---
title: Houston secondary suite and carriage house rules
question: "Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house in Houston?"
place: Houston, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/houston
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: municipal
owner_body: District of Houston
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/secondary-suite/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/secondary-suite.json"
---

# Houston secondary suite and carriage house rules

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

**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.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Houston, https://houston.ca)  
**Cost:** See the building-permit-fees answer for building permit fees.  
**How long:** Typically 2 to 4 weeks for a building permit.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Community Development Department, 250-845-2238
- Email: Community Development email, ecdev@houston.ca
- In person: Municipal Office, 3367 12th Street, Houston, BC V0J 1Z0 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

## Key facts

- **Secondary suite allowed:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026, Zoning Bylaw ss. 9.1, 9.3, 10.1, 10.2, 11.3](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/)
  - Official wording: "(f) Secondary Suite" … "(a) Secondary Suite in a Single Detached Dwelling" … "(g) Secondary Suite" … "(e) Secondary Suite"
  - Source: [Zoning, "Secondary Dwellings"](https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/zoning/)
  - Official wording: "Carriage Houses and Secondary Suites are a permitted use in the Agricultural, Rural Residential, and Neighbourhood Residential zones."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Coach house or garden suite allowed:** A carriage house is a permitted secondary use in R1, A1 and A2.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026, ss. 9.1(3)(c), 10.1(3)(d), 10.2(3)(d)](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/)
  - Official wording: "(c) Dwelling, Carriage House" … "(d) Dwelling, Carriage House"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026, s. 3 (definition)](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/)
  - Official wording: "DWELLING, CARRIAGE HOUSE means a self-contained dwelling unit that is detached" … "from and clearly secondary to a single detached dwelling."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Limits:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026, ss. 6.6 and 6.7](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/)
  - Official wording: "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"
  - Source: [Zoning, "Secondary Dwellings"](https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/zoning/)
  - Official wording: "A Secondary Suite cannot be developed if a Carriage House is present on the property (and vice versa)."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Parking:** One space per secondary suite and one per carriage house; these are added to the 2 spaces required for a single detached dwelling.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026, Table 7-3 and s. 7.1(4)](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Permits:** 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).
  - Source: [Building Permits and Inspections, Building Permits and Inspections page, "Interior Renovations" and "Carriage Houses & Secondary Suites"](https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/permits-and-inspections/)
  - Official wording: "Creating a secondary suite" … "Construction of a Carriage House"
  - Source: [Zoning, "Secondary Dwellings"](https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/zoning/)
  - Official wording: "Units must be built pursuant to the BC Building Code, and building permit applications will be required."
  - Source: [Licences and Permits, "Development Permit"](https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/licences-and-permits/)
  - Official wording: "A Development Permit is required for any proposed development or renovation inside one of four designated development permit areas:"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026 (ss. 6.6, 6.7, Table 7-3) and Building Regulations Bylaw No. 906, 2005.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026, s. 1.1](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw will be cited as “Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026.”"
  - Source: [Building Regulations Bylaw No. 906, 2005, s. 22.0](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145127/)
  - Official wording: "District of Houston Building Regulations Bylaw No. 906, 2005"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The [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.

## Steps

1. Find your zone (see the zoning-lookup answer).
2. Check the limits below.
3. Apply for a building permit (see the building-permit answer).
4. If your property is in a designated development permit area (Downtown, Highway Corridor, Multi-Family Residential, Wildfire Interface), ask about a development permit too.

## Good to know

- 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.
- 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.
- Parking: one space per secondary suite and one per carriage house, in addition to the 2 spaces for a single detached dwelling.
- We found no suite size limit and no owner-occupancy requirement in the Zoning Bylaw.
- It is not confirmed whether a suite in an existing home needs a Wildfire development permit. Ask the Community Development Department.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning, District of Houston](https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/zoning/)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026 (PDF), District of Houston](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/)
- [Licences and Permits, District of Houston](https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/licences-and-permits/)
- [Building Permits and Inspections, District of Houston](https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/permits-and-inspections/)

## Related questions

- [Houston building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/building-permit.md)
- [Houston zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Houston building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/building-permit-fees.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/secondary-suite.md)
- [Telkwa](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/secondary-suite.md)
- [Smithers](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/secondary-suite.md)
- [Granisle](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/granisle/secondary-suite.md)
- [Burns Lake](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/secondary-suite.md)
- [New Hazelton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/secondary-suite.md)
- [Hazelton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hazelton/secondary-suite.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning, District of Houston](https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/zoning/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026 (PDF), District of Houston](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Licences and Permits, District of Houston](https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/licences-and-permits/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Permits and Inspections, District of Houston](https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/permits-and-inspections/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Regulations Bylaw No. 906, 2005 (PDF), District of Houston](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145127/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Permit Application Guide (PDF), District of Houston](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149531/) (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. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with District of Houston. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/secondary-suite/_