GovHandbook

North Saanich secondary suite and carriage house rules

Can I add a secondary suite or a guest cottage?

North Saanich, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-05

Short answer

In North Saanich a secondary suite (up to two bedrooms, inside a single family home) is allowed in RA-1 to RA-6, R-1 to R-3, RS-1 and CD-1, CD-3, CD-4, CD-5 and CD-6. A guest cottage is allowed in RA-2 to RA-6, R-2, R-3 and CD-2. Both need a building permit, and a suite also needs a suite permit.

Key facts

Secondary suite allowedYes, as a self-contained unit of no more than two bedrooms inside a single family home, in zones RA-1 to RA-6, R-1, R-2, R-3, RS-1, CD-1, CD-3, CD-4, CD-5 and CD-6, if the s. 206 conditions are met. The owner must also hold a secondary suite permit.Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255 (PDF, consolidated February 2023), s. 206.1.1(a), s. 102 'secondary suite'; Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255 (PDF, consolidated February 2023), s. 502.1.1 (R-1), 501.1.1 (RA-1); Zoning, Zoning page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
be located within a zone in which Division 500 expressly permits
“secondary suite” means a self-contained dwelling unit, with no more than two bedrooms,
(i) Secondary Suite [See Section 206]
(vii) Secondary Suite, subject to Section 206.1
must hold a valid and current secondary suite permit.
Coach house or garden suite allowedGuest cottage (self-contained, lot at least 0.4 ha with a house already there) is permitted in RA-2 to RA-6, R-2, R-3 and CD-2. Carriage house (the lesser of 60 m² and 18% of lot area) is permitted only in CD-4 and CD-6. No garden suite or coach house category is otherwise listed.Sources differ: The Secondary Suites and Guest Cottages page lists guest cottages only in RA-2, RA-6 (ALR rules), R-2 and R-3; the bylaw's permitted-use lists also include RA-3, RA-4, RA-5 and CD-2. Followed the bylaw. Guest cottage max floor area 92 m² (140 m² in CD-2), height 7.6 m, max one per lot, owner-occupied (s. 204). Carriage house also needs a 10 m wide lot and a 4.5 m separation (s. 208).Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255 (PDF, consolidated February 2023), s. 204.1.1, 204.1.5; Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255 (PDF, consolidated February 2023), s. 208.1.2; Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255 (PDF, consolidated February 2023), zone permitted uses; Secondary Suites and Guest Cottages · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
No guest cottage is permitted unless a principal residential dwelling has
No guest cottage is permitted on a lot that has an area of less than 0.4
(a) 60 m2 (649 ft2); or
(b)18% of the lot area.
The gross floor area of the carriage house must not exceed the lesser of:
(a) 60 m2 (649 ft2); or
(i) Guest Cottage [See Section 204]
(ii) Carriage House (See Section 208)
Guest cottages are permitted within the following zones only on parcels greater than 0.4 hectares:
LimitsSuite floor area: the lesser of 90 m² (60 m² in CD-3 and CD-4) and 40% of the house's habitable area. One suite per lot, no other secondary dwelling, no more than one boarding room. The house cannot be stratified. Guest cottage: the owner must live in the cottage or the house.Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255 (PDF, consolidated February 2023), s. 206.1.2; Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255 (PDF, consolidated February 2023), s. 206.1.5; Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255 (PDF, consolidated February 2023), s. 204.1.6 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
The gross floor area of the secondary suite must not exceed the lesser of:
(a) 60 m2 (649 ft2) in the CD-3 or CD-4 zone and 90 m2 (970 ft2) in any other
40% of the habitable area of the single family residential dwelling in which
A single family residential dwelling that contains a secondary suite must not
be subdivided under the Strata Property Act or otherwise.
Either the guest cottage or the single family residential dwelling must be
owner occupied.
ParkingOne additional off-street parking space exclusively for the suite's occupants. A guest cottage needs 1 space; a carriage house needs 1 extra space.Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255 (PDF, consolidated February 2023), s. 206.1.4; Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255 (PDF, consolidated February 2023), s. 306 parking table · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
One additional off-street parking space for the exclusive use of the occupants
of the secondary suite must be provided on the lot in accordance with
Guest Cottage 1 space
Carriage House plus 1 space
PermitsA secondary suite permit (held by the owner) and a building permit. The building permit application form says the suite permit needs a s. 219 covenant obtained from Planning. A guest cottage also needs a building permit. Review s. 204, consult a building professional, then submit a building permit application and pay the fee.Zoning, Zoning page; Secondary Suites and Guest Cottages, Permitting Process; Building Permit Application Information package (PDF, updated March 26, 2026), Building Permit Application form, documents checklist · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
must hold a valid and current secondary suite permit. Any owner applying to construct a guest cottage or secondary suite must also acquire a Building Permit.
Complete and submit a Building Permit application and pay the required fee.
(Bylaw 1244) Obtain s219 Covenant (LTA) from
BylawZoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255 (ss. 204, 206, 208); Building and Plumbing Bylaw No. 1150; the building permit application form cites Bylaw 1244 for the secondary suite permit.Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255 (PDF, consolidated February 2023), s. 206; Permits, Applying for a Building Permit; Building Permit Application Information package (PDF, updated March 26, 2026), Building Permit Application form, documents checklist · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
be on the same lot. 206. SECONDARY SUITE BL 1382 206.1. Where a zone permits a secondary suite use, all of the following conditions must be
bedrooms (without cooking facilities) for a maximum of four persons per lot/per visit. BL 1369 204. GUEST COTTAGE 204.1. Where a zone permits guest cottage use, the following conditions must be satisfied for
DISTRICT OF NORTH SAANICH BYLAW N O. 1255 A BYLAW TO REGULATE THE ZONING AND DEVELOPMENT
Building and Plumbing Bylaw No. 1150
(Bylaw 1244) Obtain s219 Covenant (LTA) from

