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Ladysmith secondary suite and carriage house rules

Can I add a secondary suite or a coach house in Ladysmith?

Ladysmith, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-06

Short answer

Yes, in Ladysmith a secondary suite or a coach house is allowed as an accessory use in the zones that list it, including RU-1, R-1, R-1-A, R-2 and R-2-B. You need a building permit. A coach house needs a development permit first only in Development Permit Area 10 on parcels under 0.4 ha.

Key facts

Secondary suite allowedAllowed as an accessory use inside a single unit dwelling, two unit dwelling, townhouse or coach house, in zones that list it, including RU-1, R-1, R-1-A, R-2 and R-2-B. Not every zone allows it: check your zone's accessory uses.Zoning Bylaw 2014, No. 1860 (PDF, consolidated September 29, 2026), ss. 4.1, 6.4, 10.1-10.5 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
DWELLING, SECONDARY SUITE: means a self-contained Accessory Dwelling Unit
located within a Single Unit Dwelling, Townhouse Dwelling, Two Unit Dwelling, or
Secondary Suite, subject to Part 6, Section 6.4.
Despite Part 6, Section 6.4, a Secondary Suite is not permitted.
Coach house or garden suite allowedA coach house (a self-contained dwelling in a detached building) is allowed as an accessory use in zones that list it, including RU-1, R-1, R-1-A, R-2 and R-2-B, subject to the conditions in s. 6.5.Zoning Bylaw 2014, No. 1860 (PDF, consolidated September 29, 2026), ss. 4.1, 6.5; Secondary Suite and Coach House · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
DWELLING, COACH HOUSE: means a self-contained Accessory Dwelling Unit located within a
Coach House Dwelling, subject to Part 6, Section 6.5.
In Ladysmith, a coach house is a self contained accessory dwelling unit located within a detached accessory building.
LimitsSuite in a single unit dwelling: no maximum area. In a two unit dwelling or townhouse: 90 m² or 40%, whichever is less. Coach house: 75 m² (150 m² with a suite), 8 m or 5.0 m high, rear or side yard. R-1 caps units per parcel at two to four. No owner-occupancy rule found.Zoning Bylaw 2014, No. 1860 (PDF, consolidated September 29, 2026), ss. 6.4, 6.5; Building Information, Secondary Suites · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
Secondary Suites in Townhouse Dwellings and Two Unit Dwellings shall not
exceed a floor area of 90 square metres or 40% of the Townhouse Dwelling
Shall not exceed a Gross Floor Area of 75 square metres unless the Coach
House includes a Secondary Suite in which case the Gross Floor Area shall
8 metres for a two Storey Coach House Dwelling; or
Shall be located in the Rear Yard or a Side Yard.
The maximum number of Dwelling Units permitted per Parcel is as shown in
There is no maximum GFA for a secondary suite in a single-family dwelling.
A Short-Term Rental or Bed and Breakfast is prohibited on a parcel where a Secondary Suite is located.
ParkingTable 8.1 requires 1 off-street parking space per dwelling unit. The bylaw does not name secondary suites in the table. Parking for suites may be in tandem (one space behind the other).Zoning Bylaw 2014, No. 1860 (PDF, consolidated September 29, 2026), ss. 8.2(1), Table 8.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
Dwelling Unit 1 per Dwelling Unit
Parking spaces for Single Unit Dwellings, Secondary Suites, Coach House
Dwellings and Home Based Business may be arranged in tandem such that one
PermitsA building permit is needed to build a suite, and the work must meet the BC Building Code. A coach house needs a development permit first only in Development Permit Area 10 (OCP map) on a parcel under 0.4 ha; the Town's page says any coach house does. The building permit follows.Building & Plumbing Bylaw 2024, No. 2174, Appendix A; Secondary Suite and Coach House; Official Community Plan 2023, Development Permit Areas, DPA introduction, s. 4(i) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
(f) Unfinished Basement $60 (g) Secondary Suite $90 (f) Buildings for ancillary use greater than 10m2 $50
A Coach House Development Permit is needed prior to either constructing a new coach house or converting an existing accessory building into a coach house.
construction of a coach house building on parcels 0.4 hectares in
on land designated as Development Area 10 (DPA 10) on Official
constructed on parcels less than 0.4 hectares in size.
Prior to construction of a coach house building, an owner of property
BylawZoning Bylaw 2014, No. 1860 (ss. 6.4 and 6.5) and Building & Plumbing Bylaw 2024, No. 2174.Zoning Bylaw 2014, No. 1860 (PDF, consolidated September 29, 2026), s. 1.1; Building & Plumbing Bylaw 2024, No. 2174, title · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
Schedule A - Zoning Bylaw Text of "Town of Ladysmith Zoning Bylaw 2014, No. 1860".
Building & Plumbing Bylaw 2024, No. 2174

How it works

The Zoning Bylaw 2014, No. 1860 (sections 6.4 and 6.5) allows a secondary suite inside a single unit dwelling, two unit dwelling, townhouse or coach house, and a coach house (a self-contained dwelling in a detached building), as accessory uses in zones that list them, including RU-1, R-1, R-1-A, R-2 and R-2-B. Not every zone allows them, so check your zone's accessory uses. In the C-2 zone only suites lawfully built before December 19, 2023 are allowed.

Limits

  • Suite in a single unit dwelling: no maximum area. In a two unit dwelling or townhouse: 90 m² or 40%, whichever is less.
  • Coach house: 75 m² (150 m² with a suite), 8 m or 5.0 m high, in the rear or side yard.
  • Units per parcel vary by zone and parcel size (R-1 allows two to four). Count suites and coach houses against that.
  • Parking: Table 8.1 requires 1 off-street space per dwelling unit but does not name suites; tandem parking is allowed for suites. Confirm with Development Services.

Steps

  1. Check your zone and parcel size with Development Services.
  2. For a coach house, confirm whether your parcel is in Development Permit Area 10 (OCP map) and under 0.4 ha; if so, get a development permit first.
  3. Apply for a building permit; the work must meet the BC Building Code.

Good to know

  • The zoning bylaw sets no owner-occupancy rule that we found.
  • A Bed and Breakfast or short-term rental is barred on a parcel with a suite, per the Town's building page.
  • The Town's page differs from the bylaw on which zones allow coach houses and on development permits; the bylaw governs, so confirm with Development Services.

The same question in other places

North Cowichan · Duncan · Lake Cowichan · Nanaimo · Lantzville · North Saanich

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

Sources

  1. Zoning Bylaw 2014, No. 1860 (PDF, consolidated September 29, 2026), Town of Ladysmith (read 2026-11-06)
  2. Building & Plumbing Bylaw 2024, No. 2174 (PDF), Town of Ladysmith (read 2026-11-06)
  3. Secondary Suite and Coach House, Town of Ladysmith (read 2026-11-06)
  4. Official Community Plan 2023, Development Permit Areas (PDF), Town of Ladysmith (read 2026-11-06)
  5. Building Information, Town of Ladysmith (read 2026-11-06)

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.