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Houston secondary suite and carriage house rules

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

Houston, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-08

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.

Key facts

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

How it works

The Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026 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

The same question in other places

Telkwa · Smithers · Granisle · Burns Lake · New Hazelton · Hazelton

Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

  1. Zoning, District of Houston (read 2026-11-08)
  2. Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026 (PDF), District of Houston (read 2026-11-08)
  3. Licences and Permits, District of Houston (read 2026-11-08)
  4. Building Permits and Inspections, District of Houston (read 2026-11-08)
  5. Building Regulations Bylaw No. 906, 2005 (PDF), District of Houston (read 2026-11-08)
  6. Building Permit Application Guide (PDF), District of Houston (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.