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

# Lumby secondary suite and carriage house rules

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

**Short answer:** Yes. Lumby allows one secondary suite inside a single family dwelling in several zones, and in some zones one secondary detached dwelling per lot. A building permit is required.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Lumby, https://lumby.ca)  
**Cost:** Building permit fees apply (see the building-permit-fees answer). Development cost charges apply to additional dwelling units.  
**How long:** The Village does not state a processing time. See the building-permit answer.  
**Where:**
- In person: Municipal Hall, 1775 Glencaird Street, Lumby, BC V0E 2G0 (Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
- Phone: Village office, 250-547-2171
- Phone: RDNO Planning and Building Inspections, 250-550-3700

## Key facts

- **Secondary suite allowed:** Yes: one secondary suite inside a single family dwelling (s. 410), in the R.1, R.2, R.4, R.7, Small Holding and Country Residential zones. The Village says the 2024 amendments allow one single family dwelling with a secondary suite on all properties previously zoned only for a single family dwelling.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 750, 2012, consolidated, s. 410.1; s. 1201.1.e](https://lumby.civicweb.net/document/7189/)
  - Official wording: "Secondary suites must be located in a single family dwelling; and" … "Secondary Suites subject to the provisions of Section 410"
  - Source: [Planning and Building Inspection, Village planning page](https://lumby.ca/planning-and-building-inspection/)
  - Official wording: "the Zoning Bylaw has been updated to permit one single family dwelling with a secondary suite on all properties that were previously zoned to permit only a single family dwelling."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Coach house or garden suite allowed:** Yes: one secondary detached dwelling per lot in the R.1, R.2, R.7, Small Holding and Country Residential zones (s. 412). Not allowed on a lot with a boarding, lodging, rooming house or bed and breakfast use. On septic the lot must be at least 1 ha (2.47 acres).
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 750, 2012, consolidated, s. 412.1, 412.3, 412.11; s. 1201.1.h](https://lumby.civicweb.net/document/7189/)
  - Official wording: "No more than one (1) secondary detached dwelling shall be permitted per lot." … "Secondary detached dwellings subject to the provisions of Section 412" … "A secondary detached dwelling is not permitted on a lot with a boarding house" … "where the lot is serviced by an on-site septic tank effluent disposal system."
  - Source: [Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 895, 2024, s. 1.b](https://lumby.civicweb.net/document/6966/)
  - Official wording: "Section 412.3 by replacing the words "2 ha" with "1 ha"."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Limits:** One suite per single family dwelling; no strata titling; must meet the BC Building Code. The suite floor-area limits (s. 410.3) were deleted by Bylaw 895, 2024. A detached dwelling: up to 90 m² (969 sq ft) floor area, up to 8 m high, at least 4.5 m from the front or exterior side lot line, 2 m from a side or rear line, and 3 m from other buildings.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 750, 2012, consolidated, s. 410.2, 410.5; s. 412.2](https://lumby.civicweb.net/document/7189/)
  - Official wording: "No more than one (1) secondary suite shall be permitted within a single family" … "No strata titling will be permitted." … "90 m2 (969 square feet) including the basement if applicable." … "3 m (9.842 feet) from any other building or structure."
  - Source: [Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 895, 2024, s. 1.a, 1.e](https://lumby.civicweb.net/document/6966/)
  - Official wording: "Section 410.3 by deleting the section in its entirety." … "Section 412.9 by deleting the words "7 m" and replacing them with "8 m"."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Parking:** One off-street parking space for each secondary suite, not in tandem with another required space. Zoning Bylaw 601.3 was also reduced to 1 space for single and two family dwellings.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 750, 2012, consolidated, s. 410](https://lumby.civicweb.net/document/7189/)
  - Official wording: "One (1) off-street parking space must be provided for each secondary suite."
  - Source: [Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 895, 2024, s. 1.f](https://lumby.civicweb.net/document/6966/)
  - Official wording: "Section 601.3 by reducing the number of required parking spaces for single and two family"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Permits:** A building permit is required for every dwelling unit, including adding a suite within an existing dwelling. Development cost charges apply to additional dwelling units. Connections to municipal services should be discussed with Public Works.
  - Source: [Planning and Building Inspection, Village planning page](https://lumby.ca/planning-and-building-inspection/)
  - Official wording: "Building Permits are required for all dwelling units which includes adding a suite within an existing dwelling." … "Development Cost Charges will apply to additional dwelling units in accordance with the applicable Development Cost Charge Bylaws." … "should be discussed with the Public Works Department."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Village of Lumby Zoning Bylaw No. 750, 2012, s. 410 (Secondary Suites) and s. 412 (Secondary Detached Dwellings), as amended by Bylaw No. 895, 2024
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 750, 2012, consolidated, s. 410, 412](https://lumby.civicweb.net/document/7189/)
  - Official wording: "410 Secondary Suites" … "412 Secondary Detached Dwellings"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The [Zoning Bylaw No. 750](https://lumby.civicweb.net/document/7189/), s. 410 (secondary suites) and s. 412 (secondary detached dwellings), as amended by [Bylaw No. 895, 2024](https://lumby.civicweb.net/document/6966/), sets the rules.

