New Hazelton secondary suite and carriage house rules
Can I add a secondary suite or a garden suite in New Hazelton?
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.
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.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); 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) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingSecondary 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 iii. Garden Suite iv. Secondary Suite vii. Secondary Suite b) Accessory Uses i. Accessory Building ii. Secondary Suite |
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| 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).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) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official 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 |
| 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.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) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingSecondary 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 |
| Parking | 1 off-street parking space for a secondary suite and 1 for a garden suite, in addition to the dwelling's own requirement.Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025, as amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 392, 2026, s. 5.1 Parking Requirements table · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingSecondary Suite 1 Garden Suite 1 Single Family Residential Dwelling 1 |
| 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)Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025, as amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 392, 2026, Title page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingThis Bylaw may be cited as District of New Hazelton Zoning Amendment Bylaw 392, 2026. |
How it works
The Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025 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
- Confirm your zone (see the zoning-lookup answer).
- 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; see the building-permit-fees answer.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Hazelton · Smithers · Telkwa · Granisle · Terrace · Houston
Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- Zoning Bylaw No. 389, 2025, as amended by Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 392, 2026 (PDF) (read 2026-11-08)
- Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 393, 2026 (PDF) (read 2026-11-08)
- District of New Hazelton home page (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. How answers are checked.