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District of North Vancouver secondary suite and carriage house rules

Can I add a secondary suite or a coach house in the District of North Vancouver?

District of North Vancouver, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-06

Short answer

In the District of North Vancouver (not the City), a secondary suite is allowed in the R1 and R2 zones and the older single-family zones, one per lot, and needs a building permit. A coach house is allowed in R2 (one per lot) but is not a listed use in R1.

Key facts

Secondary suite allowedYes, as an accessory use in the R1 and R2 detached residential zones and in the older single-family (RS) zones. R2 requires the suite to be in the principal building. Only one suite per lot.Section 525 to Zoning Bylaw 3210, R1 and R2 zones, R1/R2 s. 2, 3; Zoning Bylaw 3210, s. 501.1(b)(iii) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
A Secondary Suite is only permitted when it is:
Located in the Principal Building; and
secondary suites are permitted only in single-family
only one secondary suite dwelling unit is permitted on a single-family
Coach house or garden suite allowedCoach house: yes in R2 (one per lot, with or without a suite, max 130.1 m²); not a listed use in R1. In RS zones, coach houses are not permitted outside the Urban Containment Boundary.Section 525 to Zoning Bylaw 3210, R1 and R2 zones, R2 s. 4; Section 525 to Zoning Bylaw 3210, R1 and R2 zones, R1 s. 4; Zoning Bylaw 3210, s. 501.1(b)(vi) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
A maximum of one (1) Principal Dwelling Unit, one (1) Secondary Suite, and one (1) Coach House are permitted per Lot.
130.1 m2 (1,400 ft2)
A maximum of one (1) Principal Dwelling Unit and one (1) Secondary Suite are permitted per Lot.
coach houses are not permitted outside the Urban Containment Boundary
LimitsR1/R2: suite no larger than 49% of the principal building's gross floor area; one suite per lot. RS zones: lesser of 130 m² or 49% of net floor area (minimum 90 m²), and the owner must live in the suite or the main dwelling.Section 525 to Zoning Bylaw 3210, R1 and R2 zones, R1 s. 3; Zoning Bylaw 3210, s. 501.1(b)(iii)(d) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
A Secondary Suite is only permitted when it is no larger than 49% of the Principal Building
the owner of a single-family residential building containing a secondary suite dwelling unit shall be a resident of either the
ParkingSingle-family house: 2 spaces. With a secondary suite or a coach house, 1 more (3 in total). With both a suite and a coach house the table also adds only 1 (3 in total); the District's coach house guide also asks for 3 spaces.Zoning Bylaw 3210, s. 1001 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
1. Base Rate 2 per dwelling unit
2. Single family residential building with
1 space in addition to the Base Rate
PermitsA building permit is required to create a secondary suite. If the property is in a development permit area (check geoweb.dnv.org), that development permit must be completed before applying for the building permit.Zoning guide, single-family residential RS1-5, Section A; Construction Bylaw 8271, 2017, s. 4.7.2 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
creating a Secondary Suite (see bulletin)
Please check the online maps at www.geoweb.dnv.org to see if your property falls within
change the use, occupancy, or both, of a building or structure or part of a building
BylawZoning Bylaw 3210 (Bylaw 3210, 1965), s. 501 and Section 525 (R1, R2); Construction Bylaw 8271, 2017Zoning Bylaw 3210, s. 501; Section 525 to Zoning Bylaw 3210, R1 and R2 zones, title · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
Uses in Single-Family Residential Zones (RS)
Section 525 to Bylaw 3210: Zoning Bylaw (Bylaw 8799)

How it works

Section 525 of Zoning Bylaw 3210 allows a secondary suite as an accessory use in the R1 and R2 detached residential zones, and the older single-family (RS) zones also allow one. This is the District of North Vancouver, not the City of North Vancouver.

  • Number: only one suite per lot. In R2 the suite must be in the principal building.
  • Size: in R1 and R2, no larger than 49% of the principal building's gross floor area. In RS zones, the lesser of 130 m² or 49% of the net floor area (minimum 90 m²), and the owner must live in the suite or the main dwelling. Owner-occupancy for R1 and R2 is not stated in Section 525.
  • Coach house: allowed in R2 (one per lot, with or without a suite, maximum 130.1 m²). Not a listed use in R1. In RS zones, coach houses are not permitted outside the Urban Containment Boundary.
  • Parking: 2 spaces for a house, plus 1 more with a secondary suite or a coach house (3 in total). The District's coach house guide also asks for 3 spaces.

Steps

  1. Check your zone (see zoning-lookup) and confirm that a suite or coach house is allowed.
  2. If the property is in a development permit area (check geoweb.dnv.org), complete the development permit before applying for the building permit.
  3. Apply for a building permit, which the Construction Bylaw requires to create a secondary suite. See building-permit.

Good to know

  • Call Planning on 604-990-2387 or the Building Department on 604-990-2480 to confirm details for your lot.
  • Short-term renting a suite has its own rules (see short-term-rental).

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

North Vancouver · Belcarra · West Vancouver · Port Moody · Vancouver · Burnaby

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

Sources

  1. Section 525 to Zoning Bylaw 3210, R1 and R2 zones (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
  2. Zoning Bylaw 3210 (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
  3. Zoning guide, single-family residential RS1-5 (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
  4. Construction Bylaw 8271, 2017 (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)

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.