{"title":"Nakusp secondary suite and carriage house rules","question":"Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house in Nakusp?","slug":"secondary-suite","place":{"path":"ca/bc/nakusp","name":"Nakusp","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 Nakusp","url":"https://www.nakusp.com"},"short_answer":"Yes. Nakusp's Zoning Bylaw allows a secondary suite inside the main home in R-1, R-2, R-3 and RU-1, and a detached suite or carriage home in several zones. Limits are one accessory dwelling per parcel and one parking space for it. Creating a suite needs an RDCK building permit.","aliases":["basement suite nakusp","carriage house nakusp","garden suite nakusp","secondary suite nakusp","tiny home nakusp"],"cost":"Zoning has no suite fee we found; see the building-permit-fees answer for the RDCK permit.","how_long":"No official page we read states a processing time.","where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Village Office (zoning)","value":"250.265.3689"},{"type":"phone","label":"RDCK Building Inspector, Nakusp","value":"250.265.4111"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 729, 2023 (consolidated November 2024)","url":"https://nakusp.civicweb.net/document/15437/"},{"title":"RDCK Building Brochure, March 2024 (PDF)","url":"https://rdck.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2024-03-15-Building_Brochure_03-24.pdf"}],"related":[{"slug":"building-permit","title":"Nakusp building permits: when you need one and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nakusp/building-permit/"},{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Nakusp zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nakusp/zoning-lookup/"},{"slug":"short-term-rental","title":"Nakusp short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nakusp/short-term-rental/"},{"slug":"building-permit-fees","title":"Nakusp building permit fees","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nakusp/building-permit-fees/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/new-denver","name":"New Denver","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-denver/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/silverton","name":"Silverton","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/silverton/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/slocan","name":"Slocan","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/slocan/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/kaslo","name":"Kaslo","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kaslo/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/revelstoke","name":"Revelstoke","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/revelstoke/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/lumby","name":"Lumby","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lumby/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":"Yes. An attached accessory dwelling (including a secondary suite) is allowed as an accessory use in R-1, R-2, R-3 and RU-1, and in other listed zones. It must be entirely inside the principal dwelling.","short":"Yes, in R-1, R-2, R-3 and RU-1 zones","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://nakusp.civicweb.net/document/15437/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 729, 2023, Village of Nakusp (consolidated November 2024)","section":"s. 6.1.2(b), 6.2.2(b), 3.13.1; definition","quotes":["i) Accessory Dwelling, Attached","A secondary suite shall be entirely contained within a principal dwelling.","including secondary suites and attached garage suites;"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"detached_allowed":{"label":"Coach house or garden suite allowed","value":"Yes, in R-1 (parcels 534 m² or more), R-2, R-3 and RU-1 and some other zones, only where the principal use is a single detached dwelling. Garage suites, carriage homes and tiny homes are covered.","short":"Yes, in R-1, R-2, R-3, RU-1; single detached only","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://nakusp.civicweb.net/document/15437/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 729, 2023, Village of Nakusp (consolidated November 2024)","section":"s. 6.1.4(b)(ii), 6.1.8(a), 3.12.1","quotes":["One Single Detached Dwelling and one attached or detached","Detached Accessory Dwellings shall only be permitted on Parcels where the","The following pertains to secondary suites, carriage homes, garage suites, and"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"limits":{"label":"Limits","value":"One accessory dwelling per parcel (R-1, R-2, RU-1). Secondary suite at least 33 m². Garage suite or carriage home: at most 90 m² or 75% of the main home's habitable area (attached garage suite 45%); carriage home 3 m from the main house. Tiny home 37.2 m². Cannot be subdivided. Septic capacity letter if on septic. Not allowed on a parcel with a caretaker dwelling.