How it works

Under the District of North Saanich's Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255, a secondary suite is a self-contained unit of no more than two bedrooms inside a single family home, allowed if the s. 206 conditions are met. The owner must also hold a secondary suite permit. A guest cottage is a separate self-contained unit on a lot of at least 0.4 ha that already has a house.

A carriage house (the lesser of 60 m² and 18% of the lot area) is allowed only in CD-4 and CD-6, and needs a lot 10 m wide and a 4.5 m separation. No garden suite or coach house category is otherwise listed.

Steps

  1. Confirm your zone (see the zoning-lookup answer) and read s. 204 (guest cottages) or s. 206 (suites).
  2. Consult a building professional about the Building Code.
  3. Submit a building permit application and pay the fee. The application form says the suite permit needs a s. 219 covenant, obtained from Planning.
  4. Ask Planning and Community Services (250-655-5470) about the suite permit, since no fee or form is stated.

Good to know

  • Suite size is the lesser of 90 m² (60 m² in CD-3 and CD-4) and 40% of the house's habitable area. One suite per lot, no other secondary dwelling, and no more than one boarding room. The house cannot be stratified.
  • A suite needs one extra off-street parking space for its occupants. A guest cottage needs 1 space and a carriage house 1 extra space.
  • Guest cottage: up to 92 m² (140 m² in CD-2), 7.6 m high, one per lot. The owner must live in the cottage or the house. No owner-occupancy rule was found for a suite.
  • The Suites page lists fewer guest cottage zones than the bylaw (it omits RA-3 to RA-5 and CD-2). We followed the bylaw; confirm your zone with Planning.
  • The home must be on sewer or an on-site system meeting the Public Health Act.
  • Municipal tickets for suite breaches are $325 to $650 under Bylaw No. 1544 (2022 version); amounts may have changed.
  • The zoning copy is the February 2023 consolidation; later amendments exist.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Sidney · Central Saanich · Highlands · Saanich · Langford · View Royal

Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

  1. Secondary Suites and Guest Cottages, District of North Saanich (read 2026-11-05)
  2. Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255 (PDF, consolidated February 2023) (read 2026-11-05)
  3. Zoning, District of North Saanich (read 2026-11-05)
  4. Building Permit Application Information package (PDF, updated March 26, 2026) (read 2026-11-05)
  5. Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 1544 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
  6. Permits, District of North Saanich (read 2026-11-05)

Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text. How answers are checked.