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

# New Hazelton secondary suite and carriage house rules

**Question:** Can I add a secondary suite or a garden suite in New Hazelton?

**Short answer:** Yes, in some zones. New Hazelton allows secondary suites (inside a single detached home) in the R-1, R-2, R-5, C-2 and RU zones, and garden suites (detached) in R-1, R-2, R-5 and RU. A secondary suite is limited to 2 bedrooms and 60% of the home's floor area or 70 m², whichever is less.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of New Hazelton, https://newhazelton.ca)  
**Cost:** Not stated. See building-permit-fees for permit fee rates.  
**How long:** Not stated on the District's website.  
**Where:**
- Phone: District Office, 250-842-6571
- Email: District Office email, info@newhazelton.ca
- In person: District Office, 4670 10th Avenue, New Hazelton, BC (mail: PO Box 340, New Hazelton, BC V0J 2J0) (Opening hours are not stated on the official site.)

## Key facts

- **Secondary suite allowed:** Secondary suites (inside a single detached dwelling) are permitted as an accessory use in the R-1, R-2, R-5, C-2 and RU zones. In R-1 and R-2 only on a parcel with a single family dwelling, not on a lot with a duplex.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025, as amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 392, 2026, s. 5.11; R-1 s. 4.1.5(b); R-2 s. 4.2.5(a)](https://newhazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/BL-392-Zoning-Amendment.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Secondary suites are permitted in single detached dwellings and are subject to the following conditions:" … "Garden or secondary suites are not permitted on a lot containing a duplex." … "Garden suites and secondary suites are only permitted accessory uses on parcels containing"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025, as amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 392, 2026, R-5 s. 4.5.1(b); RU s. 4.11.1(b); C-2 s. 4.8.1(b)](https://newhazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/BL-392-Zoning-Amendment.pdf)
  - Official wording: "iii. Garden Suite iv. Secondary Suite" … "vii. Secondary Suite" … "b) Accessory Uses i. Accessory Building ii. Secondary Suite"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Coach house or garden suite allowed:** Garden suites (a detached accessory dwelling unit) are allowed as an accessory use in R-1, R-2, R-5 and RU zones. R-1 and R-5 cap them at 70 m² and 8 m high; the RU zone sets no garden suite size. In R-1 and R-2 only one garden or secondary suite per parcel, with a single family dwelling (not a duplex).
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025, as amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 392, 2026, s. 2.1 definition; R-1 s. 4.1.3 and 4.1.5; R-5 s. 4.5.5(b)](https://newhazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/BL-392-Zoning-Amendment.pdf)
  - Official wording: "“Garden Suite” means an accessory detached dwelling unit in addition to the principal Single Family" … "A maximum of one garden suite or one secondary suite is permitted on a parcel occupied by" … "The maximum unit size for a Garden Suites is 70 m2." … "Maximum Height 10 m 8m N/A 8m"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Limits:** Secondary suite: no more than 2 bedrooms; floor area no more than 60% of the dwelling's gross floor area or 70 m², whichever is less; cannot be on the same lot as a garden suite; must meet the BC Building Code. Only one suite (garden or secondary) per parcel in R-1 and R-2.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025, as amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 392, 2026, s. 5.11(1) to (4); R-1 s. 4.1.5(a)](https://newhazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/BL-392-Zoning-Amendment.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Secondary Suites must have no more than two (2) bedrooms;" … "Secondary Suites cannot co-exist on the same lot as a Garden Suite;" … "the detached dwelling, or 70 m2, whichever is less" … "A Secondary Suite shall comply to all relevant requirements and standards of the British Columbia"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Parking:** 1 off-street parking space for a secondary suite and 1 for a garden suite, in addition to the dwelling's own requirement.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025, as amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 392, 2026, s. 5.1 Parking Requirements table](https://newhazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/BL-392-Zoning-Amendment.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Secondary Suite 1" … "Garden Suite 1" … "Single Family Residential Dwelling 1"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Permits:** Not confirmed. The readable bylaws do not list the permits a suite needs.
- **Bylaw:** District of New Hazelton Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025, as amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 392, 2026 (adopted September 8, 2026)
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025, as amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 392, 2026, Title page](https://newhazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/BL-392-Zoning-Amendment.pdf)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited as District of New Hazelton Zoning Amendment Bylaw 392, 2026."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The [Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025](https://newhazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/BL-392-Zoning-Amendment.pdf) allows:

- **Secondary suites** (inside a single detached dwelling) as an accessory use in the R-1, R-2, R-5, C-2 and RU zones. In R-1 and R-2 this applies only on a parcel with a single family dwelling, not on a lot with a duplex.
- **Garden suites** (a detached accessory dwelling unit) as an accessory use in R-1, R-2, R-5 and RU zones. R-1 and R-5 cap them at 70 m² and 8 m high; the RU zone sets no garden suite size.

In R-1 and R-2 only one suite (garden or secondary) is allowed per parcel.

A secondary suite may have no more than 2 bedrooms, and its floor area may be no more than 60% of the dwelling's gross floor area or 70 m², whichever is less. It cannot be on the same lot as a garden suite and must meet the BC Building Code.

Parking: 1 off-street space for a secondary suite and 1 for a garden suite, in addition to the dwelling's own requirement.

## Steps

1. Confirm your zone (see the zoning-lookup answer).
2. Call the District Office at 250-842-6571 or email info@newhazelton.ca and ask which permits you need. The readable bylaws do not list them.

## Good to know

- Building permit fees are in the [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 393, 2026](https://newhazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/BL-393-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw.pdf); see the building-permit-fees answer.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025, as amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 392, 2026 (PDF)](https://newhazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/BL-392-Zoning-Amendment.pdf)

## Related questions

- [New Hazelton building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/building-permit-fees.md)
- [New Hazelton zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/zoning-lookup.md)
- [New Hazelton short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/short-term-rental.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/secondary-suite.md)
- [Hazelton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hazelton/secondary-suite.md)
- [Smithers](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/secondary-suite.md)
- [Telkwa](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/secondary-suite.md)
- [Granisle](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/granisle/secondary-suite.md)
- [Terrace](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/secondary-suite.md)
- [Houston](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/secondary-suite.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025, as amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 392, 2026 (PDF)](https://newhazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/BL-392-Zoning-Amendment.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 393, 2026 (PDF)](https://newhazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/BL-393-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [District of New Hazelton home page](https://newhazelton.ca/) (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 District of New Hazelton. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/secondary-suite/_