Langley City secondary suite and carriage house rules

Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house?

Langley City, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-05

Short answer

In Langley City, a secondary suite is allowed in the R1 (Suburban Residential) zone, up to 100 square metres and 40% of the building's floor area. The owner must live on the lot, the suite needs a building permit, and it must meet the Building Code. The other zones' use lists do not name one.

Key facts

Secondary suite allowed	Allowed as an accessory use in the R1 Suburban Residential zone (single detached dwellings and plex homes). The owner must live on the lot, and the suite must meet the Building Code.Zoning Bylaw 2025, No. 3300, R1 zone s. 1; s. 2.4(c) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Intent: To accommodate Single Detached Dwellings and Plex Homes on Accessory Uses a. Home Occupation b. Secondary Suite c. Garden Suite d. Carriage Home The registered owner of the lot on which the secondary suite is situated must reside Must comply fully with the B.C. Building Code.
Coach house or garden suite allowed	Garden suites and carriage homes are accessory uses in the R1 zone. A garden suite is one storey or 4.6 m high at most, behind the main building; a carriage home may be 6.8 m high; each may have up to 100 m² of ground floor area. The owner must live on the lot.Zoning Bylaw 2025, No. 3300, R1 zone s. 1, 4; s. 2.4(d); s. 1.3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Garden suite means a secondary residential building that is the lesser of one storey or 4.6 m in height, located to the rear of a principal residential building on a lot. Carriage Home 6.8 m The registered owner of the lot on which a garden suite and/or carriage home is The maximum gross ground floor area for a carriage home or garden suite in the
Limits	Secondary suite: at most 100 m² and 40% of the building's gross floor area; owner must live on the lot. R1 lots: up to 4 dwelling units (6 within 400 m of a frequent bus stop; in a transit-oriented area, 1 main dwelling plus 1 suite, garden suite or carriage home).Sources differ: The City's 2022 secondary suite guide gives 90 m² of finished living area and 'one suite per single-family building'; Zoning Bylaw 3300 (2026) says 100 m². The bylaw is followed. In a plex home the bylaw allows one suite per dwelling unit, each up to 100 m² (definition of Plex Home).Zoning Bylaw 2025, No. 3300, s. 2.4(c); R1 zone s. 3; Guide for Single Family Addition or Alteration, Secondary Suite guide (May 12, 2022) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Shall not exceed a gross floor area of 100 m2. Shall not exceed 40% of the gross floor area of the building in which the principal Number of dwelling 4 units per lot, maximum Within a TOA: 1 principal dwelling and 1 secondary suite, Within 400 m of a frequent transit bus stop: 6 The secondary suite shall not exceed 90m2 (968sqft) of
Parking	Zoning Bylaw s. 2.4(c)(v): one off-street space for the suite in addition to the two normally required for a single detached home. The s. 3.7 table instead lists 2 spaces for single detached residential, and 1 space for an R1 unit of 100 m² or less (1.5 if larger), not applicable within 400 m of a frequent bus stop. In a Transit Oriented Area only accessible parking is required (s. 3.5). Confirm with staff.Sources differ: The two sections of the same bylaw give different answers; staff should confirm which applies. The section 2.4(c)(v) cross-reference is to 'Section 3.5' but the table is at 3.7. The City's 2022 guide repeats the extra-space rule.Zoning Bylaw 2025, No. 3300, s. 2.4(c)(v); s. 3.7 table · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Must provide at least one off-street parking space in addition to the two spaces 1 space/dwelling unit for a unit not exceeding 100 m2 a gross floor area Not applicable within 400 m of a frequent bus stop. Single Detached Residential: 2 Notwithstanding any other provision within this Bylaw, parking requirements for
Permits	A building permit is needed to construct or remove a secondary suite; the suite must be inspected and approved through it and recorded in the City's secondary suites registry. A development permit may also be required under the Official Community Plan. Legalizing an existing suite costs $250 and removal $200 (Schedule 4).Building and Plumbing Bylaw No. 2498, s. 7.1(g); Zoning Bylaw 2025, No. 3300, s. 2.4(c)(vi); Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2837 (PDF, consolidated December 15, 2025), Schedule 4; Building Permits, Building Permits page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording construction or removal of a secondary suite in a residential dwelling in accordance with the provisions of the City’s zoning bylaw; Must be inspected and approved for compliance with all requirements by way of a building permit application and recorded in a secondary suites registry maintained by the City of Langley. Development Permits may be required in accordance with the Official Community Plan. Legalize a Secondary Suite $ 250.00 Removal of a Secondary Suite $ 200.00 - Building Permit Application Form Only - Guide and application form for Secondary Suite - Secondary Suite Declaration ### Accessory Building - Accessory Building Application Form Only
Bylaw	City of Langley Zoning Bylaw, 2025, No. 3300; Building and Plumbing Regulation Bylaw, 2003, No. 2498Zoning Bylaw 2025, No. 3300, s. 1.1; Building and Plumbing Bylaw No. 2498, s. 26.3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording may be cited as “City of Langley Zoning Bylaw, 2025, No. 3300”. Regulation Bylaw, 2003, No. 2498”.

How it works

Langley City's Zoning Bylaw allows a secondary suite as an accessory use in the R1 Suburban Residential zone (single detached dwellings and plex homes). Garden suites and carriage homes are also accessory uses in R1. The owner must live on the lot. The use lists for the other zones do not name a secondary suite, so ask Planning if your lot is not R1.

Steps

Look up your lot's zone (see the zoning lookup answer) and confirm with Planning that a suite is allowed.
Apply for a building permit from the Building Division; one is needed to build or remove a suite.
The suite must be inspected and approved through that permit, then recorded in the City's secondary suites registry.

Good to know

Size: a secondary suite is at most 100 square metres and 40% of the building's gross floor area.
A garden suite is one storey or 4.6 metres high at most, behind the main building. A carriage home may be 6.8 metres high. Each may have up to 100 square metres of ground floor area.
R1 lots may have up to 4 dwelling units (6 within 400 metres of a frequent bus stop). In a transit-oriented area, it is 1 main dwelling plus 1 suite, garden suite or carriage home.
Parking: section 2.4(c)(v) of the bylaw asks for one extra off-street space beyond the two normally required, but the parking table in section 3.7 lists different numbers. In a Transit Oriented Area only accessible parking is required. Confirm with staff.
A development permit may also be required under the Official Community Plan.
The City's 2022 guide gives 90 square metres and says the owner may live in either unit; the bylaw is newer and is followed here. Confirm with staff.
The City's web copy of the Zoning Bylaw is "not an official copy".

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Township of Langley · Surrey · White Rock · Port Coquitlam · Coquitlam · New Westminster

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

Sources

Zoning Bylaw 2025, No. 3300 (PDF), City of Langley (read 2026-11-05)
Building Permits, City of Langley (read 2026-11-05)
Building and Plumbing Bylaw No. 2498 (PDF), City of Langley (read 2026-11-05)
Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2837 (PDF, consolidated December 15, 2025), Schedule 4 (read 2026-11-05)
Guide for Single Family Addition or Alteration (PDF), City of Langley (read 2026-11-05)

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.