---
title: Greenwood secondary suite and carriage house rules
question: "Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house?"
place: Greenwood, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/greenwood
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: municipal
owner_body: City of Greenwood
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/greenwood/secondary-suite/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/greenwood/secondary-suite.json"
---

# Greenwood secondary suite and carriage house rules

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

**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.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Greenwood, https://www.greenwoodcity.com)  
**Cost:** No City suite fee is stated. See the building permit fees answer.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Greenwood City Hall, 250-445-6644 (Zoning questions.)
- Email: Greenwood City Hall, reception@greenwoodcity.ca
- Phone: RDKB building permits, 250-442-2708

## Key facts

- **Secondary suite allowed:** Yes, secondary suites are a permitted use in the R1 zone (and R1A, which allows all R1 uses), only in single detached housing.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997, s. 402.2, 316-317.1](https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf)
  - Official wording: "(12) Secondary suites." … "A Secondary suite is to be located only in single detached housing."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997, s. 402A.2](https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf)
  - Official wording: "(1) All uses permitted in the Residential 1 Zone."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Coach house or garden suite allowed:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997, s. 402.2, 315.1](https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf)
  - Official wording: "(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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Limits:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997, s. 316 (317.2, 317.3, 317.6, 317.7)](https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Parking:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997, s. 308, 317.8](https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Permits:** Secondary dwelling units must comply with all relevant City bylaws and the Building Code. The definition requires an Occupancy Permit.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997, s. 317.5, 103](https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Secondary dwelling units shall comply with all relevant City Bylaws, and the Building" … "an additional dwelling unit that has been issued an Occupancy"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997, Title](https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf)
  - Official wording: "ZONING BYLAW NO. 683, 1997"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

[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.

- **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.
- **Sewer:** community sewer is needed unless the lot is 1,200 m² or more.
- **Open space:** 30 m² of private open space.
- **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.
- **Not allowed in a suite:** a bed and breakfast, boarding house or group home.
- **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.

## Steps

1. Confirm your lot's zone with City Hall at 250-445-6644.
2. Call the RDKB at 250-442-2708 about building permits.

## Good to know

- A suite must comply with all relevant City bylaws and the Building Code. The bylaw's definition requires an Occupancy Permit.
- No owner-occupancy rule was found in the bylaw.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997 (PDF)](https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Greenwood zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/greenwood/zoning-lookup.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/secondary-suite.md)
- [Grand Forks](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/grand-forks/secondary-suite.md)
- [Osoyoos](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/osoyoos/secondary-suite.md)
- [Rossland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/rossland/secondary-suite.md)
- [Oliver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oliver/secondary-suite.md)
- [Warfield](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/warfield/secondary-suite.md)
- [Trail](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/trail/secondary-suite.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 683, 1997 (PDF), City of Greenwood](https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/greenwoodcity-013-ca/media/kd3p3rea/zoning-bylaw-no-683-1997.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Forms & Permits, City of Greenwood](https://www.greenwoodcity.com/services/forms-permits/) (read 2026-11-05)

_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 City of Greenwood. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/greenwood/secondary-suite/_