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://nakusp.civicweb.net/document/15437/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 729, 2023, Village of Nakusp (consolidated November 2024)","section":"s. 3.12-3.16","quotes":["Accessory Dwelling Units may not be subdivided by any means.","A secondary suite shall have a minimum floor area of 33 m2.","The maximum floor area of a detached garage suite shall be 90 m2 or 75%","A carriage home shall be separated a minimum distance of 3 m from the","A tiny home shall have a maximum floor area of 37.2 m2;","Accessory Dwelling Units are not permitted on Parcels that contain a","Maximum one attached or detached Accessory Dwelling per Parcel."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"parking":{"label":"Parking","value":"One space per dwelling unit for an attached or detached accessory dwelling, in addition to the 2 spaces for a single detached dwelling.","short":"1 space per unit, plus 2 for the house","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://nakusp.civicweb.net/document/15437/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 729, 2023, Village of Nakusp (consolidated November 2024)","section":"s. 4.4.1, Table 2","quotes":["Single Detached Dwelling and Duplex 2 per dwelling unit","Attached Accessory Dwelling, Detached Accessory 1 per dwelling unit"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"permits":{"label":"Permits","value":"A building permit from the RDCK is needed to renovate a dwelling to create a secondary suite. No development permit is named in the residential zones; check the OCP development permit areas for the property.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://rdck.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2024-03-15-Building_Brochure_03-24.pdf","title":"RDCK Building Brochure, March 2024 (PDF)","section":"p. 3","quotes":["Renovate your dwelling to create a secondary suite"]},{"url":"https://www.nakusp.com/licences-permits","title":"Licences and Permits, Village of Nakusp","section":"Building Permits","quotes":["All building permits within the municipal boundary for Nakusp are submitted to the RDCK Building Inspector's office."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Zoning Bylaw No. 729, 2023 (consolidated November 2024), s. 3.12-3.16 and Section 6","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://nakusp.civicweb.net/document/15437/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 729, 2023, Village of Nakusp (consolidated November 2024)","section":"Title","quotes":["Zoning Bylaw No. 729, 2023","Consolidated November 2024"]},{"url":"https://nakusp.civicweb.net/document/15437/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 729, 2023, Village of Nakusp (consolidated November 2024)","section":"s. 3.12","quotes":["3.12 Accessory Dwelling Units","3.13 Secondary Suites"]}],"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\nUnder the Village's [Zoning Bylaw No. 729](https://nakusp.civicweb.net/document/15437/), an attached accessory dwelling, including a secondary suite, is allowed in R-1, R-2, R-3, RU-1 and other listed zones, and must be entirely inside the principal dwelling. In R-1 an attached suite needs a parcel of at least 320 m²; with 534 m² or more, one attached or detached suite is allowed. A detached suite (garage suite, carriage home or tiny home) is allowed in R-1 (534 m² or more), R-2, R-3, RU-1 and some other zones, only where the principal use is a single detached dwelling.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Check your zone and parcel size in the Zoning Bylaw.\n2. Confirm the limits below.\n3. Apply to the RDCK Building Inspector for a building permit to renovate for a suite.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- One accessory dwelling per parcel (R-1, R-2, RU-1).\n- A secondary suite must be at least 33 m². A garage suite or carriage home is at most 90 m² or 75% of the main home's habitable area (45% for an attached garage suite); a carriage home must be 3 m from the main house. A tiny home is 37.2 m².\n- It cannot be subdivided, and a septic capacity letter is needed if on septic. Not allowed on a parcel with a caretaker dwelling.\n- Parking: one space per accessory dwelling, in addition to the 2 for a single detached dwelling.\n- No development permit is named in the residential zones. Check the Official Community Plan development permit areas for your property.","sources":[{"url":"https://nakusp.civicweb.net/document/15437/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 729, 2023, Village of Nakusp (consolidated November 2024)","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://rdck.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2024-03-15-Building_Brochure_03-24.pdf","title":"RDCK Building Brochure, March 2024 (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.nakusp.com/licences-permits","title":"Licences and Permits, Village of Nakusp","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/nakusp/secondary-suite/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nakusp/secondary-suite.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nakusp/secondary-suite.json"}}