{"title":"Greenwood secondary suite and carriage house rules","question":"Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house?","slug":"secondary-suite","place":{"path":"ca/bc/greenwood","name":"Greenwood","region":{"code":"bc","name":"British Columbia"},"country":{"code":"ca","name":"Canada"}},"category":{"slug":"building-and-renovating","name":"Building, renovating and your property"},"owner":"municipal","owner_label":"Municipal","owner_body":{"name":"City of Greenwood","url":"https://www.greenwoodcity.com"},"short_answer":"Yes. Greenwood's Zoning Bylaw permits a secondary suite in the R1 and R1A zones, only in single detached housing. A carriage house is also permitted in R1, but not on a lot that has a secondary suite. The bylaw sets size, parking and sewer rules.","aliases":["basement suite greenwood","carriage house greenwood","granny suite greenwood bc","secondary suite bylaw greenwood"],"cost":"No City suite fee is stated. See the building permit fees answer.","how_long":null,"where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Greenwood City Hall","value":"250-445-6644","note":"Zoning questions."},{"type":"email","label":"Greenwood City Hall","value":"reception@greenwoodcity.ca"},{"type":"phone","label":"RDKB building permits","value":"250-442-2708"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997 (PDF)","url":"https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf"}],"related":[{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Greenwood zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/greenwood/zoning-lookup/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/grand-forks","name":"Grand Forks","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/grand-forks/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/osoyoos","name":"Osoyoos","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/osoyoos/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/rossland","name":"Rossland","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/rossland/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/oliver","name":"Oliver","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oliver/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/warfield","name":"Warfield","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/warfield/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/trail","name":"Trail","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/trail/secondary-suite/"}],"topic":{"title":"Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/secondary-suite/"},"facts":{"suite_allowed":{"label":"Secondary suite allowed","value":"Yes, secondary suites are a permitted use in the R1 zone (and R1A, which allows all R1 uses), only in single detached housing.","short":"Yes, in R1 and R1A zones","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997 (PDF), City of Greenwood","section":"s. 402.2, 316-317.1","quotes":["(12)    Secondary suites.","A Secondary suite is to be located only in single detached housing."]},{"url":"https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997 (PDF), City of Greenwood","section":"s. 402A.2","quotes":["(1)   All uses permitted in the Residential 1 Zone."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"detached_allowed":{"label":"Coach house or garden suite allowed","value":"Carriage houses (a secondary dwelling in an accessory building) are a permitted use in R1, only as an accessory to single detached housing, and not on a lot that has a secondary suite.","short":"Yes, carriage house in R1 only","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997 (PDF), City of Greenwood","section":"s. 402.2, 315.1","quotes":["(11)    Carriage houses;","shall only be considered an Accessory Use to the Single","A Carriage House is not permitted on a Lot where a Secondary Suite is located."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"limits":{"label":"Limits","value":"Floor area at most the lesser of 90 m² or 40% of the principal building's floor area; the definition also limits the building to 90 m² total floor space and the suite to under 40% of its habitable space. Needs community sewer unless lot is 1,200 m² or more. 30 m² private open space. No B&B, boarding house or group home in a suite. No owner-occupancy rule found.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997 (PDF), City of Greenwood","section":"s. 316 (317.2, 317.3, 317.6, 317.7)","quotes":["The maximum floor area of a secondary suite shall not exceed the lesser of 90m2 or","40% of the total floor area of the principal building.","unless the lot is at least 1,200m2 and meets the requirements of the City and the Medical","permitted to operate within a secondary suite.","a minimum area of 30 m2 of private open space","located within a residential building that has a total floor space of no more than 90 m2 in"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"parking":{"label":"Parking","value":"Two spaces per dwelling unit for single and two family dwellings, carriage houses and secondary suites; a maximum of two spaces may be in tandem. A lighted pathway is required from suite parking to the suite entrance.","short":"2 spaces per suite (2 may be in tandem)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997 (PDF), City of Greenwood","section":"s. 308, 317.8","quotes":["Two spaces per dwelling unit","may be in tandem","A lighted pathway is required from the on-site secondary suite parking stall(s) to the"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"permits":{"label":"Permits","value":"Secondary dwelling units must comply with all relevant City bylaws and the Building Code. The definition requires an Occupancy Permit.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997 (PDF), City of Greenwood","section":"s. 317.5, 103","quotes":["Secondary dwelling units shall comply with all relevant City Bylaws, and the Building","an additional dwelling unit that has been issued an Occupancy"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997 (PDF), City of Greenwood","section":"Title","quotes":["ZONING BYLAW NO. 683, 1997"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":6,"matched":6,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\n[Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997](https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf) allows a secondary suite in the R1 zone, and in R1A, which allows all R1 uses. A suite is allowed only in single detached housing.\n\n- **Size:** at most the lesser of 90 m² or 40% of the principal building's floor area. The definition also limits the building to 90 m² of floor space and the suite to under 40% of its habitable space.\n- **Sewer:** community sewer is needed unless the lot is 1,200 m² or more.\n- **Open space:** 30 m² of private open space.\n- **Parking:** two spaces per dwelling unit, and at most two may be in tandem. A lighted pathway is required from suite parking to the suite entrance.\n- **Not allowed in a suite:** a bed and breakfast, boarding house or group home.\n- **Carriage house:** a secondary dwelling in an accessory building, permitted in R1 only with single detached housing and not on a lot that has a secondary suite.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Confirm your lot's zone with City Hall at 250-445-6644.\n2. Call the RDKB at 250-442-2708 about building permits.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- A suite must comply with all relevant City bylaws and the Building Code. The bylaw's definition requires an Occupancy Permit.\n- No owner-occupancy rule was found in the bylaw.","sources":[{"url":"https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997 (PDF), City of Greenwood","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.greenwoodcity.com/services/forms-permits/","title":"Forms & Permits, City of Greenwood","accessed":"2026-11-05"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-05","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/greenwood/secondary-suite/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/greenwood/secondary-suite.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/greenwood/secondary-suite.json"}}