New Denver secondary suite and carriage house rules
Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house in New Denver?
Short answer
New Denver’s published zoning bylaw requires secondary suites to meet the BC Building Code and be registered with the Village. Ask the office to confirm current zoning and amendments for your lot before converting space.
Key facts
| Secondary suite allowed | R1 lists a secondary suite as a permitted use. The general limit is one secondary suite per principal dwelling.Zoning Bylaw No. 612, 2007, consolidated to January 2019, Sections 6.1(h) and 4.15 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-09Official wordingR1 - SINGLE AND TWO SECTION 6 FAMILY RESIDENTIAL 6.1 Permitted Uses The following uses and no other shall be permitted in a R1 zone: (h) secondary suite; 4.15 Secondary Suite Regulations A secondary suite shall comply with the following regulations: .1 No more than one secondary suite shall be permitted per principal dwelling unit. |
|---|---|
| Coach house or garden suite allowed | R1 lists an accessory residence. The owner must live in it or the main residence. Only one is allowed per residential property and it cannot be combined with a secondary suite in the principal dwelling.Zoning Bylaw No. 612, 2007, consolidated to January 2019, Sections 6.1(j) and 4.18 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-09Official wordingR1 - SINGLE AND TWO SECTION 6 FAMILY RESIDENTIAL 6.1 Permitted Uses The following uses and no other shall be permitted in a R1 zone: (j) accessory residence; 4.18 Accessory Residences An accessory residence shall comply with the following regulations: .1 An accessory residence, when permitted, shall not be occupied as a residence except where the registered owner of the subject property resides in the accessory residence or in the principal residence/building on the property. 2. If the registered owner of the subject property ceases to reside in either the principal residence/building or the accessory residence, the accessory residence must not be used for any purpose except storage of goods. .3 Only one accessory residence is allowed per residential property, and shall not be allowed in conjunction with a secondary suite in the principal dwelling unit. |
| Limits | The posted consolidation limits a suite to one per principal dwelling and 40% of the dwelling’s gross floor area. Confirm later amendments and parcel eligibility with the Village.Zoning Bylaw No. 612, 2007, consolidated to January 2019, PDF p. 21 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-09Official wording4.15 Secondary Suite Regulations A secondary suite shall comply with the following regulations: .1 No more than one secondary suite shall be permitted per principal dwelling unit. .2 A secondary suite shall not be permitted in two-family dwellings or in multifamily dwellings. .3 The secondary suite shall not occupy more than 40% of the gross floor area of the dwelling unit. .4 A secondary suite will only be permitted in a principal dwelling located on a parcel which is equal to or greater than 510 m2in area. |
| Parking | Not confirmed. Checked VILLAGE OF NEW DENVER; not found there. |
| Permits | New Denver’s published zoning bylaw requires secondary suites to meet the BC Building Code and be registered with the Village.Zoning Bylaw No. 612, 2007, consolidated to January 2019, PDF p. 21 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-09Official wording.5 All secondary suites must meet B.C. Building Code requirements. .6 All secondary suites must be registered with the Village of New Denver. |
| Bylaw | Zoning Bylaw No. 612, 2007, consolidated to January 2019Zoning Bylaw No. 612, 2007, consolidated to January 2019, PDF p. 1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-09Official wordingZONING BYLAW No. 612, 2007 |
How it works
First identify the kind of dwelling you want to add. A suite inside the main building and a separate dwelling in a backyard building can have different names and different permissions in the zoning bylaw. The posted consolidation limits a suite to one per principal dwelling and 40% of the dwelling’s gross floor area. Confirm later amendments and parcel eligibility with the Village.
Steps
- Check the housing guidance in Zoning Bylaw No. 612, 2007, consolidated to January 2019 (PDF). Find the parcel's zone and look up the dwelling type you intend to create. Describe whether the space is existing, new or part of a detached building.
- Show the existing dwellings, proposed entrance and parking on a sketch. Ask planning about permitted use and the building office about the work needed for the space.
Good to know
- R1 lists an accessory residence. The owner must live in it or the main residence. Only one is allowed per residential property and it cannot be combined with a secondary suite in the principal dwelling.
- R1 lists a secondary suite as a permitted use. The general limit is one secondary suite per principal dwelling.
- New Denver’s bylaws and mapping page links to the regional public map and the Village zoning bylaw.
- Submit through the Village Office, 115 Slocan Avenue, office@newdenver.ca. The Village guide lists the regional building official’s Nakusp office at 250-265-4111.
- For a question about the dwelling type, the zone and whether the proposed suite is attached or detached, call the Village Office at 250-358-2316.
The same question in other places
Silverton · Slocan · Kaslo · Nakusp · Nelson · Castlegar
Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- Zoning Bylaw No. 612, 2007, consolidated to January 2019 (PDF) (read 2026-11-09)
- Bylaws, Policies, Mapping - New Denver (read 2026-11-09)
- Building Department (read 2026-11-09)
- New Denver municipal office contact information (read 2026-11-09)
- New Denver Building Permit Guide (PDF) (read 2026-11-09)
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. How answers are checked.