{"title":"Keremeos secondary suite and carriage house rules","question":"Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house in Keremeos?","slug":"secondary-suite","place":{"path":"ca/bc/keremeos","name":"Keremeos","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":"Village of Keremeos","url":"https://www.keremeos.ca/home"},"short_answer":"Yes, in some zones. Keremeos allows a secondary suite inside a single detached home, and a detached accessory dwelling, in the RS1, AG and AGX zones. The suite must connect to the Village sewer and have one extra parking space.","aliases":["secondary suite keremeos","basement suite keremeos","carriage house keremeos","accessory dwelling keremeos"],"cost":"No suite-specific fee is stated; building permit fees apply (see the building-permit-fees answer).","how_long":"See the building-permit answer.","where":[{"type":"in_person","label":"Village Office","value":"702 4th Street, Keremeos, BC V0X 1N0","note":"Monday to Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. per the contact page."},{"type":"phone","label":"Village Office","value":"250-499-2711"},{"type":"email","label":"Village Office","value":"info@keremeos.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (PDF, revised June 10, 2026), Village of Keremeos","url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/"},{"title":"Building permit requirements (PDF)","url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/7570/"}],"related":[{"slug":"building-permit","title":"Keremeos building permits: when you need one and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/keremeos/building-permit/"},{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Keremeos zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/keremeos/zoning-lookup/"},{"slug":"building-permit-fees","title":"Keremeos building permit fees","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/keremeos/building-permit-fees/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/oliver","name":"Oliver","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oliver/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/osoyoos","name":"Osoyoos","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/osoyoos/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/penticton","name":"Penticton","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/penticton/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/summerland","name":"Summerland","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/summerland/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/princeton","name":"Princeton","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/peachland","name":"Peachland","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/peachland/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 (inside a single detached dwelling) is a permitted accessory use in the RS1 (Low Density Residential One), AG and AGX zones, subject to s. 7.7.","short":"Yes, in RS1, AG and AGX zones","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (PDF, revised June 10, 2026), Village of Keremeos","section":"s. 11.1.1, 7.7","quotes":["g) secondary suite, subject to Section 7.7.","A secondary suite shall be located in one (1) principal single detached dwelling unit."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"detached_allowed":{"label":"Coach house or garden suite allowed","value":"A detached \"accessory dwelling\" is a permitted accessory use in RS1, AG and AGX. It cannot be attached to a principal building with a dwelling unit, is limited to 100 m² unless stated otherwise, and is not allowed on parcels under 1.0 ha unless connected to a community sewer. In RS1 its height is limited to 8.0 m.","short":"Yes, in RS1, AG, AGX; max 100 m²","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (PDF, revised June 10, 2026), Village of Keremeos","section":"s. 7.2, 11.1.7","quotes":["An accessory dwelling shall not be permitted on parcels less than 1.0 ha in area","No accessory dwelling shall have a floor area greater than 100.0 m², unless","a detached accessory dwelling shall not exceed a"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"limits":{"label":"Limits","value":"RS1: up to three dwelling units per lot (one single detached dwelling, one secondary suite and one accessory dwelling); on floodplain parcels, only one secondary suite or accessory dwelling. Only one secondary suite per single detached dwelling; none in an accessory building; no strata subdivision; must connect to the Village sewer. No owner-occupancy rule found.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (PDF, revised June 10, 2026), Village of Keremeos","section":"s. 11.1.5, 7.7","quotes":["c)   one (1) secondary suite and one (1) accessory dwelling.","Secondary suites are not permitted in an accessory building or structure.","Secondary suites shall be connected to the Village of Keremeos sanitary sewer","A secondary suite cannot be subdivided under the Strata Property Act."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"parking":{"label":"Parking","value":"One parking space per secondary suite, in addition to the spaces required for the single detached dwelling. An accessory dwelling needs 1 per dwelling unit.","short":"1 space per suite, plus the house","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (PDF, revised June 10, 2026), Village of Keremeos","section":"s. 7.7.5, Table 9.2.1","quotes":["One (1) parking space per secondary suite is required in addition to those required","accessory dwelling                                 1 per dwelling unit"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"permits":{"label":"Permits","value":"A building permit is required for construction, alteration or change of use of a building (Building Bylaw s. 5.1). The application checklist also requires proof of water service from the Keremeos Irrigation District for a new dwelling unit, including a secondary suite.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/7570/","title":"Building permit requirements (PDF), Village of Keremeos","section":"Building permit requirements","quotes":["Proof of Water Service from Keremeos Irrigation District","including secondary suite or accessory dwelling"]},{"url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/4584/","title":"Building Bylaw No. 835, 2019 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Keremeos","section":"s. 5.1","quotes":["A person must not commence or continue any construction, alteration, excavation,","Unless a Building Official has issued a valid and subsisting permit for the work under this"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (s. 7.2, 7.7 and zone sections); Building Bylaw No. 835, 2019","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (PDF, revised June 10, 2026), Village of Keremeos","section":"Title","quotes":["Village of Keremeos Zoning Bylaw No. 851"]},{"url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/14895/","title":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/14895/","section":"Schedule 3","quotes":["BUILDING BYLAW NO. 835, 2019"]}],"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. 851](https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/) allows a secondary suite (inside a single detached dwelling) as an accessory use in the RS1, AG and AGX zones, subject to s. 7.7. A detached \"accessory dwelling\" is also allowed in those zones. It cannot be attached to a principal building with a dwelling unit, is limited to 100 m² unless stated otherwise, and is not allowed on parcels under 1.0 ha unless connected to a community sewer. In RS1 its height is limited to 8.0 m.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Confirm your lot is zoned RS1, AG or AGX (see the zoning-lookup answer).\n2. Check the limits below.\n3. Apply for a building permit at the Village Office. The checklist asks for proof of water service from the Keremeos Irrigation District for a new dwelling unit, including a secondary suite.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- RS1 allows up to three dwelling units per lot (one single detached dwelling, one secondary suite and one accessory dwelling). On floodplain parcels, only one secondary suite or accessory dwelling.\n- Only one secondary suite per single detached dwelling; none in an accessory building; no strata subdivision.\n- Parking: one space per secondary suite, in addition to the spaces for the main dwelling. An accessory dwelling needs 1 per dwelling unit.\n- No owner-occupancy rule was found in the bylaw. The Village does not state a suite size limit; ask the Building Inspector.","sources":[{"url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (PDF, revised June 10, 2026), Village of Keremeos","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/4584/","title":"Building Bylaw No. 835, 2019 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Keremeos","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/7570/","title":"Building permit requirements (PDF), Village of Keremeos","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.keremeos.ca/contact","title":"Contact, Village of Keremeos","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/14895/","title":"https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/14895/","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/keremeos/secondary-suite/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/keremeos/secondary-suite.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/keremeos/secondary-suite.json"}}