{"title":"Houston secondary suite and carriage house rules","question":"Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house in Houston?","slug":"secondary-suite","place":{"path":"ca/bc/houston","name":"Houston","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":"District of Houston","url":"https://houston.ca"},"short_answer":"In Houston a secondary suite is a permitted secondary use in R1, A1 and A2 zones, and in C3 and R3 (within a single detached dwelling). A carriage house is permitted in R1, A1 and A2. Both need a building permit. A development permit may also be needed.","aliases":["secondary suite houston bc","basement suite houston","carriage house houston","legal suite houston"],"cost":"See the building-permit-fees answer for building permit fees.","how_long":"Typically 2 to 4 weeks for a building permit.","where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Community Development Department","value":"250-845-2238"},{"type":"email","label":"Community Development email","value":"ecdev@houston.ca"},{"type":"in_person","label":"Municipal Office","value":"3367 12th Street, Houston, BC V0J 1Z0","note":"Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m."}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning, District of Houston","url":"https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/zoning/"},{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026 (PDF), District of Houston","url":"https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/"},{"title":"Licences and Permits, District of Houston","url":"https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/licences-and-permits/"},{"title":"Building Permits and Inspections, District of Houston","url":"https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/permits-and-inspections/"}],"related":[{"slug":"building-permit","title":"Houston building permits: when you need one and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/building-permit/"},{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Houston zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/zoning-lookup/"},{"slug":"building-permit-fees","title":"Houston building permit fees","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/building-permit-fees/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/telkwa","name":"Telkwa","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/smithers","name":"Smithers","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/granisle","name":"Granisle","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/granisle/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/burns-lake","name":"Burns Lake","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/new-hazelton","name":"New Hazelton","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/hazelton","name":"Hazelton","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hazelton/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":"A secondary suite is a permitted secondary use in R1 (Neighbourhood Residential), A1 (Agricultural), A2 (Rural Residential) and C3 (Campground), and in R3 (Manufactured Home Park) within a single detached dwelling.","short":"Yes, in R1, A1, A2, C3 and R3 zones","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026 (PDF), District of Houston","section":"Zoning Bylaw ss. 9.1, 9.3, 10.1, 10.2, 11.3","quotes":["(f) Secondary Suite","(a) Secondary Suite in a Single Detached Dwelling","(g) Secondary Suite","(e) Secondary Suite"]},{"url":"https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/zoning/","title":"Zoning, District of Houston","section":"\"Secondary Dwellings\"","quotes":["Carriage Houses and Secondary Suites are a permitted use in the Agricultural, Rural Residential, and Neighbourhood Residential zones."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"detached_allowed":{"label":"Coach house or garden suite allowed","value":"A carriage house is a permitted secondary use in R1, A1 and A2.","short":"Yes, carriage house in R1, A1, A2","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026 (PDF), District of Houston","section":"ss. 9.1(3)(c), 10.1(3)(d), 10.2(3)(d)","quotes":["(c) Dwelling, Carriage House","(d) Dwelling, Carriage House"]},{"url":"https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026 (PDF), District of Houston","section":"s. 3 (definition)","quotes":["DWELLING, CARRIAGE HOUSE means a self-contained dwelling unit that is detached","from and clearly secondary to a single detached dwelling."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"limits":{"label":"Limits","value":"One suite per principal dwelling, not joined to it by a breezeway, garage or other unconditioned space, and not strata-subdivided. Carriage house: one per principal dwelling, at least 3.0 m from it, up to 90 m². The District's page says a suite and a carriage house cannot both be on a property.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026 (PDF), District of Houston","section":"ss. 6.6 and 6.7","quotes":["Not more than one secondary suite shall be permitted per principal dwelling unit.","A secondary suite shall not be connected to the principal dwelling unit via breezeway,","A carriage house dwelling shall have a maximum gross floor area of 90 square metres.","A carriage house dwelling shall not be located less than 3.0 metres from a principal"]},{"url":"https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/zoning/","title":"Zoning, District of Houston","section":"\"Secondary Dwellings\"","quotes":["A Secondary Suite cannot be developed if a Carriage House is present on the property (and vice versa)."