{"title":"Montrose secondary suite and carriage house rules","question":"Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house in Montrose?","slug":"secondary-suite","place":{"path":"ca/bc/montrose","name":"Montrose","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 Montrose","url":"https://www.montrose.ca"},"short_answer":"In Montrose a secondary suite (a complete unit inside a single family dwelling) is allowed in all R1 and RD zones and as a permitted use in the RU zone, one per dwelling. Detached units such as garden suites, laneway homes and carriage houses are prohibited, except at 620-12th Avenue.","aliases":["secondary suite montrose","basement suite montrose bc","carriage house montrose","legal suite montrose"],"cost":"Not stated; see the building-permit-fees answer for building permit fees.","how_long":"Not stated.","where":[{"type":"in_person","label":"Village Office","value":"565 11th Ave., Montrose, BC V0G 1P0","note":"Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed statutory holidays)"},{"type":"phone","label":"Village Office","value":"250-367-7234"},{"type":"email","label":"Village Office","value":"admin@montrose.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 783, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose","url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Bylaw-783-Zoning-Amendment-Bylaw.pdf"},{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 771, 2022 (PDF), Village of Montrose","url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/771-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf"},{"title":"Building Bylaw (2005-1) No. 633 (PDF), Village of Montrose","url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/633_Building.pdf"}],"related":[{"slug":"building-permit","title":"Montrose building permits: when you need one and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/building-permit/"},{"slug":"building-permit-fees","title":"Montrose building permit fees","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/building-permit-fees/"},{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Montrose zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/zoning-lookup/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/fruitvale","name":"Fruitvale","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fruitvale/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/trail","name":"Trail","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/trail/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/warfield","name":"Warfield","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/warfield/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/rossland","name":"Rossland","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/rossland/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/castlegar","name":"Castlegar","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/salmo","name":"Salmo","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmo/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":"Secondary suites (a complete unit with its own kitchen, sleeping area and washroom inside another dwelling) are permitted in all R1 and RD zones, and are a permitted use in the RU (Rural) zone. They are prohibited at 620-12th Avenue.","short":"Yes, in all R1 and RD zones and RU","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Bylaw-783-Zoning-Amendment-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 783, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose","section":"new s. 3.15; s. 4.9.2","quotes":["Secondary Suites are permitted in all Rl and RD zones provided","b) Secondary suites are prohibited at 620-12th Avenue.","Add 4.9.2 b) Secondary suites;"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"detached_allowed":{"label":"Coach house or garden suite allowed","value":"Accessory dwelling units (garden suite, laneway home, carriage house, garage suite) are prohibited in all R1 and RD zones, except 620-12th Avenue, which may have one.","short":"No, prohibited in R1 and RD zones","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Bylaw-783-Zoning-Amendment-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 783, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose","section":"new s. 3.15.1","quotes":["Accessory Dwelling Units are prohibited in all Rl and RD","a) 620-12th Avenue is permitted to have one (1)"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"limits":{"label":"Limits","value":"One secondary suite per single family dwelling.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Bylaw-783-Zoning-Amendment-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 783, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose","section":"new s. 3.15(a)","quotes":["A maximum of one (1) secondary suite is permitted per single"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"parking":{"label":"Parking","value":"One parking space for a secondary suite (and one for an accessory dwelling unit), on top of the 2 spaces for the main dwelling.","short":"1 space per suite, plus 2 for the main dwelling","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Bylaw-783-Zoning-Amendment-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 783, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose","section":"s. 3.9","quotes":["Add - \"Secondary Suite\" 1 parking space","Add - \"Accessory Dwelling Unit\" 1 parking space"]},{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/771-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 771, 2022 (PDF), Village of Montrose","section":"s. 3.9","quotes":["2 spaces per dwelling unit."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"permits":{"label":"Permits","value":"Not stated for suites. The Building Bylaw requires a building permit before constructing or altering a building or structure; the suite definition says building code standards apply.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/633_Building.pdf","title":"Building Bylaw (2005-1) No. 633 (PDF), Village of Montrose","section":"s. 8.1.1","quotes":["building permit before constructing or altering a building or"]},{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Bylaw-783-Zoning-Amendment-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 783, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose","section":"definition","quotes":["Specific planning rules and building code standards exist for the development of secondary suites"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Zoning Bylaw #771, 2022, as amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw #783, 2024","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/771-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 771, 2022 (PDF), Village of Montrose","section":"s. 1.1","quotes":["Zoning Bylaw #771, 2022"]},{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Bylaw-783-Zoning-Amendment-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 783, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose","section":"title","quotes":["ZONING AMENDMENT BYLAW #783,2024"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":6,"matched":6,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nIn the Village of Montrose, [Zoning Bylaw 771](https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/771-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf) as amended by [Zoning Amendment Bylaw 783](https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Bylaw-783-Zoning-Amendment-Bylaw.pdf) (2024) allows secondary suites. A secondary suite is a complete unit with its own kitchen, sleeping area and washroom inside another dwelling. Before 2024 only \"in-law suites\" for relatives of the owner were allowed.\n\n- **Where:** all R1 and RD zones, and as a permitted use in the RU (Rural) zone. They are prohibited at 620-12th Avenue.\n- **How many:** one secondary suite per single family dwelling.\n- **Detached units:** accessory dwelling units (garden suite, laneway home, carriage house, garage suite) are prohibited in all R1 and RD zones, except 620-12th Avenue, which may have one.\n- **Parking:** one parking space for the suite, on top of the 2 spaces for the main dwelling.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- A suite cannot be stratified or separated from the main house.\n- The new rules list no owner-occupancy requirement or size limit.\n- The suite definition says building code standards apply, and the Building Bylaw requires a building permit before constructing or altering a building. No separate suite permit is stated; the Village's website says the RDKB issues building permits, so confirm with the Village Office on 250-367-7234.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Bylaw-783-Zoning-Amendment-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 783, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/771-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 771, 2022 (PDF), Village of Montrose","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/633_Building.pdf","title":"Building Bylaw (2005-1) No. 633 (PDF), Village of Montrose","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/permits-and-licenses/","title":"Permits and Licenses, Village of Montrose","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/contacts/","title":"Contacts, Village of Montrose","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 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/secondary-suite/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/secondary-suite.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/secondary-suite.json"}}