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

# Keremeos secondary suite and carriage house rules

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

**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.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Keremeos, https://www.keremeos.ca/home)  
**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:**
- In person: Village Office, 702 4th Street, Keremeos, BC V0X 1N0 (Monday to Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. per the contact page.)
- Phone: Village Office, 250-499-2711
- Email: Village Office, info@keremeos.ca

## Key facts

- **Secondary suite allowed:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (PDF, revised June 10, 2026), s. 11.1.1, 7.7](https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/)
  - Official wording: "g) secondary suite, subject to Section 7.7." … "A secondary suite shall be located in one (1) principal single detached dwelling unit."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Coach house or garden suite allowed:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (PDF, revised June 10, 2026), s. 7.2, 11.1.7](https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Limits:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (PDF, revised June 10, 2026), s. 11.1.5, 7.7](https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Parking:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (PDF, revised June 10, 2026), s. 7.7.5, Table 9.2.1](https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/)
  - Official wording: "One (1) parking space per secondary suite is required in addition to those required" … "accessory dwelling 1 per dwelling unit"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Permits:** 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.
  - Source: [Building permit requirements](https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/7570/)
  - Official wording: "Proof of Water Service from Keremeos Irrigation District" … "including secondary suite or accessory dwelling"
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 835, 2019 (PDF, consolidated), s. 5.1](https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/4584/)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (s. 7.2, 7.7 and zone sections); Building Bylaw No. 835, 2019
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (PDF, revised June 10, 2026), Title](https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/)
  - Official wording: "Village of Keremeos Zoning Bylaw No. 851"
  - Source: [https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/14895/, Schedule 3](https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/14895/)
  - Official wording: "BUILDING BYLAW NO. 835, 2019"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The [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.

## Steps

1. Confirm your lot is zoned RS1, AG or AGX (see the zoning-lookup answer).
2. Check the limits below.
3. 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.

## Good to know

- 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.
- Only one secondary suite per single detached dwelling; none in an accessory building; no strata subdivision.
- Parking: one space per secondary suite, in addition to the spaces for the main dwelling. An accessory dwelling needs 1 per dwelling unit.
- No owner-occupancy rule was found in the bylaw. The Village does not state a suite size limit; ask the Building Inspector.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (PDF, revised June 10, 2026), Village of Keremeos](https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/)
- [Building permit requirements (PDF)](https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/7570/)

## Related questions

- [Keremeos building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/keremeos/building-permit.md)
- [Keremeos zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/keremeos/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Keremeos building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/keremeos/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)
- [Oliver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oliver/secondary-suite.md)
- [Osoyoos](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/osoyoos/secondary-suite.md)
- [Penticton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/penticton/secondary-suite.md)
- [Summerland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/summerland/secondary-suite.md)
- [Princeton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/secondary-suite.md)
- [Peachland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/peachland/secondary-suite.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (PDF, revised June 10, 2026), Village of Keremeos](https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/15676/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Bylaw No. 835, 2019 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Keremeos](https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/4584/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building permit requirements (PDF), Village of Keremeos](https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/7570/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Contact, Village of Keremeos](https://www.keremeos.ca/contact) (read 2026-11-08)
- [https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/14895/](https://keremeos.civicweb.net/document/14895/) (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 Village of Keremeos. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/keremeos/secondary-suite/_