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

# Lytton secondary suite and carriage house rules

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

**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.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Lytton, https://www.lytton.ca)  
**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:**
- Phone: Planning, 778-554-7880
- Email: Planning, planning@lytton.ca
- Email: Building Department, building@lytton.ca

## Key facts

- **Secondary suite allowed:** Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read.
- **Coach house or garden suite allowed:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 484, 1998 (consolidated February 19, 2025), s. 3.5](https://www.lytton.ca/media/1630)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Limits:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 484, 1998 (consolidated February 19, 2025), s. 3.5](https://www.lytton.ca/media/1630)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Parking:** One additional off-street parking space for the suite, on top of the house's requirement.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 484, 1998 (consolidated February 19, 2025), s. 3.5(11)](https://www.lytton.ca/media/1630)
  - Official wording: "One (1) additional off-street parking space must be provided for the"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 484, 1998 (consolidated February 19, 2025), Schedule C, Table 1](https://www.lytton.ca/media/1630)
  - Official wording: "Accessory or Secondary Suite 1 per dwelling unit"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Permits:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 484, 1998 (consolidated February 19, 2025), s. 3.5(5)](https://www.lytton.ca/media/1630)
  - Official wording: "An Accessory Suite must be constructed in accordance with the applicable"
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 710, 2022, s. 4.1](https://www.lytton.ca/media/108)
  - Official wording: "A person must not commence or continue any construction, alteration, excavation,"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 484, 1998 (amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw (Accessory Dwelling) No. 752, 2024)
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 484, 1998 (consolidated February 19, 2025), amendment list](https://www.lytton.ca/media/1630)
  - Official wording: "Zoning Amendment Bylaw (Accessory" … "Dwelling) No. 752, 2024"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

Section 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.

## Steps

1. Call Planning at 778-554-7880 to ask whether your zone permits an accessory suite.
2. If it does, check the rules below.
3. Apply for a building permit through Cloudpermit. The suite must be built to the Building Code and approved by a building inspector.

## Good to know

- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Parking: one additional off-street space for the suite, on top of the house's requirement.
- Section 3.5 does not mention a development permit. The bylaw does not state an owner-occupancy rule; ask Planning.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 484, 1998 (consolidated February 19, 2025) (PDF)](https://www.lytton.ca/media/1630)
- [Building Bylaw No. 710, 2022 (PDF)](https://www.lytton.ca/media/108)

## Related questions

- [Lytton building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lytton/building-permit.md)
- [Lytton building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lytton/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Lytton zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lytton/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Lytton permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lytton/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/secondary-suite.md)
- [Logan Lake](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/logan-lake/secondary-suite.md)
- [Ashcroft](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/ashcroft/secondary-suite.md)
- [Lillooet](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lillooet/secondary-suite.md)
- [Merritt](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/merritt/secondary-suite.md)
- [Cache Creek](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cache-creek/secondary-suite.md)
- [Pemberton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/pemberton/secondary-suite.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 484, 1998 (consolidated February 19, 2025) (PDF)](https://www.lytton.ca/media/1630) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Bylaw No. 710, 2022 (PDF)](https://www.lytton.ca/media/108) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Contact Us, Village of Lytton](https://www.lytton.ca/local-government/contact-us) (read 2026-11-08)

_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. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Village of Lytton. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lytton/secondary-suite/_