- **Suite inside a house:** one secondary suite is allowed in a single family dwelling in the R.1, R.2, R.4, R.7, Small Holding and Country Residential zones. The Village says the 2024 amendments allow one single family dwelling with a secondary suite on all properties previously zoned only for a single family dwelling.
- **Detached dwelling:** one per lot in the R.1, R.2, R.7, Small Holding and Country Residential zones. It is not allowed on a lot with a boarding, lodging, rooming house or bed and breakfast use. On septic the lot must be at least 1 ha (2.47 acres). No minimum lot area is stated for a lot on community sewer.

**Limits:** one suite per single family dwelling; no strata titling; the suite must meet the BC Building Code. Bylaw 895 deleted the suite floor-area limits (s. 410.3). A detached dwelling may be up to 90 m² (969 sq ft) and 8 m high, at least 4.5 m from the front or exterior side lot line, 2 m from a side or rear line, and 3 m from other buildings.

**Parking:** one off-street space for each secondary suite, not in tandem with another required space. A detached dwelling follows the general parking section 601 (s. 412.13).

## Steps

1. Confirm your zone (see the zoning-lookup answer).
2. Check the limits above for a suite or a detached dwelling.
3. Talk to Public Works about connections to municipal services.
4. Apply for a building permit. One is required for every dwelling unit, including a suite within an existing dwelling.
5. Expect development cost charges for the additional unit.

## Good to know

- A development permit is not stated as needed for an R.1 suite, but the Official Community Plan's mapped environmental and hazard areas may apply to some lots. Ask RDNO planning (250-550-3700).
- No owner-occupancy rule was found in s. 410 or s. 412.

## Official forms and pages

- [Planning and Building Inspection, Village of Lumby](https://lumby.ca/planning-and-building-inspection/)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 750, 2012 (PDF)](https://lumby.civicweb.net/document/7189/)
- [Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 895, 2024 (PDF)](https://lumby.civicweb.net/document/6966/)

## Related questions

- [Lumby building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lumby/building-permit.md)
- [Lumby building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lumby/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Lumby zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lumby/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Lumby short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lumby/short-term-rental.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/secondary-suite.md)
- [Coldstream](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/coldstream/secondary-suite.md)
- [Vernon](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vernon/secondary-suite.md)
- [Spallumcheen](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/spallumcheen/secondary-suite.md)
- [Armstrong](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/armstrong/secondary-suite.md)
- [Enderby](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/enderby/secondary-suite.md)
- [Lake Country](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-country/secondary-suite.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 750, 2012, consolidated (PDF)](https://lumby.civicweb.net/document/7189/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 895, 2024 (PDF)](https://lumby.civicweb.net/document/6966/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Planning and Building Inspection, Village of Lumby](https://lumby.ca/planning-and-building-inspection/) (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 Lumby. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lumby/secondary-suite/_