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"parking":{"label":"Parking","value":"One space per secondary suite and one per carriage house; these are added to the 2 spaces required for a single detached dwelling.","short":"1 space per suite, plus 2 for the house","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026 (PDF), District of Houston","section":"Table 7-3 and s. 7.1(4)","quotes":["Secondary Suite 1 per suite","Dwelling, Carriage House 1 per dwelling unit","Dwelling, Single Detached 2 per dwelling unit","the total number of required parking and loading spaces shall be the sum of the parking and loading requirements for each use calculated separately."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"permits":{"label":"Permits","value":"A building permit is required to create a secondary suite or build a carriage house. A development permit is also needed if the property is in a designated development permit area (Downtown, Highway Corridor, Multi-Family Residential, Wildfire Interface).","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/permits-and-inspections/","title":"Building Permits and Inspections, District of Houston","section":"Building Permits and Inspections page, \"Interior Renovations\" and \"Carriage Houses & Secondary Suites\"","quotes":["Creating a secondary suite","Construction of a Carriage House"]},{"url":"https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/zoning/","title":"Zoning, District of Houston","section":"\"Secondary Dwellings\"","quotes":["Units must be built pursuant to the BC Building Code, and building permit applications will be required."]},{"url":"https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/licences-and-permits/","title":"Licences and Permits, District of Houston","section":"\"Development Permit\"","quotes":["A Development Permit is required for any proposed development or renovation inside one of four designated development permit areas:"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026 (ss. 6.6, 6.7, Table 7-3) and Building Regulations Bylaw No. 906, 2005.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026 (PDF), District of Houston","section":"s. 1.1","quotes":["This Bylaw will be cited as “Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026.”"]},{"url":"https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145127/","title":"Building Regulations Bylaw No. 906, 2005 (PDF), District of Houston","section":"s. 22.0","quotes":["District of Houston Building Regulations Bylaw No. 906, 2005"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":6,"matched":6,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe [Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/) permits a secondary suite as a secondary use in R1 (Neighbourhood Residential), A1 (Agricultural), A2 (Rural Residential) and C3 (Campground), and in R3 (Manufactured Home Park) within a single detached dwelling. R2 and the other commercial and industrial zones do not list one. A carriage house is permitted in R1, A1 and A2. R1 and A2 allow a maximum of 2 dwelling units per lot.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Find your zone (see the zoning-lookup answer).\n2. Check the limits below.\n3. Apply for a building permit (see the building-permit answer).\n4. If your property is in a designated development permit area (Downtown, Highway Corridor, Multi-Family Residential, Wildfire Interface), ask about a development permit too.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- One suite per principal dwelling. It cannot be joined to the dwelling by a breezeway, garage or other unconditioned space, and cannot be strata-subdivided.\n- Carriage house: one per principal dwelling, at least 3.0 m from it, up to 90 m².\n- The District's page says a suite and a carriage house cannot both be on a property.\n- Parking: one space per secondary suite and one per carriage house, in addition to the 2 spaces for a single detached dwelling.\n- We found no suite size limit and no owner-occupancy requirement in the Zoning Bylaw.\n- It is not confirmed whether a suite in an existing home needs a Wildfire development permit. Ask the Community Development Department.","sources":[{"url":"https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/zoning/","title":"Zoning, District of Houston","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026 (PDF), District of Houston","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/licences-and-permits/","title":"Licences and Permits, District of Houston","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/permits-and-inspections/","title":"Building Permits and Inspections, District of Houston","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145127/","title":"Building Regulations Bylaw No. 906, 2005 (PDF), District of Houston","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149531/","title":"Building Permit Application Guide (PDF), District of Houston","accessed":"2026-11-08"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-08","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/houston/secondary-suite/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/secondary-suite.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/secondary-suite.json"}}