be stratified. It defines an accessory dwelling unit as a building, or part of a building, secondary to the primary dwelling. It does not name coach houses or garden suites, so whether a detached unit is allowed is not stated.
Steps
- Check your lot's zone with the Village (see the zoning-lookup answer).
- Apply for a building permit; one is required to construct or alter a building.
- Plan for energy rules: the Village's package says adding a secondary suite must meet Step 3 of the Energy Step Code and Step 1 of the Zero Carbon Step Code, with other 2024 BC Building Code items.
Good to know
- Parking: the bylaw requires two spaces per unit for a single family dwelling, duplex, rowhouse or townhouse. It does not say whether this applies to a suite as a separate unit.
- No size limit or owner-occupancy rule was found in the Zoning Bylaw.
- Whether a development permit is also needed is not stated; call 250-283-2202.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Tahsis · Campbell River · Tofino · Sayward · Cumberland · Courtenay
Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025 (PDF), Village of Gold River (read 2026-11-08)
- Building Bylaw No. 651, 2005 (PDF), Village of Gold River (read 2026-11-08)
- Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish (PDF), Village of Gold River (read 2026-11-08)
- Contact, Village of Gold River (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.