{"title":"Lytton secondary suite and carriage house rules","question":"Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house?","slug":"secondary-suite","place":{"path":"ca/bc/lytton","name":"Lytton","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 Lytton","url":"https://www.lytton.ca"},"short_answer":"Lytton's Zoning Bylaw sets rules for one accessory suite per lot, up to 90 m², but only where a zone permits it. The zone use lists we read do not name an accessory suite, so confirm with Planning before you plan one.","aliases":["secondary suite lytton","basement suite lytton","carriage house lytton","accessory suite lytton"],"cost":"A suite needs a building permit; fees are in Building Bylaw No. 710, Appendix B. See the building-permit-fees answer.","how_long":"The Village does not state a processing time.","where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Planning","value":"778-554-7880"},{"type":"email","label":"Planning","value":"planning@lytton.ca"},{"type":"email","label":"Building Department","value":"building@lytton.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 484, 1998 (consolidated February 19, 2025) (PDF)","url":"https://www.lytton.ca/media/1630"},{"title":"Building Bylaw No. 710, 2022 (PDF)","url":"https://www.lytton.ca/media/108"}],"related":[{"slug":"building-permit","title":"Lytton building permits: when you need one and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lytton/building-permit/"},{"slug":"building-permit-fees","title":"Lytton building permit fees","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lytton/building-permit-fees/"},{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Lytton zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lytton/zoning-lookup/"},{"slug":"deck-shed-garage-permit","title":"Lytton permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lytton/deck-shed-garage-permit/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/logan-lake","name":"Logan Lake","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/logan-lake/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/ashcroft","name":"Ashcroft","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/ashcroft/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/lillooet","name":"Lillooet","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lillooet/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/merritt","name":"Merritt","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/merritt/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/cache-creek","name":"Cache Creek","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cache-creek/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/pemberton","name":"Pemberton","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/pemberton/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":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_found","sources":[]},"detached_allowed":{"label":"Coach house or garden suite allowed","value":"Where an accessory suite is a permitted use, one may be in an accessory building, but not on a lot under 280 m². It must be at least 3.0 m from the house.","short":"Yes, where accessory suite allowed; not on lot under 280 m²","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.lytton.ca/media/1630","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 484, 1998 (consolidated February 19, 2025) (PDF)","section":"s. 3.5","quotes":["An Accessory Suite cannot be located in an accessory building on lots less","than 280m2 (3,014ft2) in area.","The minimum distance between a single-detached dwelling and an"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"limits":{"label":"Limits","value":"One accessory suite per lot, inside the house or in an accessory building. Not allowed with a duplex. The house must be built first or at the same time. Maximum 90 m² total floor area. A suite inside a house needs a separate outside entrance, and there must be a lit path at least 1.1 m wide from the front lot line to the suite door.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.lytton.ca/media/1630","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 484, 1998 (consolidated February 19, 2025) (PDF)","section":"s. 3.5","quotes":["A lot shall contain only one (1) accessory suite whether located within a","Accessory Suites are not permitted where a duplex dwelling is located on","An Accessory Suite shall have a maximum total floor area of 90m2","A separate outside entrance must be provided to the Accessory Suite"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"parking":{"label":"Parking","value":"One additional off-street parking space for the suite, on top of the house's requirement.","short":"1 extra space, plus the house's","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.lytton.ca/media/1630","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 484, 1998 (consolidated February 19, 2025) (PDF)","section":"s. 3.5(11)","quotes":["One (1) additional off-street parking space must be provided for the"]},{"url":"https://www.lytton.ca/media/1630","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 484, 1998 (consolidated February 19, 2025) (PDF)","section":"Schedule C, Table 1","quotes":["Accessory or Secondary Suite 1 per dwelling unit"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"permits":{"label":"Permits","value":"The suite must be built to the Building Code and approved by a building inspector, so a building permit applies. No development permit is mentioned in s. 3.5.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.lytton.ca/media/1630","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 484, 1998 (consolidated February 19, 2025) (PDF)","section":"s. 3.5(5)","quotes":["An Accessory Suite must be constructed in accordance with the applicable"]},{"url":"https://www.lytton.ca/media/108","title":"Building Bylaw No. 710, 2022 (PDF)","section":"s. 4.1","quotes":["A person must not commence or continue any construction, alteration, excavation,"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Zoning Bylaw No. 484, 1998 (amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw (Accessory Dwelling) No. 752, 2024)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.lytton.ca/media/1630","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 484, 1998 (consolidated February 19, 2025) (PDF)","section":"amendment list","quotes":["Zoning Amendment Bylaw (Accessory","Dwelling) No. 752, 2024"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":5,"matched":5,"none":0,"unknown":1},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nSection 3.5 of the [Zoning Bylaw No. 484, 1998](https://www.lytton.ca/media/1630) (consolidated February 19, 2025, amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw (Accessory Dwelling) No. 752, 2024) sets rules for an accessory suite. It applies in zones where an accessory suite is a permitted use. The use lists for the RR, R1 and R2 zones in that consolidation do not list an accessory suite, and none of the other zones list one. We could not confirm from the bylaw that a suite is allowed on any lot, so confirm with Planning first.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Call Planning at 778-554-7880 to ask whether your zone permits an accessory suite.\n2. If it does, check the rules below.\n3. Apply for a building permit through Cloudpermit. The suite must be built to the Building Code and approved by a building inspector.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- One accessory suite per lot, inside the house or in an accessory building. Not allowed with a duplex. The house must be built first or at the same time.\n- Maximum 90 m² total floor area.\n- A suite inside a house needs a separate outside entrance, and there must be a lit path at least 1.1 m wide from the front lot line to the suite door.\n- A detached suite may be in an accessory building, but not on a lot under 280 m². It must be at least 3.0 m from the house.\n- The lot must be connected to community water and sewer, or be 0.2 ha or larger with an onsite sewage system, backup field and potable water.\n- Parking: one additional off-street space for the suite, on top of the house's requirement.\n- Section 3.5 does not mention a development permit. The bylaw does not state an owner-occupancy rule; ask Planning.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.lytton.ca/media/1630","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 484, 1998 (consolidated February 19, 2025) (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.lytton.ca/media/108","title":"Building Bylaw No. 710, 2022 (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.lytton.ca/local-government/contact-us","title":"Contact Us, Village of Lytton","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 5 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 1 could not be confirmed."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lytton/secondary-suite/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lytton/secondary-suite.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lytton/secondary-suite.json"}}